Tobacco Business

[ 78 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MARCH / APRIL | 21 ] H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H TOBACCONIST AN ASSOCIATION FOR ALL The National Association of Tobacco Outlets celebrates its 20th anniversary and makes its case for why every tobacco retailer should be a member. ★ STAFF REPORT ★ M March 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO). It was a conversation between retailers Felton Harley and Fred Hoyland and Tobacco Outlet Business chairman and publisher Don Bores and Paul Walsh that sparked the idea to launch NATO, a trade association that would represent and fight for the interests of tobacco retailers around the U.S. The onslaught of tobacco- related legislation and the increased taxation of tobacco products were both the topic of conversation and the realization that there was a dire need for an individual or an organization to speak on behalf of tobacco retailers that didn’t have the background in advocacy or legislation that was needed. Following this conversation, Bores and Walsh reached out to Thomas Briant, who now serves as the executive director of NATO and who had a reputation and background in legislative advocacy within the tobacco industry. At the time, Briant was leading the Minnesota Tobacco Store Association, an association that he formed to represent the interests of tobacco retailers and to respond to tobacco legislative issues impacting retailers in the state. Briant used the Minnesota Tobacco Store Association as a blueprint for what eventually became NATO.