TOB Magazine

For more than 400 years, tobacco has played a key role

in the Iroquois and Mohawk Native American cultures.

In the past, tobacco served as a ceremonial offering that

was thrown into a fire. The smoke that rose as a result

stood for thanksgiving and “good thoughts” directed

toward the Creator. In addition, tobacco was smoked

by Mohawk men and was credited with giving them

good thoughts while they were debating and discussing

important matters. As a third-generation Native Amer-

ican family, the Tarbells are carrying on the traditions

of those who came before them as they shape and build

their tobacco business, Ohserase Manufacturing.

ROOTS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

To understand how the Tarbell family got involved with

tobacco, one must look to its past. The earliest business

owner in the family was Theresa Bear, the family’s matri-

arch. In 1953, she started her own business, The Bear’s

Den Trading Post, located on the Mohawk reservation in

upstate New York. Her business included a small Native

American gift shop and two gas pumps. According to

Justin Tarbell, the executive vice president of strategy

and business development at Ohserase Manufacturing,

Theresa was the inspiration for the company to venture

into different businesses.

“Our grandmother, Theresa Bear, instilled a strong

entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic into her fami-

ly, which has been the foundation of the company’s

growth,” says Justin Tarbell. “This spirit is still alive

today, and we feel it is embodied in our company’s pur-

pose statement: ‘To deliver excellence in the markets we

serve.’ What drives the company today is our passion to

be the best at what we do.”

➤

NINGS

After taking on retail and

petroleum, the Tarbell family

went back to its roots in

search of inspiration for its

tobacco business,

Ohserase

Manufacturing

BY ANTOINE REID

[ T O B A C C O B U S I N E S S . C O M ]

TOBACCO BUSINESS

[ 29 ]

Justin and Eli Tarbell