Natural American Spirit (often referred to as American Spirits) is an American brand of cigarette and fine tobacco products, manufactured in the United States by the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company. The company was founded in 1982 by Bill Drake, author of “The Cultivators Handbook of Natural Tobacco”, Robert Marion and Eb Wicks, a plumbing contractor who took out a loan to finance the startup. In November 2001 the company was acquired by Reynolds American and is now a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Reynolds American, which is in turn 42% owned by British American Tobacco. Japan Tobacco announced in September 2015 that it acquired the right to sell Natural American Spirit products in markets outside the United States. Despite being acquired by a major tobacco corporation, the company maintains that "we're the same company we've always been with the same values and commitment we've always had to producing the highest quality tobacco products".