The PCA is an organization that has been one constant all of my years in this business. I have been in this industry so long that I sometimes catch myself calling it the RTDA! I have seen its name go from “RTDA” to “IPCPR” to its current “PCA.” At first, I always viewed it as the association that ran the trade show and we had to be nice to the people running it for better booth space.
Decades ago, this may have been an accurate description and many others will agree that Bill Fader was the guy to know. He ran the association with an iron fist and ran it well. He was in charge during the boom of the 1990s whilst we were all going through dramatic changes. To be honest with you, I do not even know if the organization had a board or not.
Over the years, the climate began to change. Smoking bans began in California and moved their way across the entire country. Then came SCHIP, and of course, the FDA regulations. The association was not ready for any of these battles but the vision was born to develop an entirely professional organization governed by a Board of Directors that would also be stakeholders in the industry and made up of other tobacconists.
One reality about doing business in the U.S. (or anywhere in the world): Your livelihood and that of your employees depends on what politicians at either local, state, federal level or foreign governments have to say.
This is true of any industry, whether you are selling hot dogs from a food truck, making cars or selling iPhones.
A new law or regulation can change your company dramatically. Sure, you can visit City Hall, go to fundraisers and even Congress to walk the halls to express your issues, but then who will run your company while you are busy defending it? How much time do you actually have to become a seasoned pro at dealing with legislators and following up with their staffers?
The board at the time decided to become much more politically active; this is about the time when the name was changed to IPCPR. Federal lobbyists were hired and state associations were encouraged.
The association was developing in the direction that the board had envisioned.
As the name was changed once again from IPCPR to PCA, the evolution continued. The board decided to invite associates to participate and have real input as to the direction of the association, thus expanding the scope and vision to improve the decision-making process
In recent years there was an additional position created on the Executive Board called the Associate Liaison, Mike Conder of Crowned Heads being the first one and the right one chosen who would define this role and set the mark.
I am very proud to have been chosen to be the next Associate Liaison, and I look forward to being a part of what is next in our industry. I enjoy studying the history of this business, especially from the time after the embargo to the new crop of tobacco men in the 1990s. I have enjoyed seeing how the industry adapted to internet sales, smoking bans, SCHIP, Smoking Age 21 and FDA.
Our industry is constantly changing and 2024 will not be any different. For one, it is the first time that the trade show gets moved up to a different date. This is also an election year where there will changes at all levels of government as well as any new taxes and smoking bans which we can all agree are a certainty.
The PCA, however, is not just about a trade show and politics. It is also about the advancement of all its members. The direction that this board is taking under the direction of Messrs. Scott Regina and Scott Pearce (“The Scotts”) is focused on helping all of the members and their employees.
Thank you very much for this great honor. It is a responsibility that I take seriously and I look forward to seeing you all soon.
– Contributed by Christian Eiroa, Associate Liaison on the PCA Board and owner of C.L.E. Cigars.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 1, 2024. To receive a copy of this magazine you must be a current member of PCA. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.