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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
MAY/JUNE 2015
trench marketing
BY MICHAEL GELFAND
S
urely you’ve heard the old axiom
that says, “If it ain’t broken, don’t
fix it.” Well, that’s the approach
brothers Jeff and Jim Steinbock took
when they purchased Milwaukee’s
renowned Uhle Tobacco Company from
its founder, and that kernel of wisdom
continues to be the gift that keeps on
giving today.
“I was hired by Jack Uhle, who was
a friend of our father’s, in 1974. I was
19 at the time and my brother Jim had
been working here since 1972,” recalls
president Jeff Steinbock. “The store had
already been in operation for more than
40 years and it got to be a passion for us,
so we purchased it from Jack in 1982.”
Uhle Tobacco Company was a
successful, well-established business
then, and remains so today. “We love
dealing with our customers; they’re very
loyal,” says Steinbock. “We’ve actually
got a number of customers who’ve been
coming into the store for more than 40
years, including a World War II vet who
comes in every Saturday.” Asked why his
customers are so loyal, Steinbock says it
boils down to having great products and
providing exceptional service. “We take a
lot of pride in the pipe tobacco products
that Jack developed. He always strove to
make his tobacco a superior product, and
it still is today.”
A Rich History
Uhle opened his store back in 1939,
and it has remained a single store
in downtown Milwaukee ever since.
However, some things have changed.
Back when he first opened, Jack Uhle sat
in the front window of the store repairing
pipes and handblending pipe tobaccos
Best of Both Worlds
Milwaukee’s venerated Uhle Tobacco Company
shows that old-school values and modern
technology can thrive together.