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Ohserase
Continued
We believe that
our all-natural
Signal cigarette
brand is an
outstanding
addition to
any retailer’s
portfolio
.
[ 30 ]
TOBACCO BUSINESS
[
SEPTEMBER
/
OCTOBER
|
17 ]
Eli Tarbell, Justin’s father, expanded the family’s
retail footprint by establishing two new convenience
stores in the area. Building on the service and experi-
ence that Theresa started, Eli added diesel fuel and a
family-style restaurant to the main retail store. He also
focused on the brand’s customer service, another attri-
bute that runs through the Tarbells’ various businesses
in the present day.
Today, the Tarbells’ businesses encompass three cate-
gories: retail, petroleum and tobacco. The family has a
diverse array of properties within each category, includ-
ing three convenience stores, a family-style restaurant,
a Papa John’s franchise, four Tim Horton franchises,
a Comfort Inn & Suites hotel and a health club. The
family’s fuel wholesale and transport operation operates
largely from its terminal in Buffalo, New York. Its tobac-
co division consists of a local tobacco wholesale compa-
ny, Ohserase Manufacturing, that was launched in 2006.
The name for the tobacco division was chosen in honor
of Eli Tarbell, whose Mohawk name was Ohserase (pro-
nounced o-se-la-se). The name translates to “new year”
or “new beginning,” something the family saw itself
doing as they set out to bring high-quality, premium
tobacco products to market that honored their Native
American heritage. Brandon Tarbell, Justin’s brother,
currently serves as the president and CEO of all of the
family’s various companies.
HONORING ITS HERITAGE
When Ohserase was launched, the Tarbells wanted to
stay true to the spirit of their Native American heri-
tage by producing an all-natural cigarette with a blend
comprised only of tobacco and water. These cigarettes
had to be devoid of additives and flavorings, but still
deliver a rich, smooth taste and be made available at an
affordable price. The result was the company’s Signal
cigarette brand.
“We believe that our all-natural Signal cigarette brand
is an outstanding addition to any retailer’s portfolio,”
Justin Tarbell explains. “Its smooth taste provided by a
high-quality tobacco blend consisting of only tobacco
and water, coupled with a reasonable price, has proven
to be very popular with a wide range of consumers.”
Ohserase’s cigarettes, filtered cigars and pipe tobacco
products are all manufactured on the St. Regis Mohawk
reservation, located in Akwesasne, New York. The
company has an 80,000-square-foot federally licensed
manufacturing facility that is equipped with state-of-
the-art equipment and is managed by an experienced
and knowledgeable staff. The Tarbells emphasize that
although they do use the latest and best manufacturing
equipment available, the quality of the company’s prod-
ucts comes from its dedicated quality assurance team.
“This is where the human touch comes into play for
us,” says Justin Tarbell. “Everything from incoming