Lorrillard And Blu E-Cigs Join Forces

[MadKat]

http://www.dailymarkets.com/stock/2012/04/25/blu-ecigs-the-leading-electronic-cigarette-company-acquired-by-lorillard/

[Viper Ron]

Hopefully Blu won’t monopolize the market and shut down every ma & pa shop coast to coast! Not sure if this is good news or bad?

Edited April 25, 2012 by Viper Ron

[blucavvy]

definately bad, the day that big pharma or big tobacco gets involved in e cigs is a bad, bad day for the industry....

[Christopher]

Just posted up and article on our front page: http://www.vaportalk...or-135-million/

This will no doubt help the industry in the fact that we've got big money now willing to protect the industry. However I see this pushing out the little guys no doubt. I suspect RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris (Altria) aren't far behind. Most of us, especially suppliers knew this was going to happen at some point. The indsutry will no doubt start taking a more formal shape over the next couple of years vs the wild west that it is today. I assume patent battles are sure to follow..

[Viper Ron]

Well hopefully the QC on all ecig devices will get better for safety reasons and I guess the fear of ecigs going away is finally put to rest

[blucavvy]

i believe rjreynolds has already started to dabble.....i'll see if i can find the article.

[danpio1217]

I think there will be good and bad to come of this. The bad is that big tobbaco is getting involved, and as we’ve seen their objective is to make as much money as possible, regardless of the harm they’re doing to their customers.

The good is that this will add a certain level of quality control, regulation, and competitive pricing to ecig products that currently doesn’t entirely exist. Hopefully this will prompt additional research studies that will shed additional light on the long term effects of using ecigs.

Bottom line, this is evidence that ecigs are making a dent in big tobacco’s wallets and they don’t like it. Unless blu is going to change their current model entirely i don't know how much things will change immediately, mainly cuz they're specifically targeting 1st time ecig users and their product IMO isn't going to last anyone who wants to stick with it for the long haul. They were my 1st ecig purchase but i ditched them pretty quick cuz the battery life is terrible, the PCC stops charging batts well after awhie, and their prefilled cartridge flavors don't pack much throat hit.

[Christopher]

i believe rjreynolds has already started to dabble.....i'll see if i can find the article.

They are. They had two associates at Vegas Vape fest late last year. "researching what to research" They are definitely close behind.

[twelveday]

man oh man, i hope i wont be having to pay 10$ for one cartomizer anytime soon. I'm worried about what this will do, I mean there have been ripoff scams here and there but with big $$$ now in the scene what will keep them from influencing everything else. I really hope the mom n pop operations and things like that dont get pushed out, that's what I've come to like in a way, in this time of hard times I know getting stuff at good prices while supporting others in the actual 'community' in a way, kinda cheesy but thats what I got.

[sasetrase]

I started out with a Blu. Worked well enough for 8 months. Then I got back on the deathstix.

I know few of us here use blu, but if someone was considering picking up a starter kit. Does the fact that Lorillard picked up Blu influence your decision? Positive or negative?

[danpio1217]

Since Blu is what got me introduced to ecigs as well, if i rewind the clock and put myself in my own shoes, i'd say it would probably positively influence my decision.

A lot of people refuse to try ecigs or stick w/ them permanently b/c of all the unknowns. They'd rather default to the "known evil" which to me is doesn't make much sense b/c anyone w/ google can figure out inhaling PG and VG is nowhere near as harmful as analogs.

In my eyes, Lorillard buying blu makes blu seem more credible, and it makes the industry as a whole IMO seem more legit to the ecig virgins.

[TheSmokingMan]

Just posted up and article on our front page: http://www.vaportalk...or-135-million/

This will no doubt help the industry in the fact that we've got big money now willing to protect the industry. However I see this pushing out the little guys no doubt. I suspect RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris (Altria) aren't far behind. Most of us, especially suppliers knew this was going to happen at some point. The indsutry will no doubt start taking a more formal shape over the next couple of years vs the wild west that it is today. I assume patent battles are sure to follow..

I agree that this is a good thing for the time being. They will have the funds for R&D and also access to labs in order to prove the safety of eCigs. This will help pave the way for smaller operations to operate without the fear or threat that they are selling a dangerous product. But as Chris said, patent battles will follow as those big companies try to lock themselves into profits to cover the expense of the R&D and the labs. It's a double edged sword.

I see that a lot of smaller operations will be bought up by the big companies, that will pay off for those who have hung in thus far but it will be bad for the consumer as customer service will go down the tubes and the choice of products will be scaled down to what can be efficiently mass produced and disposable.

Most small operations cannot compete with the big money it takes to have a product patented. The last time I checked, back in 1997, it cost $10,000.00 to have a patent attorney just perform a patent search to see if you invention or idea hasn't already been submitted. We never went as far as having a product patented because the cost was just too far out of sight.

Edited April 27, 2012 by TheSmokingMan

[twelveday]

$135 Million is hard to turn down. I don't know where I actually stand on this though there are positives and negatives. As long as this 'patent' crap doesn't go through and prices dont skyrocket to ridiculous amounts then I'm fine, as long as I can vape the way I'm vaping right now.

[Christopher]

135 million is quite a large number, I have to admit if I was offered a 135 million all cash payout, I'd sell out. I'd' throw a massive BQQ and of course, beer is on the house. Hell I'll do it for 10! Pro Vari's for all (*Cough* your move Phillip Morris)

Not but really, in all honesty the next few years are no doubt going to prove interesting.

[danpio1217]

Putting what is to come aside, I think it speaks volumes about the people that have been fighting for this industry, that their efforts and the community and products they've built have most definately put a dent in the profits of some of the biggest companies in the world. That's the definition of innovation. VT and vapers everywhere... congrats.

[twelveday]

if it continues in this direction, I think big tobacco is going to have to follow, otherwise they lose out to the electronic cigarettes, depending what Lorrillard does with Blu that is.

[Christopher]

At least in 1st world countries there is no signs of e cigarettes slowing down. It's a new product not only sought after but demanded by the consumer. That's enough to raise eye brows. Big Tobacco has been in the back watching for quite some time.

Here's a little fact most of you probably don't know, Altria (Parent company to Phillip Morris) owns 49% of Ruyans shares. Ruyan is lead by none other than Hon Lik....the inventor of the modern electronic cigarette. He holds the international patent to the electronic cigarette....

[Viper Ron]

Interesting

[TheSmokingMan]

At least in 1st world countries there is no signs of e cigarettes slowing down. It's a new product not only sought after but demanded by the consumer. That's enough to raise eye brows. Big Tobacco has been in the back watching for quite some time.

Here's a little fact most of you probably don't know, Altria (Parent company to Phillip Morris) owns 49% of Ruyans shares. Ruyan is lead by none other than Hon Lik....the inventor of the modern electronic cigarette. He holds the international patent to the electronic cigarette....

By 1st world countries, do you mean developed countries like The United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and our "old country" The UK? Because, although I have no data to back this up, I thought that tobacco was becoming less and less used in these countries due to the heavy campaigns against tobacco use, smoking bans and gross aggressive taxation on tobacco products. However I understand that in 3rd world countries that do not have an organized and developed government like Latin America, Africa, Middle East and Eastern Block Countries (ie Chechnya, Bosnia, Poland, Macedonia etc...) that tobacco use is on the rise and that is the next big thing for the tobacco companies.

This is just my observation and not anything that I have researched so I may be talking out of my arse. But it makes sense to me that Big Tobacco would exploit these countries because of the lack of organizations fighting legal battles there like the American (Or Mexican or Arab) Lung Association, The Coalition Against Smoking or whoever lobbies for this sort of legislation here can't do it there because the government isn't really formed well enough to provide any type of vehicle or mechanism of law or legislation for that sort of thing. (God, that is an awkward sentence)

Edited April 29, 2012 by TheSmokingMan

[Jeffb]

Chris said "no signs of e-cigarettes slowing down" not tobacco.

[TheSmokingMan]

Chris said "no signs of e-cigarettes slowing down" not tobacco.

He did, didn't he! I'm such an idiot sometimes. I really need to learn to read one day.

Scratch that last post and just forget I said anything.

Edited April 29, 2012 by TheSmokingMan

[Jeffb]

I'll take reading comprehension for $1000 Alex

[TheSmokingMan]

Ha Ha Ha! Just wait, you'll do something dumb one of these days...

[jamfran]

Exactly..I'm not very sure if this is good or bad news...I guess it could be good news that e-cigarettes could be widely promoted as a viable smoking alternative worldwide, since Lorrillard has a lot of resources..

[kwaione]

Well I do not say it would be Blu it would be Lorillard since they are one in the same now,,

Also that is what they did with the money i spent on the two pack a day Newport habit I had for 15 years (then 4 years on Camel Menthol) :dizzy:

Edited May 4, 2012 by kwaione