Tobacco Rowed

Source from:  By S.E. RUCKMAN World Staff Writer 9/5/2007 09/06/2007

Despite legal arguments and decades-old equipment, the Seneca-Cayugas keep rolling GROVE - The cigarettes come off the line at the tobacco factory at the rate of more than 13,000 cartons a day. The output at the former bingo parlor turned manufacturing plant is small compared to big cigarette makers, said Seneca-Cayuga Chief Paul Spicer. But the Senecas have a niche market as the only tribally owned cigarette manufacturer in the state. The path from bulk tobacco to finished cigarettes begins with 200-pound boxes of cut tobacco called "rag" that is grown in and transported from Virginia. The tobacco has few chemicals in it because it's Spicer's preference. "Our cigarettes are fresh," he said, holding an unsealed carton in one hand. From the bulk boxes, the tobacco is sifted in a hopper and transported through a tube to be introduced into machines armed with miles of rolling paper, filters and vegetable gum used as a sealer. Spicer said the factory, which opened in 1999, uses manufacturing equipment from the 1950s. But the machines are in prime running order, considering their age, he said. Mechanic Doug Keatts said the machines operate four 10-hour days with 25-26 people per shift. "I been here since day one and we have made lots of cigarettes since then," Keatts said. Box upon box is filled with pre-folded cartons for both the Skydancer and Texas Republic brands. Then comes the business of selling them. The factory has no on-site cigarette shop, and orders mostly come from outof- state buyers of the Texas Republic brand, which is especially popular with Texans. Many area tribal smokeshop owners have eschewed selling their brands until the Senecas' lawsuit is settled (see sidebar). Several tribes still endorse the Cayuga Tobacco Corp., including the Osage Nation, Sac & Fox and Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Meanwhile, the Senecas employ about 70 people at the plant, about half of whom are tribal members. Spicer said 100 percent of the profits go back into the tribe's coffers. "This is a tribal enterprise; it belongs to the Senecas," he said. While the Senecas are the sole Indian cigarette manufacturer in the state, they are not the only Indian-owned tobacco company. The Omaha Tribe in Nebraska also manufacturers and sells its cigarettes as the Omaha Nation Tobacco Co. With plans to expand the facility in limbo, the Seneca-Cayugas are looking for other economic ventures, Spicer said. The tribe recently purchased a former Boy Scout Camp nearby, is seeking trust approval for out-of-state land parcels and is planning a new $20 million casino in Grove. "The tobacco issue is one of sovereignty," Spicer said. "Anytime tribes try to assume their sovereignty, they draw opposition from the state because of crossing jurisdictional boundaries." Enditem