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52TOBACCOOUTLETBUSINESSMAYJUNE2010OzzyOsbourne.Tatlinetiesintoourheritageyearsagowhenpeoplewenttoconcertstheywouldlightandholduptheirlightersinunison.Itwasacommunalspiritualthing.Wealsorecentlylaunchedourminielectronicproducts.Wealreadyhaveaull-sizeelectronicproductsimilarinsizetoourclassiclighter.Wemadeasmallerversiontoappealmoretoemalesthatwillcomortablyx1tintheirhand.ItlaunchedinJanuaryandisdoingverywell.Wealsorereshourspecial-editionseriesrequentlyupdatingtokeepthemascontemporaryaspossiblesothatcustomerswillcontinuetobesurprisedandexcitedbythenewimagestheyseeonourlighters.WhattrendsorpreferenceshaveyouobservedinthewaypocketlightersareboughtandsoldBIChassoldlightersormorethan35yearsandinthattimewehavetriedtodrivethemessagehomeaboutsaetyandreliability.Wehavebuiltawarenessandbrandequityaroundthelightersandnowitcomesdowntojustremindingconsumersaboutourqualityandsaetyonaregularbasis.Onthetradesidethelandscapehaschangedagreatdealinthelast10years.x19enyearsagoyousawalotmorechainstoresdominatingthemarketplaceandtodaytherearemoresingle-storeoperators.SomeotheseretailersarenotasamiliarwithBICorwithissuesaroundqualityandsaety.Oneoourobjectivesistospreadthemessageabouttheimportanceoqualityandsaetyandtheriskscustomersareexposedtobycarryingimportedno-namegenericlighters.HowmuchofariskdoeslightersafetyposetoretailersBystockinglightersimportedromregionslikeAsiawheremanuacturersdonotmeetsaetystandardsretailerstakeabigrisk.Isomeoneinjuresthemselvesbecauseoasubstandardlighterandcanx19tx1ndtheoriginalmanuacturerorhasnorecoursewiththatmanuacturertheywillgobacktotheretailerandpossiblysuethemorsellingthataultylighter.Docustomersx19preferencesvarybyregionorbydemographicsWearealwaystryingtorereshourdesignsasconsumersarelookingornewthingsallthetime.WeknowthatcertainlinessuchastheNASCARlicensewillappealmostlytopeopleinthesoutheast.Tatiswherethesportoriginatedanditiswheretheanscluster.Butintermsospecial-editionlineswereallytrytodevelopdesignsthatappealtoawideaudience.Ourcoreaudienceistypicallythe35-pluscrowdx14wehavebeenaroundaslongastheyhaveandtheyknowusreallywell.ButwestilltrytohavetheSAFETYFIRSTQualityandsaetyareincorporatedintoBICx19sproductionprocesssaysAdamBlumenthalthecompanyx19sbrandmanageropocketlightermarketing.Specializedequipmentanalyzes100percentothelightersproducedbyBICidentix1esnonconormingproductsandejectsthosethatdonotmeetstringentspecix1cations.Temanuacturingprocessemployssophisticatedcomputerizedcameraequipmentthatpreciselymeasuresfameheightandothercharacteristicstoguaranteeperormance.EachBIClighterundergoesmorethan50separateautomaticqualitychecksduringthemanuacturingprocesstoensurethelighterperormsproperlybeoreiteverleavesBICx19sactory.Furtherchecksareperormedaterlightersaremachine-inspected.Samplesromeachproductionrunareexaminedbyquality-controltechniciansandrandomsamplesox1nishedlightersarecollectedromthemarketplacesothataseriesoongoingquality-assurancetestscanbeperormed.BICemployeesarealsocareullytrainedtorecognizethatqualityisessentialtotheproductionosaelighters.TeaverageemployeeinBICx19sassemblyprocessspendsapproximately25percentohisorhertimecheckingquality.Inadditionquality-assurancetechniciansatBICevaluatepackagedlighterstoassureBICx19shighqualityandcompliancewithsaetystandards.