STG closes Mac Baren and Sutliff

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elvishrunes

Can't Leave
Jun 19, 2017
355
656
Even the location of a factory makes a difference on quality, I know this from Scotch…. Streamlining is generally not good. Lagavulin tried to get the same flavour as Laphroaig, but couldn’t and they were a distillery NEXT door on Islay, they attributed it to microbes in the air.

I heard an owner of a retail chain, I forgot which, say 90% of the time consolation happens, quality drops. Now whether some will care, is another story. i happen to like OGS, an STG product.
 

Pipke

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 3, 2024
263
765
Chardon, Ohio. USA
Even the location of a factory makes a difference on quality, I know this from Scotch…. Streamlining is generally not good. Lagavulin tried to get the same flavour as Laphroaig, but couldn’t and they were a distillery NEXT door on Islay, they attributed it to microbes in the air.

I heard an owner of a retail chain, I forgot which, say 90% of the time consolation happens, quality drops. Now whether some will care, is another story. i happen to like OGS, an STG product.
Well that's why you should never open your mason jars, not even for a sniff.

The drop in quality is foreseeable. But the closure of Sutliff is catastrophic. I do enjoy the strong HH blends, but if Sutliff is shut down in the USA, then goodbye. I wish Mac Baren and STG well in their future plans.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,511
48,068
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
What I don't understand is how shuttering these entities benefits them. Aren't Sutliff and Mac Baren both highly popular and profitable brands? Wouldn't the acquisition itself have eliminated competition and increased value to shareholders, if that's what they're after?
Yes, but under their terms, which means shuttering and probably selling off, the physical properties, moving all manufacturing into their facility and their pipeline, using their suppliers, and further increasing profits by cutting costs and quality.
This is all about shareholder equity, not customer satisfaction. With less competition, where else are customers going to go.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
It's difficult to know what will actually happen. Regardless, this bears close watching. For the last several years, I've chosen to blend many of my home blends based on tobaccos from Lane and Sutliff, primarily because I could easily access those tobaccos. Now, I will need to purchase a bit more of those tobaccos to ensure I am not left out in the future from enjoying blends I developed for my own use and enjoyment. Will Sutliff be gone? It's hard to imagine. The impact on third party producers is unthinkable.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
Well, I just bought enough leaf to add a pound each more to my supplies of The Doctor's Own Blend, Lazy Bones, and 73's. Next up, I'll need to purchase some Frosty Mint for the EZ1 blend and finally round out my supplies of Telescopes and Black Maria. I always thought it would be the government that would limit my purchases. Wow.
 

woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,528
19,637
SE PA USA
What I don't understand is how shuttering these entities benefits them. Aren't Sutliff and Mac Baren both highly popular and profitable brands?
I wouldn’t assume that Mac Baren or their Sutliff subsidiary are profitable. Didn’t Mac Baren rescue Sutliff out of insolvency? Remember, there is less and less pipe tobacco sold every year. Sombody has to die to make room in the lifeboat.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
20,511
48,068
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
I wouldn’t assume that Mac Baren or their Sutliff subsidiary are profitable. Didn’t Mac Baren rescue Sutliff out of insolvency? Remember, there is less and less pipe tobacco sold every year. Sombody has to die to make room in the lifeboat.
Sutliff was a subsidiary of Altadis, itself a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco. It hasn’t been an independent company since 1969. The reason for the sale appears to have been one of focusing Altadis’ business, which was cigars. Sutliff wasn’t important to them.
 

romaso

Lifer
Dec 29, 2010
1,981
7,605
Pacific NW
1. Yes! 2. I work for Mac Baren, which is owned by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
Thanks for giving it to us straight. It reflects well on you that you want to get accurate information out early to your customers, and we appreciate it.

Not that I'm happy about it though, as Mac Baren's and Sutliff make most of my favorites.
PS Can you get me a bulk discount code???
 
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