well as an emergency loans bank. Even the first workers union was formed inside the walls of the Manifattura. World War I and after During World War I, Manifattura Tabacchi was heavily damaged and production, including employees, was transferred to Austrian factories in Linz and in Bohemia. At the end of the war, Trentino province became part of Italy and Manifattura Tabacchi came under the direction of the state monopoyi. When the factory reopened on March 19, 1919, all 1,400 workers who were in service before the conflict were rehired. In the following years, production increased substantially thanks to gradual improvements to processes. This led to a drop in employment to around 700 in 1935 in contrast to nearly 2000 at the start of the century. In the same years, the popularity of the Manifattura Tabacchi grew considerably thanks to promotional activities using the designs of Fortunato Depero, the celebrated artist from Rovereto. World War II and later changes Throughout World War II, production continued despite bombings which did force production to the underground floor of the main building. Damage to the factory was not extensive. In 1948 a new expansion and modernization plan led the way to modern production methods. Cigar production was halted in 1953 and the factory was reoriented toward cigarettes. In the 1960s, tobacco production declined in Vallagarina, the area around Borgo Sacco and Rovereto. Previously it had been the source of about 70% of the tobacco used in production at Manifattura. In 1969 Manifattura Tabacci began to produce for Philip Morris. The following year a new, highly mechanized production facility was opened in an area next to the old factory. The Borgo Sacco factory worked with 22 "Standard" machines made in the US and 13 cigarette packaging machines to produce 120 packets of cigarettes per minute. A tobacco chopping machine of that era made 1,200 cuts per minute. In the succeeding decade occupation stabilized at 700 employees. Progressive mechanization of production processes meant that men became the higher share of employees. Recent years The relationship between Philip Morris and the State Monopoly continued until 2000 when Manifattura Tabacchi became property of the Ente Tabacchi Italiani (ETI, the national tobacco agency). ETI was founded in August 1998, but by 2000 became a private company. In 2003, as part of the privatized ETI, Manifattura Tabacchi of Borgo Sacco was sold to British Italian Tobacco, the Italian branch