TOB Magazine

Missouri Meerschaum Co. has been in business for 148

years doing one thing: making corncob pipes. The com-

pany was the first—and is one of the last remaining—to

commercially make corncob pipes in the United States.

As anyone working within the pipe category can attest,

selling pipes can sometimes be a challenge. From the

outside, there may be a belief that pipes are a part of a

past generation, but for a company like Missouri Meer-

schaum, which makes pipes and interacts with those who

enjoy them and the hobby on a daily basis, that couldn’t

be further from the truth.

Years ago, Phil Morgan came across a help-wanted

ad in the newspaper seeking a general manager for a

corncob pipe company. Though he was retired, the new

opportunity piqued his interest so much that he submit-

ted his resume. Morgan has been the general manager at

Missouri Meerschaum for nine years and still enjoys his

job and being part of the pipe community.

“In the corncob pipe business, it’s like any business,”

says Morgan. “You have all the headaches that you have

in any business but … it’s corncob pipes! There’s defi-

nitely a fun aspect to it, too.”

CREATING A DEMAND AND A FOLLOWING

Having worked in the pipe industry for nearly a decade

at a pipe company that’s been in business as long as Mis-

souri Meerschaum has, Morgan has learned a few things

about the industry. The biggest lesson, he reports, is that

it’s now crucial to not only market to other businesses,

but directly to consumers as well. That’s partly because

the pipe industry, as well as how you reach customers,

has changed over the years—and in a good way. While

most of Missouri Meerschaum’s business comes through

wholesalers, consumers increasingly play a pivotal role in

helping drive the demand to their products.

“It’s a very customer-orientated business, and you’ve

OTP

PIPES

RYO

[ 22 ]

TOBACCO BUSINESS

[

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

17 ]

After almost a decade in the pipe business, Missouri Meerschaum’s

Phil Morgan explains what retailers need to do to keep pipe

enthusiasts coming back for more and how his company can help.

BY ANTOINE REID

Packed

Full Of

Insight