W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British Tobacco importer and cigarette manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was one of the founding companies of Imperial Tobacco.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is the second largest cigarette company in the world. It is based in London and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index with a market capitalisation of over £20 billion as of June 2005.
The W.D. & H.O. company was founded by Henry Overton Wills, who opened a shop in Castle Street, Bristol in 1786 with a Mr Watkins as partner. After the retirement of his partner in 1789 it became “Wills & Co.”. In 1826 his two sons, William Day Wills and Henry Overton Wills took over the company and in 1830 the company took the above name.
The company pioneered canteens for the workers, free medical care, sports facilities and paid holidays. Their first brand was “Bristol”, made at the London factory from 1871 to 1974. “Three Castles” and “Gold Flake” followed in 1878 and “Woodbine” ten years later. “Embassy” was introduced in 1914 and relaunched in 1962 with coupons.
The company had factories and offices not only in Bristol, but also in Swindon, Dublin, Newcastle and Glasgow. The largest cigarette factory in Europe was opened at Hartcliffe, Bristol, in 1974 but closed in 1990. The large factory and warehouse buildings remain prominent buildings on Bristol Harbour, though they have now been converted to other uses. The last member of the Wills family to serve the company was Christopher, the great great grandson of H. O. Wills. He retired as sales research manager in 1969.
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