By the Numbers
Career Impact at a Glance
$2–3M
Additional Annual
Profit Generated
Profit Generated
300%+
Premium Cigar
Sales Growth
Sales Growth
11
Retail Locations
Overseen
Overseen
70–75%
Gross Margin on
Private Label Cigars
Private Label Cigars
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Professional Accomplishments
Areas of Distinction
Retail Expansion & Growth
- Identified and secured strategic locations for three new Tobacco Junction stores, expanding the chain from 8 to 11 locations and contributing approximately 20% additional revenue growth.
- Designed, built, remodeled, or expanded six of the company's eleven retail locations, overseeing projects from concept through completion.
- Created store layouts, floor plans, color palettes, merchandising standards, and customer flow strategies enhancing both experience and operational efficiency.
- Supervised construction and build-outs while coordinating contractors, vendors, timelines, budgets, and operational requirements.
Premium Cigar Programs
- Led expansion of premium cigar programs across multiple locations, dramatically increasing humidor space, product assortment, and access to hard-to-find cigars.
- Designed and developed the largest independently owned premium cigar humidor operation in Texas, creating a destination retail experience.
- Developed and strengthened partnerships with Arturo Fuente, Davidoff, and United Cigars, ensuring priority access to limited releases and exclusive allocations.
- Helped establish Tobacco Junction as one of the most respected premium cigar retailers in Texas through product selection, vendor relationships, and industry credibility.
Private Label & Brand Development
- Sourced, developed, and launched multiple private-label cigar brands, generating industry-leading gross margins of 70–75% while creating products unavailable through competitors.
- Built and managed complete brand identities for proprietary cigar programs, including product positioning, naming, logo development, packaging design, and marketing materials.
- Designed logos, packaging, point-of-sale materials, and marketing assets for multiple in-house cigar brands and product lines.
- Built and managed dedicated websites for proprietary cigar brands, supporting awareness, customer engagement, and sales growth.
Category Management & Merchandising
- Generated an estimated $2–3 million in additional annual profit through category management, vendor negotiations, strategic partnerships, and inventory planning.
- Curated unique cigar assortments for each location based on local demographics, purchasing behavior, and market demand, maximizing inventory productivity.
- Directed inventory allocation and merchandise movement across all locations to maintain optimal stock levels and capitalize on emerging consumer trends.
- Negotiated directly with manufacturers, distributors, and industry partners to secure exclusive products and limited releases.
Leadership, Training & Operations
- Led and mentored a team of five premium cigar specialists while partnering with eleven store managers to drive category performance, customer experience, and sales growth.
- Developed comprehensive cigar sales training programs, customer engagement techniques, and operational playbooks that improved consistency and product knowledge across all locations.
- Created brand standards, merchandising guidelines, humidor management procedures, and cigar-selling methodologies that became the company-wide foundation for premium cigar retail execution.
- Created integrated marketing campaigns through digital marketing, social media, email marketing, experiential marketing, and in-store promotions.
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East Texas Cigar Festival
Conceived, developed, marketed, and produced one of the premier cigar events in East and North Texas — attracting thousands of consumers, vendors, and industry participants over a two-day experience. Directed all aspects including sponsorship acquisition, vendor recruitment, marketing strategy, event logistics, entertainment, and on-site operations.
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Signature Achievement