Tobacco is one of the most widely distributed crops in the world and continues to rake in billions of dollars in revenue as well as tax for companies and governments. A profitable trade for tobacco wholesale distributors, there are many steps during which crops are turned into distributable tobacco and then sent for further refinement as well as incorporation into products like cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and so on. Before you begin understanding how tobacco wholesalers work, it is important to understand how tobacco is turned from crop to product.
The origins of tobacco
Consuming tobacco in one or more forms is not a new practice. In fact, the practice has been a part of human societies for over 3,000 years. It was introduced to the western world by Christopher Columbus in the year 1492 when he discovered that tobacco was commonly smoked by the locals in the Americas since 1,000 BC. In the fifteenth century, tobacco arrived in Europe where it became a subject of controversy and a fad.
While tobacco has been disapproved for several centuries, it continues to remain popular to this day in forms of cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Initially used for medicinal studies and societal fashion, tobacco is now being widely distributed across the globe and remains one of the most lucrative fields of import and export.
It is interesting to note that the tobacco variety belongs to the same botanical family as eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers and can be grown in a diverse range of climates. China is the largest producer of tobacco worldwide closely followed by India, Brazil, the US, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
Tobacco industry today
Being one of the biggest and most lucrative industries in the world, tobacco is a major economic contributor to over 150 countries worldwide and employs over 100 million people. That number is roughly the population of Australia, South Africa and Canada combined! Taxes levied on tobacco wholesalers are a major source of income for most governments, amounting up to 10 percent of revenues in countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka and Brazil. In terms of non-food crops, tobacco is the most widely cultivated product in the world.
Many farmers in hundreds of countries choose to grow it because it is strong, robust, valuable and resilient against poor soil conditions and even volatile weather. Even from small plots, tobacco distributors can gain good yields from their farmers and ensure a steady income. Despite being a major economic contributor to several countries, only about 0.3 percent of agricultural lands are allotted to tobacco, clearly indicating its value. It is known to create more jobs per hectare compared to any other crop worldwide.
Not many industries can boast being as versatile as the tobacco industry. Ranging from tobacco manufacturers to tobacco wholesale distributors, each segment of this industry is essential to the world economy. Tobacco distributors are in high demand even in countries that do not manufacture the crop.
How is tobacco produced and distributed?
The process of cultivating, harvesting and manufacturing tobacco products is an interesting one.
Cultivation and harvesting
The process of tobacco distribution begins from cultivating the crop. Over 12,000 seeds are present in a single gram of tobacco. In fact, tobacco crops often resemble instant coffee. The seeds are so small that they require special attention for preservation. Before they are transplanted to the field, they should be nurtured separately and protected from pests. They are then harvested. In countries like the United States, tobacco leaves are harvested mechanically while in other countries, farmers hand-pick the best leaves and begin curing them as they ripen.
Curing the tobacco
Depending on the type of tobacco and the desired texture, the harvested crops are then cured. This controlled process helps refine the crops and achieve the right quality, color and texture. During the process of curing, the tobacco leaves are extracted for starch which is then converted to sugar. During this process, the tobacco leaves start changing color from green to lemon, to yellow to orange to brown and finally the desired dark brown shade. Farms around the world use four unique types of curing methods to supply quality yield to tobacco distributors.
• Air curing
• Sun curing
• Fire curing
• Flue curing
After the process of curing, the tobacco is graded by the farmer and distributed into separate shipments based on leaf positions, colors, qualities and so on. The crops are then packed into packs of 30 kilos to 50 kilos and sold to tobacco wholesalers and distributors. Post-curing, the leaf is processed and threshed. During this process, the stem is separated from the lamina and is subjected to multiple tests for quality including elimination of contaminants like sand, scraps, dust and other foreign matter. The moisture of the crops is also reduced to increase its lifespan and then packed into batches of 200 kilos or more.
Manufacturing
Processed tobacco products are then sent for manufacturing in corporations all over the world. The global scale operation takes place in thousands of factories worldwide across several countries. Tobacco wholesale distributors get processed tobacco, which is manufactured into cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products with great care. Owing to the importance of the product, each factory in the tobacco industry takes great care in creating the finest tobacco with state of the art technology.
Marketing and wholesale distribution
After the product has been polished and packaged, it is sent to thousands of stores and shops through the tobacco distributors. With increasing competition, most distributors today aim to provide quality products in a cost-effective manner. Amidst the fierce competition amongst tobacco wholesalers, the main priority remains customer satisfaction as new companies are giving traditional corporations a run for their money.
www.cstoredistributors.com provides a list of tobacco distributors, wholesalers and retailers to make it easier for all parties to communicate with each other. We have an easy to use Excel platform, with we provide our customers with a detailed directory of distributors and help smoothen the process of tobacco sales to convenience stores. We also offer a list of 5,000 Smoke Shops/Tobacco Shops throughout the U.S. upon request. So, if you have a product for Smoke shops and Tobacco Shops, you should purchase our directory.
Here is just a sample:
Altitude Pipe & Tobacco | 8793 W Colfax Ave Lakewood CO 80215 |
Always Cigarettes & Variety | 4620 E Colfax Ave Denver CO 80220 |
Avanti Winery | 9046 W Bowles Ave Littleton CO 80123 |
Barlow’s Premium Cigars & Pipe | 2770 Arapahoe Rd Ste 102 Lafayette CO 80026 |
Bonnie Brae Wine & Liquor Mart | 785 S University Blvd Denver CO 80209 |
Bottomline Tomorrow Magazine | 333 Centennial Pkwy Louisville CO 80027 |
Boulder Headshop | 105 N Public Rd Lafayette CO 80026 |
C & C Cigarette Store | 333 W 7th St Walsenburg CO 81089 |
Capitol Cigars | 919 E Colfax Ave Denver CO 80218 |
Cigar & Tobacco World | 5227 Leetsdale Dr Denver CO 80246 |
Cigar Bar | 315 E Hyman Ave Aspen CO 81611 |
Cigarette Cigar & Convenience | 481 W 84th Ave Denver CO 80260 |
Cigarette For You | 1038 S Sable Blvd Aurora CO 80012 |
Cigarette King | 755 S Lemay Ave # D1 Fort Collins CO 80524 |
Cigarette King | 3932 S Broadway Englewood CO 80113 |
Cigarette King Mart | 1941 S Havana St Aurora CO 80014 |
Cigarette Palace | 4283 W Florida Ave Denver CO 80219 |
Cigarette Store | 5305 E Colfax Ave # C Denver CO 80220 |
Cigarette Store | 7540 Sheridan Blvd Arvada CO 80003 |
Cigarette Store | 569 32 Rd # 15B Grand Junction CO 81504 |
Cigarette Store | 332 18th St Greeley CO 80631 |
Cigarette Store | 9204 W Alameda Ave Lakewood CO 80226 |
Cigarette Store | 301 Martin St Longmont CO 80501 |
Cigarette Store | 3294 Youngfield St # D Wheat Ridge CO 80033 |
Cigarette Store & Gifts | 13697 E Iliff Ave Aurora CO 80014 |
Cigarette Supermart | 15473 E Hampden Ave # F Aurora CO 80013 |
Cigarettes & Cigars Plus | 2420 S Colorado Blvd Denver CO 80222 |
Cigarettes & Gifts | 11968 Washington St Northglenn CO 80233 |
Cigarettes & More LP | 7150 Leetsdale Dr # 200 Denver CO 80224 |
Cigarettes Plus | 15342 E Alameda Pkwy Aurora CO 80017 |
Cigarettestore | 1410 S Sheridan Blvd Denver CO 80232 |
Cigarettestore | 13700 E Alameda Ave # B Aurora CO 80012 |
Cigarettestore | 281 E 29th St # F Loveland CO 80538 |
Cigarettestore | 754 S Perry St Castle Rock CO 80104 |
Colorado E Smokes | 8501 W Bowles Ave Littleton CO 80123 |
Colorado E Smokes | 14200 E Alameda Ave Aurora CO 80012 |
Creasted Butte Tobacconist | 303 Elk Ave # 9 Crested Butte CO 81224 |
D’s Tobacco & Pipe | 5020 Kipling St Wheat Ridge CO 80033 |
Daddy Danks | 1178 S Wadsworth Blvd Lakewood CO 80232 |
Daddy Danks Li | 2401 S Colorado Blvd Denver CO 80222 |
Dead Shed | 6470 Wadsworth Byp Arvada CO 80003 |
Dillon Ridge Liquors | 294 Dillon Ridge Rd Dillon CO 80435 |
Discount Smoker | 7264 Broadway Denver CO 80221 |
Discount Smokes Inc | 715 E 4th St Pueblo CO 81001 |
Discount Tobacco | 2600 East St # B Golden CO 80401 |
Downtown Cigarette & Grocery | 327 14th St Denver CO 80202 |
Durango Healing Ctr | 473 E College Dr Durango CO 81301 |
Durango Smoke Shop | 113 W College Dr Durango CO 81301 |
Eads News & Smoke Shop | 1715 28th St Boulder CO 80301 |