SpecComm International, Inc., the parent company of a variety of tobacco-related publications and trade shows has been sold and some of its publications will be shutting down.
Amongst the publications going away will be cigar and pipe focused magazines: Tobacconist; Cigars & Leisure; and Pipes & Tobacco. Some sources have told halfwheel that the magazines will publish one more issue and then be shut down.
The Raleigh, N.C.-based SpecComm was sold to TMA, a New Jersey-based non-profit tobacco trade organization that is sponsored by some of the largest names in the tobacco world. As part of the new announcement, TMA announced that it would create the GTNF Trust to continue to operate three entities: Tobacco Reporter and Vapor Voice, two magazines, and the GTNF Conference.
TMA’s press release said that it would “incorporate Tobacco Farm Quarterly into its publications.”
Chris Greer, TMA’s ceo, did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment about the future of the three magazines.
Tobacconist was founded in 1990 as a trade publication for those selling cigars and pipes. It’s held the designation as one of a few of the magazine that is listed as an official publication of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Associations (IPCPR). In 2014, the company launched Cigars & Leisure, a consumer-focused publication that wrote about cigars and other topics.