Local Store Owner Attends Tobacco Trade Convention

Source from:  By Chris Wright, Special Writer August 28, 2008 08/28/2008

Local store owner and tobacconist Robert Ouru attended a cigar and pipe tobacco trade convention in Las Vegas last month bringing back with him plenty of information to pass along to those who enjoy cigars. Ouru, the owner of Yorktown Liquors at 1255 Milan-Oakville Road, was among the more than 5,000 professional tobacconists and their guests attending the annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association convention. Ouru said that he learned a lot about how and where cigars are made and the types of cigars available. In his Milan store, he carries a number of the top brands of cigar, both high-end and more affordable stogies. A cigar smoker himself, Ouru has a large humidor in his store. He carries cigars that range in price between $2.19 and $35 each. He said that with things he learned in Sin City, as well as other conventions he's attended in Houston and New Orleans, he can give his customers tips on choosing a good, affordable cigar. "I can advise the customer how to pick a good cigar at a reasonable price," he said, adding that there are $5 cigars that are just as good as a $15 or $20 one. "Sometimes I give advice and the customers switch brands," he said. Ouru has owned the Milan store since 1994, but he has only sold cigars for the last seven years. His is the only store in Milan carrying a large selection of hand-made, premium cigars, he added. Cigars sales at the store have increased every year since he started selling them, Ouru said, adding that he's built up quite a customer base over the years. Summer has traditionally been his busiest season for selling cigars, he said, because many customers are "outdoor smokers." Wedding receptions, summer holiday parties and other outdoor festivities means a spike in sales. Cigar smoking is more of a social form of enjoyment than a habit, he said. Whereas cigarette smokers will smoke a pack or two per day, cigar smokers often enjoy in the neighborhood of two per week, Ouru added. The Las Vegas cigar and pipe tobacco show Ouru attended was the IPCPR's 76th annual convention. To commemorate the event and support the association's scholarship program, nearly 70 participating cigar manufacturers contributed more than 360 cigar bands representing their various brands to create a set of collectible posters. Proceeds from the sale of the posters helped to fund 20 scholarships worth $5,000 each awarded annually to qualified essay contest winners. Students entering the essay contest are family members of association members, according to the group's Web site. This year, students were asked to write two-page essays against a rather far-reaching smoking ban that has taken effect in the city of Calabasas, Calif. With titles like "Calabasas: Smart Move or Violation of Our Rights as Citizens?" and "Tyranny of Anti-Tobacco Groups," students earning scholarships quoted everyone from H.L. Mencken to Mark Twain to Thomas Jefferson in defense of smokers' rights. The IPCPR trade group has more than 2,000 members in the U.S and in 31 foreign countries. The organization's stated mission is to defend the rights of retailers and consumers who sell and enjoy premium cigars, pipes and other specialty tobacco products. Enditem