Tag: black marketing

  • Blackbriar and Beard Management Cooperate

    Blackbriar and Beard Management Cooperate

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Blackbriar Regulatory Services (BRS) has entered into a regulatory services, manufacturing and distribution agreement with Beard Management. BRS will become Beard’s exclusive manufacturer and a distributor for the company’s Beard Vape Co. and The One brands’ nicotine products and will take over the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process for these products. As a part of the agreement, BRS will co-brand a range of PRISM e-liquid products that are complimentary to Beard’s product line, which are currently awaiting regulatory PMTA approval and being manufactured under license by BRS.  

    “We are honored that Beard, a globally recognized and respected brand, has put their trust in BRS as a key strategic partner moving forward,” said Russ Rogers, CEO of BRS. “Our combination of ISO-certified cleanroom production and analytical lab facilities and industry-leading FDA regulatory application team puts us in a position to provide a very compelling value proposition to customers who are making the investment to be in this industry long-term.

    “Beard’s unwavering commitment to high-quality products and regulatory practices makes them a great partner, and we could not be more excited to provide them with a wide array of business solutions to help them ensure that their amazing brand continues to grow and remains a long-term part of this rapidly changing and maturing industry.”

    Partnering with BRS ensures the longevity of our brands.

    Casey Bates, CFO, Beard

    BRS will now become Beard’s agent of record with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and will oversee the process of providing to the FDA any additional regulatory and testing work required for Beard’s current PMTAs to scientifically prove its products are appropriate for the protection of public health. In addition, BRS will be manufacturing all of Beard’s 45 e-liquid products, including the Beard Vape Co. and The One brands. National and international distribution and all newly required domestic shipping registrations and compliance will also be handled by BRS.

    “Partnering with BRS ensures the longevity of our brands,” said Casey Bates, chief financial officer at Beard. “With BRS’ proven competencies as a leader in nicotine e-liquid product manufacturing and regulatory services, it puts us in the perfect position moving forward. The merging of our core competencies will allow Beard to continue delivering great products and great customer service to adults looking for tobacco alternatives. We couldn’t have done this on our own, and we have a long list of people to thank, both at Beard and BRS, for making this possible.”

  • Nepal: Cigarettes in short supply as result of wholesaler hoarding

    Several popular brands of cigarettes are in short supply in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley due to hoarding and black-marketing by some wholesalers, according to Republica. Some wholesalers have begun to hoard cigarettes following media reports that the government was planning to hike excise duty on cigarettes through the budget for fiscal year 2015-2016. In addition to reducing supply, some wholesalers are also accused of raising prices in an arbitrary manner.

    “It is very difficult to get [cigarettes] as per our demand,” retailer Ram Kumar Rai told Republica. “Not only are wholesalers reducing supply, they are also overcharging us for cigarettes.”

    Rai said he was charged npr50 ($0.44) more for a box of Surya cigarettes containing 10 packets. “The wholesaler asked me to pay npr1,450 for a box of cigarettes which cost only npr1,400,” he said.

    Retailer Madhav Timalsina, of Sundhara, paid npr1,500 for the same pack. “Wholesalers have been overcharging us, citing short supply,” he told Republica. “We are not getting cigarettes as per our demand, as wholesalers are hoarding them anticipating duty hike in upcoming budget.”

    Meanwhile, manufacturers maintain that they have not reduced the supply of cigarettes.

    “We have increased supply by around 10 percent recently,” Ravi KC, vice president of Surya Nepal, told Republica. “Our authorized dealers and cycle-boys have not reported us about shortage and hoarding of cigarettes.”

    Department of Commerce and Supply Management officials have vowed to intensify market monitoring and to take action against anyone found guilty of hoarding cigarettes or participating in black-marketing.