[ Kathleen Cantwell ]
Managing Editor |
[ EDITOR’S NOTE ]
Do you know a retailer everyone should hear about? Someone who is doing or has done something interesting or noteworthy—or someone who has a new angle on doing business in tobacco, someone with advice or tips to share? If so, let us know. We have the perfect place for them. Our new Retailer Profile will highlight a different retailer in each issue. For the kickoff, we’re highlighting two at once, Fred Hoyt and John Dan Gielen of Louis-iana, who were the recipients of this year’s Pinnacle Award from the National Assoc-iation of Tobacco Outlets. To find out why and more about them, read the Retailer Profile. Then think about who you might suggest (and it’s OK to suggest yourself).
Speaking of regular features, we’ve made a slight change. Washington Report is now more aptly titled National Focus. We think the new name more accurately reflects the content of the column. While sometimes it may indeed be about legislation or something else going on in our nation’s capital, it isn’t always. But it does deal with issues that have or may have impact across the country and tries to take a closer look at them. In April, we did that with MSA payments and the unsettled state of the agreement. In this issue, we’re exploring the growing movement for reduced-ignition propensity or fire-safe cigarettes.
An interesting thing happened while I was doing the research, tracking down the status of the fire-safe legislation in Illinois, my home state. (It passed overwhelmingly and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.) I made a call to the man who has been spearheading the effort in the state for the national Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, the fire marshal for the municipality of Buffalo Grove.
His name sounded very familiar to me—and had an odd spelling that also seemed familiar. When I finally spoke to him, I told him that and said, “My dad used to be a deputy with the State Fire Marshal’s office. I wonder if you might have known him.” “Was it Jim Cantwell?” he said. Turns out he did know him. His dad, who also was a deputy marshal, was friends with my dad. As the man said, small world, huh?
Needless to say, being the daughter of a deputy fire marshal and the granddaughter of a longtime fire chief, I find the subject of and movement for fire-safe cigarettes an interesting one. I do, however, think it would be a mistake to tie the movement into the anti-smoking movement. While I’m sure some people or groups opposed to smoking back this as well, the main organizations involved are fire-safety organizations and those who deal with the aftermath of fires.
Looking toward Las Vegas
I’m hoping to make some new connections at the RTDA annual Convention & International Trade Show in Las Vegas in July. I look forward to meeting some of you while I’m there. You’ll find a preview of the convention, a schedule and a list of exhibitors as of mid-May in this issue.
Our cover story, RYO Heats Up will give you a look at some of the important new factors in this growing category and help you make the most of it. Cha Ching will share some tips on how to use point-of-sale marketing to make your cash register ring. It’s in the Cards will bring you up to date on some of the latest in age verification technology, and Preserving Perfection, our product profile on in-store humidors, will provide some hard-to-find information for those who want to make a success of the booming cigar business.
Enjoy the issue! TR |
