Comments on: Altria to buy UST!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:29:02 +0000

UST sales force – gone. Middleton sales force – gone. PM is ruthless.

By: COPEWIFE

COPEWIFE — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:28:33 +0000

Good Luck to UST sales force. I’m not so sure any of you would want to work for PM anyhow, as they aren’t the “family oriented” company. They treat their retailers the same because they are like a bunch of brain-washed drones floating around . They can’t have a good repor with their retailers, because when the retailers are out of line with their contracts , they wouldn’t have the b____s to tell them they get screwed out of their money owed to them. PM’s day will come! And it will. ALL retailers need to stand up to them & tell them to shove their contracts.

By: SDL

SDL — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:16:10 +0000

Let me clarify. All the comments here referenced USST or PM sales forces calling on retail accounts. Middleton did not have a retail sales force.

By: a line of bull

a line of bull — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:35:20 +0000

My last comment was directed to sdl – I am not sure where he/she is getting their information.

By: a line of bull

a line of bull — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:34:25 +0000

If you believe that JMI did not have a salesforce for Black & Mild, just ask one of the 23 sales people that were released by PM. The JMI sales force called on wholesalers and chain store headquarters, not the individual stores.

By: BIG MO

BIG MO — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:36:53 +0000

sdl – I’m not sure what your looking at – JMI did have a sales force however they did not call on stores. Looks like your missing the distinction od sales reps calling on retail like USST and PM. If your referring to that your correct but I don’t that’s what is being referenced. So in a way retail thru the PM purchase of JMI the retail sector is now being serviced. I should know I now bring those programs to retail.

By: sdl

sdl — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:12:38 +0000

Just to set the record straight Black & Mild did not have a sales force. You really should get your facts straight before you post.

By: joe fonbone

joe fonbone — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:44:23 +0000

Coppenhagen Charlie, your right about The Dark Knight. The only difference is….The PM folks will still have a job. What’s ineffective about that? By the way, Kool Aid was dumped by PM, and effectiveness tends to be measured by delivering a nice bottom line. I own PM and UST stock..the analyst seem to be very complementary about the PM Sales Force… what is it you know that they don’t?

By: Copenhagen Charlie

Copenhagen Charlie — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:30:40 +0000

Looks like the Dark Knight has been drinking Kool Aid from the PM dispenser. Folks will see when PM just levels the boom like they did on the Middleton folks. If PM eliminates the USST sales force retail will be left with the most ineffective sales force in the business that being PM. Gotta wonder what the Dark Knight is thinking?????

By: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:05:06 +0000

It seems like a lot of people are just speaking against Philip Morris but I think this purchase is actually a good move as there are a few things that PM does so much better than USST as they treat every retailer the same in that they offer a consistency in their retail leaders plans that USST has no clue about. They (USST) do not treat all retailers the same and do not offer all folks the same opportunity. They offer programs to who they choose to and if you are in an area that has no sales representative calling on you you are just plain out of luck. They do not visit locations on a consistent basis as does Philip Morris. I long to be able to compete against my competition on the same playing field. Another thing I look forward to is having a rep visit me on a consistent basis. The other benefit I see is that PM in the past put in place an off-invoice program that affected all retailers. It is my hope that they will do the same with Skoal & Copenhagen. So I vote PM buying USST is a very good thing. USST will become a much more effective sales organization.