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Category: Around the Industry

  • PMI Launches IQOS in Texas

    PMI Launches IQOS in Texas

    Philip Morris International began selling its IQOS heated tobacco device in Austin, Texas, today (March 27), an executive told Reuters, kicking off efforts to build a market for the world’s top-selling heated tobacco device in the United States.

    PMI said that after a successful pilot program, it was offering IQOS to smoking-age Austin residents and would host demonstrations and guided trials for adults to showcase the product. The device is being offered for $60 with the accompanying tobacco sticks available for $8, said Francisca Rahardja, vice president and chief marketing officer of inhalables at PMI U.S.

    Rahardja said PMI was offering IQOS at a lower price versus some other markets in part to reflect the fact it was trying to build up appetite among new consumers. PMI hopes to capture a 10% share of U.S. tobacco and heated tobacco unit volume by 2030 and build a substantial base of new users in the world’s top market for smoking alternatives.

    PMI previously said it would launch IQOS in four cities in two U.S. states, but so far only the Austin launch has been announced. It is pursuing a limited U.S. roll-out of an older version of the IQOS device while waiting for authorization from the FDA to sell the latest iteration, dubbed ILUMA, in the country.

  • Sweden Wants Others to Follow its Harm-Reduction Success

    Sweden Wants Others to Follow its Harm-Reduction Success

    Sweden is boasting about its success with tobacco harm-reduction and is encouraging our countries to follow suit. Only 4.5% of Swedish-born adults smoke cigarettes which, according to the government, is owed to its policies that push safer alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches, and vapes.

    “Swedes have participated in a long-running harm reduction experiment, providing undeniable proof that replacing smoking with smokeless nicotine dramatically reduces smoking-related disease, disability and premature deaths – a net gain for public health, while reducing expenditure,” said Dr. Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden. “With harm reduction now policy in Sweden, every public health decision will reflect this approach. Other countries should adopt Sweden’s model without further delay.”

    Sweden’s Parliament formally adopted harm-reduction as a policy in December 2024, saying “Tobacco policy must consider the varying harmful effects of different products. Cigarettes pose a greater health hazard than smokeless nicotine… This must be reflected in taxation and policy goals.”

    Sweden has already applied risk-based taxation by lowering excise tax on snus while increasing it on cigarettes.

  • Utah E-Cigarette Bill Gets Favorable Ruling

    Utah E-Cigarette Bill Gets Favorable Ruling

    Utah’s Electronic Cigarettes Amendments bill, which was signed into law last March, can finally be enacted after U.S. District Judge David Barlow’s ruling. One of the main questions in the litigation centered around the state’s inspection programs, which Barlow said were not central to the case.

    The bill bans the sale of tobacco products the Food and Drug Administration has not approved or is still pending approval. It also bans all sales of flavored e-cigarettes. After it passed, the Utah Vapor Business Association and The Smoke House filed a joint lawsuit against the state, seeking an injunction on the legislation. But, in his ruling Barlow said the bill could still achieve its purpose without keeping the inspection program. Under the bill, the inspection program would have allowed state health departments to review at random.

    Barlow said the bill “says nothing about the frequency of any such inspections. It does not say that they are to occur on a temporal basis, like annually or quarterly. It does not even say that they are to occur regularly. It simply says they ‘may’ occur. In short, the inspection program seemingly leaves it in inspectors’ hands entirely as to whether any inspections occur.” The judge further said the Legislature would have passed the bill regardless of whether an inspection program was in place, adding that “these provisions are operable without the inspection program, as they provide a comprehensive program for regulating electronic cigarettes and punishing retailers that sell banned products.”

  • Company Launches Sensors that Detect Vaping

    Company Launches Sensors that Detect Vaping

    Today (March 25), Eagle Eye Networks launched Eagle Eye Sensors that detect and alert when someone is vaping. The sensor detects environmental shifts such as air quality and temperature changes, and water presence. The sensors combine with video surveillance to monitor a variety of environmental conditions and give customers real-time data and a comprehensive view of what’s happening in their buildings.

    The sensors themselves can monitor sensitive areas where security cameras are not allowed such as restrooms, locker rooms, health care facilities, etc.

    “With intelligent automation, real-time alerts and actions, Eagle Eye Sensors can prevent costly damage, save money, and help organizations run more efficiently,” said Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. “Eagle Eye Sensors also help create healthy environments with clean air and well-functioning systems, which is essential to the well-being, productivity and success of students and workers.”

  • PCA Announces Advocacy Awards

    PCA Announces Advocacy Awards

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) announced the recipients of the 2025 Step Up Awards, which recognize outstanding leadership and dedication to premium tobacco advocacy. These awards honor individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond to protect the rights of premium cigar businesses and consumers across the nation.

    The award ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 13, 2025, immediately following the PCA comedy show at the 2025 PCA Annual Convention and Trade Show. “This special recognition celebrates those who have stepped up in a meaningful way to defend the industry in legislative, regulatory, and grassroots arenas over the past year,” the PCA said.

    This year’s Step Up Award winners include: Jimmy Hargrove, of the Colorado Premium Cigar and Pipe Association, Luke Benson of the Colorado Premium Cigar and Pipe Association, Greg Zimmerman of The Tobacco Company, Cigars for Warriors, and Michael Edney fromHunton Andrews Kurth.

  • Casa 1910 Tabs New Sales Director

    Casa 1910 Tabs New Sales Director

    Casa 1910 announced yesterday (March 18) that it hired Jeremy Fondi as its new national sales director. Fondi has more than 10 years of experience working within the premium cigar industry and is a certified retail tobacconist and co-founder of the Facebook cigar community Cigar Cartel (C2), which has over 34,000 members worldwide.

    In this position, Fondi will help shape and execute the company’s national sales strategy, build relationships with key distributors and retailers, and expand the brand’s reach across the U.S. 

    “I am thrilled to join Casa 1910 and work alongside such a passionate and dedicated team,” said Fondi. “Casa 1910’s commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with my own values as a cigar aficionado and industry professional. I look forward to leveraging my experience to expand the brand’s presence and continue to build a community of cigar lovers across the country.”

    Fondi has held numerous positions within the cigar industry, serving as general manager and regional manager at several companies, and most recently served as the innovation manager for handmade cigars at Scandinavian Tobacco Group, where he helped develop and implement innovative strategies that enhanced product offerings and market presence.

  • Meerapfel Cigar Raises $75K for Charity

    Meerapfel Cigar Raises $75K for Charity

    The Meerapfel family—owners of Meerapfel Cigar—raised a total of $75,000 at three private charity events last week, donating proceeds to Latet, an Israeli nonprofit organization that provides aid to those living in poverty and starvation.

    Hosted at a New York restaurant and two private residences in Miami, a single box of 25 Meerapfel Création de Coeur cigars, which were created especially for charitable functions, was auctioned at each event. The high-end belicoso-shaped cigars measurd 5 1/4 inches by 52 ring gauge and were covered in the rare Cameroon wrapper the Meerapfel family is famous for.  

    “It brings joy to our hearts knowing that these cigars will significantly improve the life of thousands of children who are fighting starvation and extreme poverty,” company vice president Reinhard Pohorec said. “We not only believe but are reassured that by sharing our passion, opening our hearts and our resources, we can make a real difference in the lives of others. We are moved by the generosity and warmth of the noble donors.”

  • Report Outlines the Mozambique Tobacco Industry

    Report Outlines the Mozambique Tobacco Industry

    ResearchAndMarkets.com has released a report on the tobacco industry in Mozambique, including information on production, manufacture and retail, key trends and issues, notable players, trade, and regulations. “Tobacco Industry in Mozambique” also provides information on major influencing factors such as the security situation, economic environment health, environmental issues, and illegal trading. The report includes company profiles of three players including British American Tobacco, Mozambique Leaf Tobacco, and Afro Tobacco Company.

    For marketing trends, it reports on:

    • An increase in tobacco sales revenues
    • Growth in tobacco exports
    • The concession system provides smallholder farmers with a market to sell their tobacco
    • The introduction of seal stamps on tobacco products, to reduce illicit cigarettes
    • The potential for increased tobacco production
  • PM Switzerland Partners to Enhance Visual Merchandising

    PM Switzerland Partners to Enhance Visual Merchandising

    Philip Morris Switzerland, the Swiss affiliate of Philip Morris International, has partnered with LEAFIO AI to enhance its visual merchandising through the implementation of the LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution. The collaboration aims to optimize planogram creation, ensuring improved product placement efficiency, and a seamless shopping experience for retailers and consumers alike.

    “At LEAFIO AI, we are committed to empowering CPG manufacturers with cutting-edge technology,” said Andrew Max, CCO of LEAFIO AI. “Our advanced data-driven solutions improve shelf layouts based on deep analytics and worldwide experience; it will support Philip Morris Switzerland’s diverse retail footprint and enhance operational efficiency by reducing manual efforts and enabling quicker decision-making.”

    According to LEAFIO, the company is going to help Philip Morris Switzerland:

    • Streamline planogram creation and optimization to enhance product placement strategies
    • Automate and standardize visual merchandising for improved consistency across

    retail locations

    • Leverage data-driven insights to ensure data-backed decisions that maximize shelf

    performance

    • Enhance collaboration between manufacturers and retail partners by aligning

    planograms with sales and demand trends

  • Reynolds Adding 300 Jobs for Oral Nicotine Production

    Reynolds Adding 300 Jobs for Oral Nicotine Production

    Reynolds American says it plans to add 300 jobs to its North Carolina operation in 2025, driven mainly by expanding its smokeless nicotine product portfolio. Reynolds, the U.S. unit of British American Tobacco and descendant of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, began production of its Velo Plus oral smokeless nicotine pouch last fall in its Reynolds Operations Center in Tobaccoville, a community straddling the Forsyth-Stokes county line north of Winston-Salem.

    According to a statement Friday from Borgia Walker, senior vice president for human resources and inclusion at Reynolds American, the company hired for more than 500 jobs in 2024, the majority of which were directly related to the expanding smokeless lines, mainly Velo Plus, and “aligning our sales force to be even more competitive in the market.”

    “In 2025, we intend to add an additional 300 positions, a combination of local manufacturing and national trade marketing roles,” Borgia added. The majority of the new jobs are in Triad manufacturing, according to the company.

    The Tobaccoville facility is the largest in BAT Group worldwide at two million square feet and is capable of multi-category manufacturing. The addition did not displace production of cigarettes or other tobacco products, according to the company.

    Read the entire article at Triad Business Journal.