Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/622093
56 tobaccoasia / Issue 5, 2015December/January) Loading of tobacco leaves CTP's booth at the recent World Tobacco Expo in London "CTP firmly believes [that] we have a very com- petitive product relative to specific qualities avail- able from the Zimbabwean market," he says. Yet along with the production costs, custom- er support likewise is a critical factor not only to Zimbabwe's tobacco-growing industry in general but also CTP in particular as a tobacco merchant. "Specific and strategic manufacturers need to continue to support the Zimbabwean FCV crop in order to maintain the continuity of production of the crop as a whole. Without customer support the merchants will struggle to maintain direct con- tract growing and ultimately the funding of grow- ers will be in question. The reduction or lack of direct grower finance by the merchants will then have a negative effect on the quality of the crop." MX Tobacco – From Italy with Love The fertile plains of northern Italy provide the perfect soil for growing fine-quality tobaccos and Massimo Mantovanelli, the congenial owner of MX Tobacco, located in the commune of Saliz- zole in the country's Veneto region, proudly extols the excellence of the bright Virginia tobacco he brings to international markets. Not only that, but he also stresses the fact that he is growing his own produce, neither contracting farmers nor purchas- ing leaves from other traders. "I exclusively sell what I produce [myself]. This enables me to guar- antee [the quality of] my product, because I know it very well. You could say that I treat my product as if it was my child," he muses. While he freely discloses that his most impor- tant current customers are situated in Turkey, Jor- dan, Israel, Serbia, Germany, Morocco, Spain, and Romania, he is considerably – and understandably – more coy when asked how his annual trade value has developed. "If we consider a total value range from 1 to 10, my total trade in 2013 was worth about 5 points. In 2014, it was 7 points, and I esti- mate that I will be able to achieve an annual trade value of between 8 and 10 points in 2015." Mantovanelli readily admits that he has not se- cured any customers in the Asia-Pacific region so far, nor China for that matter, but is very eager to achieve this in the foreseeable future. He asserts that he is particularly interested in expanding into China because "there is always space [there] for a product of good quality." Although as a grower and completely indepen- dent direct trader he has neither the intentions nor is in the capacity to compete with the large mul- tinationals, Mantovanelli nevertheless sees this as a clear advantage, and not a handicap. He is able to foster very close personal relationships with his customers and also can quickly fill and ship orders without having to negotiate the tangled web of a multinational organizational structure. "I person- ally visit my customers at their offices and explain my products' characteristics in minutest detail. That way they don't waste time or money and also know exactly what they are going to buy. I think transparency and honesty are the two most important factors in establishing a good relation- ship. My satisfaction arises from my customers' satisfaction." But customer service is also high on the agenda at MX Tobacco. If required, the company can is- sue phytosanitary certificates for the merchandise and also arrange shipping. Once the goods have reached the customer, Mantovanelli has made it a habit to pay an after-sales visit, too. "We test and evaluate the newly arrived shipment together. My customers' comments help me to even better understand their needs so I can fine-tune future orders in line with their requirements," he explains and adds, "Tobacco is like wine. You must taste it in order to evaluate it!" Spoken like a true Italian, indeed.