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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
JULY/AUGUST 2015
NEWS & TRENDS
JULY/AUGUST 2015
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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
Miami Cigar Boosts Sales Team
With the addition of two new team members, the company continues to evolve.
Miami Cigar & Company continues
its growth after celebrating 25 years
in business, with the announcement
of two members to its sales team:
retired U.S. Navy Commander Marc
Thibodeau and Willy Marante.
Thibodeau will oversee sales for
Miami Cigar & Company in the mid-
Atlantic region, including Maryland,
Virginia, Washington D.C., North Caro-
lina and South Carolina. Thibodeau is
a former U.S. Navy Officer and Aviator
who took home three Air Medals with
Valor after flying combat missions in
Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Des-
ert Storm. After retiring, Thibodeau
decided to pursue his lifelong passion
of cigars, working in management
at a cigar retailer before coming on
board with Miami Cigar & Company.
Thibodeau and his family will be based
out of his college hometown of An-
napolis, Maryland.
Willy Marante will oversee inside
sales for Miami Cigar & Company. A
Miami-born Cuban-American who
says he “lives, breathes, and eats ci-
gar culture,” Marante was handpicked
by Jason Wood, VP of Miami Cigar
& Company. Wood felt that Marante
would bring a combination of experi-
ence and youth that would properly fit
into the MCC equation. Marante spent
five years on the retail side of the cigar
business as a manager for one of the
more popular tobacco shops in South
Florida. He will be based in his home-
town of Miami.
“We kicked off the 2014 IPCPR
[show] with a bang as we celebrated
25 years in the business,” says Wood.
“I am happy to share that as we head
into the 2015 IPCPR [show], we are
bigger and better, and haven’t lost any
momentum.”
The Deed is Done
The RAI/Lorillard merger is now complete, bolstering RAI’s position as the
No. 2 player in the U.S. tobacco industry.
Reynolds American completed its acquisition of fellow tobacco company
Lorillard. The company also closed the deal’s related divestiture transac-
tions with ITG Brands LLC, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group, which
makes ITG Brands the industry’s new No. 3.
RAI’s operating companies now have the Newport, Camel, Pall Mall and
Natural American Spirit brands in combustible cigarettes; Grizzly in smoke-
less tobacco, and VUSE in the vapor market.
“As a result of this acquisition, Reynolds American has a significantly
strengthened, balanced and diversified portfolio of iconic brands across all
key categories—the most balanced in the industry,” says Susan M. Cam-
eron, RAI’s president and CEO. “The transaction supports RAI’s efforts to
lead the transformation of the tobacco industry.”