Kirk Wayne, president of Tobacco Associates, said the group has used the money to provide the "nuts and bolts type of production techniques" needed to manufacture a high-quality cigarette in Turkey, Korea and Taiwan.

In Turkey, where Tobacco Associates has been working since 1987, the group helped the state cigarette monopoly develop an American-style cigarette, the

TEKEL 2000.

When the TEKEL 2000 was introduced in 1988, Turkey imported little raw

U.S. tobacco. Last year, it was the fourth-largest customer and overall sales top $100 million.