I 8 PCA The Magazine | AUTUMN 2020 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG IF HINDSIGHT IS 20/20, THEN I THINK MOST OF US WOULD LIKE TO PUT 2020 IN OUR HINDSIGHT. What a crazy, fascinating, challenging—and yes, unprecedented—year. And all I can say is: Thank god I smoke cigars, because that definitely helps in getting through all of this. Andmercifully, in this instance, time is marching on. It would be a terrible waste if we, as an association, did not take serious stock of the pandemic and the subsequent havoc that was wreaked upon us before carving a new path forward. We can use this experience to be better positioned in the future so we can be the very best possible advocate and trade association for you. We know that we are going to be entrenched in state battles all across the country as local officials will look to premium cigars to extract evenmore tax revenue to fill their massive budget shortfalls. More smoking bans disguised as “flavor bans” are also on the horizon, and we are setting up a new state infrastructure to bemore agile and proactive in defending your stores and the industry. In addition to amore surgical approach to our advocacy, we are also going to be implementing newways for manufacturers to connect with retailers so our retailers can be up to date on all the latest products being released, new brands coming to market and stronger relationships with vendors that are critical for growth and success. And we will continue to reach out to experts to share best practices and lessons learned so the industry can learn together. We are also excited that we will be restarting the live shows, which somany have asked about. For themany of you who have been so supportive throughout all of this, thank you! Your support has really been the gasoline that has fueled us. We have had some prettymonumental victories this year, from the cigar warning label and substantial equivalence lawsuits, to the premium cigar exemption in California, the tax cap inMichigan, the squashing of tax increases in Georgia and Tennessee and the successful amendment inNew Jersey exempting premium tobacconists from the requirement to sell smoking-cessation products. While wemay not have been victorious 100 percent across the board, we had more wins than losses, and we havemoremomentum, more advocates andmore policymakers who understand our issues than ever before. With a honed approach, broader state association infrastructure and amore unified industry, we will punch even higher above our weight class in 2021 and become an even greater force to be reckoned with. Scott Pearce
[email protected] 512 Capital Court N.E. Washington, DC 20002-7709 Phone: 202.621.8064 www.premiumcigars.org Email:
[email protected] | PCA T H E M A G A Z I N E ILLUSTRATION BY : Joe DeLeon BY SCOTT PEARCE E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Scott Pearce MANAGING EDITOR Greg Girard ASSOCIATE EDITOR Erin Holland ASSOCIATE EDITOR William C. Nelson ACCOUNT MANAGER David Wilson COPY EDITOR Rachel Dorrell DESIGN DeLeon Design; Omak Partners C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Josh Habursky, Erin Holland, William C. Nelson, Jarrid Trudeau, Larry Wagner B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Scott Pearce Washington, DC PRESIDENT John Anderson Washington, DC FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Greg Zimmerman Lemoyne, PA TREASURER Scott Regina Virginia Beach, VA SECRETARY Todd Naifeh Oklahoma City, OK EX OFFICIO Ken Neumann Libertyville, IL D I R E C T O R S Steve Castro Frederick, MD Mike Condor Nashville, TN Paul Groh Germantown, WI Marvin Holthouser Destin, FL Jessica Hutson Springfield, MO Mame Kendall Bridgeville, PA Phil Ledbetter Chicago, IL Luz Normand Miami, FL Harris Saunders Birmingham, AL Randy Silverman New Castle, PA PCA © Copyright 2020. PCA The Magazine is a trademark of the Premium Cigar Association (PCA). All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents of this magazine without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. PCA The Magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content published. Neither the publisher nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found herein, and the publisher accepts no liability for the accuracy of the statements made by advertisers in advertising and promotional materials. The opinions expressed by contributing editors are not necessarily those of the PCA, its directors, officers or staff. The information included and items promoted in this magazine are intended for an adult audience. Editor’s Note A D M I N I S T R AT I O N SENIOR DIRECTOR, MEETINGS & EVENTS Lisa Cox DIRECTOR, FEDERAL AFFAIRS Josh Habursky MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Erin Holland ASSOCIATE MEMBER & OPERATIONS MANAGER Christine Morgan RETAIL MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER Greg Vickers