PETERSBURG, Va. -- Star Scientific Inc. has hired Roger Grogman, former corporate vice president of marketing for the McLane Co. Inc., on an exclusive basis to consult with the company on marketing programs for its very low-TSNA dissolvable smokeless products, Ariva and Stonewall.
McLane, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is the largest distribution company in the convenience store market in the United States.
Grogman has extensive experience in marketing program development. His responsibilities at McLane included management and oversight of research, customer relationship and advertising [image-nocss] initiatives, as well as development and execution of the company's marketing communication platform. Grogman joined McLane in 1991 after an 18-year tenure in national marketing with the Southland Corp.
Paul L. Perito, Star's chairman, president and COO, commented that the company believes Grogman's thoroughgoing knowledge of multiple product categories and business channels will provide significant value to the growth and expansion of the Ariva and Stonewall brands. "Roger's experience should complement nicely the inroads we have made in developing distribution with regional and national chains like Rite Aid, 7-Eleven, Food Lion and Smoker Friendly. In addition, though, we look forward to leveraging his expertise to enhance our efforts to communicate with adult consumers about the unique opportunity that very low-TSNA dissolvable smokeless tobacco offers to dependent smokers."
Petersburg, Va.-based Star Scientific is a technology-oriented tobacco company with a toxin reduction mission. It is engaged in the development of dissolvable smokeless tobacco products that deliver fewer carcinogenic toxins (principally tobacco specific nitrosamines, or TSNAs), through the use of the StarCured tobacco curing technology and in sublicensing that technology to others.
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