Certified Testimonial

You have been hearing me talk about the importance and value of TU and Certification for years now. And we get many kind and inspiring letters from Certified Tobacconists every month, but this testimonial has special meaning to me and it really captures much of the intangible, yet priceless, value TU provides:


"I cannot sing your praises enough, these certifications my employees have achieved with TU has meant so much to them, their pride is measurable in so many positive ways. As a store owner, TU brings a rare gift to me because no amount of money in bonus or spiff I could give could ever match the value of being a graduate of TU, my guys are so damn proud of their accomplishment and having their diplomas and PINS. Thanks for all the years of hard work you have put into TU because it is going to pay off for years to come for all of us involved in this unique and precious pursuit; loving the lore.


Kindest regards,


David Berkebile,
Georgetown Tobacco
Washington, D.C..

P.S.: You can quote me on this anytime."

Georgetown Tobacco: A National Treasure

If you know me well, you may know that walking into Georgetown Tobacco in the early 1990s changed my life. I never knew the world of luxury tobacco existed until I stepped into that store; I was used to buying cigars at cafeterias on the streets of Miami. To this day I remember the extraordinary Tobacconists that helped me discover great cigars and new ways to savor my time - perhaps this is why I have such a fondness and respect for Tobacconists. And I can only begin to imagine how many thousands of people have been impacted the same way.

While Georgetown is coming up on its 45th Anniversary, and they just Certified their 11th CRT, it is no mystery why they are one of the world's greatest retail Tobacconists. Starting with their founder, David Berkebile and every Tobacconist I have met in their stores, there is enough passion and knowledge on their sales floor to make any Tobacconist and customer salivate. While TU writes about putting Products & Customers first, I think that philosophy might have been absorbed from Georgetown. I'm sure someone could write a book on the knowledge, history, tall tales, and passion found at Georgetown; and I can honestly say that their retail store is one of the world's most beautiful - in any industry!

Ultimately, we are lucky to have such an extraordinary group of Tobacconists Certified, and grateful for the things they have and will teach us down the road. Congratulations to Georgetown for continuing to be the best at what they do. And many thanks for sharing that with TU, your customers, and the rest of the world..... Looking forward to the next 45 years.