18
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
NEWS & TRENDS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Tell Your Story in
TBI
Would you like to see your store profiled in
TBI
? Or
maybe you’d like to share your point of view or see a
particular topic covered in our magazine. If so, we’d
like to hear from you at tobonline.com/contact.
78
TOBACCOBUSINESS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
trenchmarketing
BYMICHAELGELFAND
B
efore tobacco became his bread and butter, Tom
Foster was training at the California Culinary
Academy tobecomeaprofessionalchef.Back then,
he looked forward to thedaywhenhe’dhavea restaurantof
his ownwhere he could play tastemaker for his customers
and prepare a sensory experience thatwould exceed their
expectations every time they came in. But dreams and
realityoftenmix likeoil andwater, and Foster soon realized
thatbeingacookmeanthewouldnever see the frontof the
house—let aloneget theopportunity towatch them eat the
foodheprepared.
Disillusioned, Foster souredon hisdreamofprofessional
cooking and left California to return home to Kansas City,
Fidel’scigar Shop dug itself
out of an early hole created by a
contentious store name—now
it’s a thriving boutique cigar
hotspot on thekansascity scene.
Facing the Music
TBI
joins the industry in mourning
Irving Korn, 94, the entrepreneur
who introduced Turkish meerschaum
pipes to the U.S. market in the early
1970s.
Irving was instrumental in stan-
dardizing the present day features of
meerschaum pipes to what is known
today as one of the world’s finest
smoking pipes. He bought carvers,
calibers and other tools used to make
bowls and drill centered, uniformed
holes for a smooth draw. He assisted
in developing the “push-pull” teflon
fitting used on today’s meerschaum
pipes. Most importantly, he created
an economy for many Turkish villag-
ers, enhancing their quality of life.
The 20th century collectible meer-
schaum pipe market is also attributed
to Irving Korn. He brought pipes by
master carvers such as Beckler, Sabri,
The Artist, S. Yanik and others into the
U.S. market. In the early ’80s, “Irv”
was known for touring pipe shows
and fairs with his popular and famous
“world’s most expensive pipe,” then
valued at $15,000, and listed in the
Guinness Book of World Records
.
Irving was a man with a fine and
long-standing reputation. He was
highly respected by loyal domestic
and international customers as well as
many pipe carvers in Turkey. In 2003
during his last and final trip to Eskise-
hir, Turkey, over 75 carvers, stem and
case makers gathered together, some
three generations strong, to honor
him with a special banquet.
Jerry Korn, son of Irving, and his
wife Harris are proud to carry on the
Royal Meerschaum family business
and reputation.
Mourning Irving Korn of Royal Meerschaum Pipes
A New York City ban on tobacco prod-
uct discounts took effect in August
after manufacturers decided not to ap-
peal a U.S. District Court judge’s ruling
upholding the ban. Altria Group, Loril-
lard and Reynolds American had tried
to get the ban ruled as unconstitution-
al, arguing that disallowing discounts
violated their right to free speech, and
that state and federal laws supersede
limits at the city level. However, Judge
Thomas Griesa ruled against them,
stating that “the ordinance only regu-
lates an economic transaction—the
sale of tobacco products below the
listed price. It does not restrict the
dissemination of pricing information
and thus, it does not violate the First
Amendment.”
The ban will prohibit manufacturers
and retailers from offering promotional
pricing, coupons, discounts on bulk
purchases, and free gifts with a pur-
chase.
New York City has one of the highest
taxes on tobacco in the country, with
a pack of cigarettes carrying a city tax
of $1.50, the highest state tax of $4.35,
plus a federal tax of $1.01 for a total tax
of $6.86 per pack.
NYC Bans Tobacco Discounts
The Big Apple’s ban on tobacco product discounts went into effect in August.
