The Other Side
It’s not easy working in retail, especially when your main product category is tobacco. From the constantly changing local ordinances to anti-tobacco legislation coming...
Forging a New Path: Forged Cigar Company
2020 was a pivotal year for Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) and its U.S.-based premium cigar business, General Cigar Co. Early in the year, it...
Vegas’ Dynamic Duo: An Interview with Michael Frey and Jason Samuelson
When Jason Samuelson’s sister sent him over to meet Las Vegas entrepreneur Michael Frey, he had no idea he was about to embark on...
Joao Reis: A Pipemaker’s Evolution
The Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club has hosted the Chicagoland Pipe & Tobacciana Show on the first weekend of May since 1996. One of the...
Extending the Heritage: Genod Pipes
While Sebastien Beaud is fast approaching his 20th year as a pipemaker, the company he owns—Genod Pipes—can trace its history almost as far back...
Lead by Example: Villiger Cigars North America’s Rene Castañeda
A business is only as successful as the person who leads it. Rene Castañeda, president of Villiger Cigars North America, has spent the past...
Innovatively Driven
According to a MarketWatch report published in December 2020, there are big business opportunities in nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches are smoke-free, spit-free, and often...
Regulatory Costs & Consequences: Economic Impact of Premium Cigar Regulation
A new report issued by Mangum Economics updates the out-of-date economic analysis of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation of premium handmade...
Shooting for the Stars: Fratello Cigars
Omar de Frias is a dreamer with big aspirations. He was a professional basketball player in the Dominican Republic who dreamed of one day...
Tobacco Plus Expo 2018 Raises the Stakes and Delivers in Las Vegas
This year’s Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) brought many welcomed changes to the established trade show, from an expanded show floor to informative and valuable...
