UST to layoff 74 works, mainly sales representatives..

April 19, 2009 - UST Inc. will permanently lay off 74 workers reporting to its facility in Mooresville, NC. Many of the affected employees work remotely from other states, and most are sales representatives, according to a company filing with the N.C. Department of Commerce.

The layoffs are slated to begin June 5, 2009.

UST is a Connecticut-based manufacturer and marketer of smokeless tobacco products. On January 6, 2009 the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Virginia-based Altria Group Inc., which also owns Philip Morris USA.

Altria Group Inc., parent company to the nation's largest cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA (PM USA), eliminated most of the sales force when it purchased John Middleton Inc.

Related news brief: Further layoffs for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. Brands, Inc...; Altria more layoffs in February 2009..

Reference: UST to lay off 74 employees, Charlotte Business Journal, 4/14/2009.