22nd Century Announces First Partner VLN Agreement, New VLN Availability with Smoker Friendly
22nd Century Group (XXII) has signed an agreement with Smoker Friendly to launch reduced nicotine content cigarette products under the Smoker Friendly VLN brand, marking their first VLN partner brand agreement. The partnership includes both Smoker Friendly VLN branded products and 22nd Century's own VLN products in gold and menthol SKUs featuring new VLN branding.
This expansion builds on their existing 10-year customer relationship, following the recent addition of Smoker Friendly Black Label style cigarette. The companies are seeking state approvals and expect to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2025.
22nd Century Group (XXII) ha firmato un accordo con Smoker Friendly per lanciare prodotti di sigarette con contenuto ridotto di nicotina sotto il marchio Smoker Friendly VLN, segnando il loro primo accordo di partnership con un marchio VLN. La partnership include sia i prodotti a marchio Smoker Friendly VLN che i prodotti VLN di 22nd Century, disponibili nelle varianti gold e menthol con il nuovo branding VLN.
Questa espansione si basa sulla loro esistente relazione con i clienti di 10 anni, dopo l'aggiunta recente dello stile di sigaretta Smoker Friendly Black Label. Le aziende stanno cercando approvazioni statali e prevedono di iniziare le spedizioni nel secondo trimestre del 2025.
22nd Century Group (XXII) ha firmado un acuerdo con Smoker Friendly para lanzar productos de cigarrillos con contenido reducido de nicotina bajo la marca Smoker Friendly VLN, marcando su primer acuerdo de marca asociada VLN. La asociación incluye tanto productos de la marca Smoker Friendly VLN como los propios productos VLN de 22nd Century en variantes gold y mentol con la nueva marca VLN.
Esta expansión se basa en su relación existente de 10 años con el cliente, tras la reciente adición del estilo de cigarrillo Smoker Friendly Black Label. Las empresas están buscando aprobaciones estatales y esperan comenzar a enviar en el segundo trimestre de 2025.
22nd Century Group (XXII)는 Smoker Friendly와 협약을 체결하여 Smoker Friendly VLN 브랜드 하에 니코틴 함량이 줄어든 담배 제품을 출시할 예정입니다. 이는 VLN 파트너 브랜드와의 첫 번째 협약을 의미합니다. 이 파트너십에는 Smoker Friendly VLN 브랜드 제품과 22nd Century의 자체 VLN 제품이 포함되며, 골드 및 멘솔 SKU에 새로운 VLN 브랜드가 적용됩니다.
이번 확장은 최근 Smoker Friendly Black Label 스타일의 담배 추가에 이어 10년간의 고객 관계를 기반으로 합니다. 두 회사는 주 정부의 승인을 받기 위해 노력하고 있으며 2025년 2분기에 배송을 시작할 것으로 예상하고 있습니다.
22nd Century Group (XXII) a signé un accord avec Smoker Friendly pour lancer des produits de cigarettes à faible teneur en nicotine sous la marque Smoker Friendly VLN, marquant leur premier accord de partenariat avec une marque VLN. Le partenariat comprend à la fois des produits de la marque Smoker Friendly VLN et les propres produits VLN de 22nd Century en variantes gold et menthol avec le nouveau branding VLN.
Cette expansion repose sur leur relation client existante de 10 ans, suite à l'ajout récent du style de cigarette Smoker Friendly Black Label. Les entreprises recherchent des approbations d'État et prévoient de commencer les expéditions au deuxième trimestre de 2025.
22nd Century Group (XXII) hat eine Vereinbarung mit Smoker Friendly unterzeichnet, um Zigarettenprodukte mit reduziertem Nikotingehalt unter der Marke Smoker Friendly VLN auf den Markt zu bringen, was ihre erste Partnerschaftsvereinbarung mit einer VLN-Marke darstellt. Die Partnerschaft umfasst sowohl Produkte der Marke Smoker Friendly VLN als auch die eigenen VLN-Produkte von 22nd Century in Gold- und Menthol-Varianten mit neuem VLN-Branding.
Diese Expansion baut auf ihrer bestehenden 10-jährigen Kundenbeziehung auf, nach der kürzlichen Einführung des Smoker Friendly Black Label-Stil Zigaretten. Die Unternehmen streben staatliche Genehmigungen an und erwarten, im zweiten Quartal 2025 mit dem Versand zu beginnen.
- First VLN partner brand agreement secured with major customer
- Expansion of distribution network through established 10-year relationship
- Multiple product variants (gold and menthol) to be launched
- Rollout dependent on pending state approvals
- Staged implementation may delay full market penetration
Smoker Friendly Adds Both VLN and Smoker Friendly Branded VLN Reduced Nicotine Content Products to its Store Lineup
MOCKSVILLE, N.C., March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 22nd Century Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XXII), a tobacco products company that is leading the fight against nicotine by offering smokers a choice about their nicotine consumption, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Smoker Friendly, one of its largest customers, to launch Smoker Friendly VLN branded reduced nicotine content cigarette products that will become the first VLN partner brand.
The introduction of Smoker Friendly VLN and 22nd Century VLN in Smoker Friendly outlets will be one of the first presentations of gold and menthol SKU’s that introduce the new VLN branding.
The addition of Smoker Friendly branded VLN and 22nd Century Group’s VLN products builds on a customer relationship of over 10 years, as does the recent addition of the Smoker Friendly Black Label style cigarette. The Companies are currently obtaining state approvals for these products and expect to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2025.
Larry Firestone, Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century, said, “We are very excited to have Smoker Friendly adopt our first VLN partner brand and also add our newly rebranded VLN products to the Smoker Friendly product offerings in their stores. This is a foundational building block to advancing VLN in the market, and will be a staged rollout as we garner state approvals. Equally important to expanding distribution will be measuring rate of sale once VLN is on the shelf.”
Terry Gallagher, President and Chief Executive, Smoker Friendly said, “We are excited to expand our relationship and product portfolio to include the VLN lineup under our brand as well as the updated 22nd Century VLN brand products. This is an important step for the future of our partnership.”
About The Cigarette Store LLC dba Smoker Friendly
Boulder, Colorado based Smoker Friendly operates 344 stores in 13 states. The stores are a mix of tobacco stores, cigar lounges, liquor stores, and fueling locations under the names Smoker Friendly, Tobacco Depot, Smoke ‘N Go, Havana Manor, and Gasamat.
The Smoker Friendly team also manages the Smoker Friendly Authorized Dealer program. This program provides a total tobacco private label portfolio, industry expertise, a well-known name, and geographic exclusivity to tobacco retailers desiring an alternative to the contracts offered by big tobacco.
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century Group is the pioneering nicotine harm reduction company in the tobacco industry enabling smokers to take control of their nicotine consumption.
We created our flagship product, the VLN® cigarette, to give traditional cigarette smokers an authentic and familiar alternative that helps them take control of their nicotine consumption. VLN® cigarettes have
Our wholly owned subsidiaries include a leading cigarette manufacturer that produces all VLN® products and provides turnkey contract manufacturing for other tobacco brands both domestically and internationally. The 60,000 square foot facility in Mocksville, North Carolina has the capacity to produce more than 45 million cartons of combustible tobacco products annually with additional space for expansion.
Our proprietary reduced nicotine tobacco blends are made possible by comprehensive and patented technologies that regulate nicotine biosynthesis activities in the tobacco plant, resulting in full flavor and high yield with
VLN® is a registered trademark of 22nd Century Limited LLC.
Learn more at xxiicentury.com, on X (formerly Twitter), on LinkedIn, and on YouTube.
Learn more about VLN® at tryvln.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to our full year business outlook. Forward-looking statements typically contain terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “consider,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “explore,” “foresee,” “goal,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “preliminary,” “probable,” “project,” “promising,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding (i) our cost reduction initiatives, (ii) our expectations regarding regulatory enforcement, including our ability to receive an exemption from new regulations, (iii) our financial and operating performance and (iv) our expectations for our business interruption insurance claim. Actual results might differ materially from those explicit or implicit in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth in “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 28, 2024, and in the Company’s Quarterly Reports filed on May 15, 2024, August 13, 2024, and November 11, 2024. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Investor Relations & Media Contact
Matt Kreps
Investor Relations
22nd Century Group
mkreps@xxiicentury.com
214-597-8200
FAQ
When will 22nd Century Group (XXII) begin shipping VLN products to Smoker Friendly stores?
What types of VLN products will be available at Smoker Friendly stores?
How long has the partnership between XXII and Smoker Friendly existed?
What is significant about the Smoker Friendly VLN agreement for XXII?
