Page Title

With over 20 years experience and a firm commitment to quality and integrity, MTTC has
established themselves as a leader in the retail smoke shop trade.

Our history begins on a hot summer day in 1966 when Jeffrey I. Abel, president and
founder of Mitchell Thomas Trading Co. was born in Memphis Tennessee to parents Elliot
and Sandra Abel. Elliot was a traveling salesman and Sandra was a homemaker and
mother of two, newborn Jeffrey and his older brother Mitchell.

In 1969 Tobacco Corner,Ltd. was born when Elliot decided to retire from the road and
establish himself as a business owner in the Memphis community. Jumping ahead to 1980
Jeffrey is a 13 year old high school freshman and for the next 4 years he works part time
learning the trade of the retail smoke shop business and in 1984 after graduating high
school he goes to work full time at the Tobacco Corner Ltd.

Tragedy struck the Abel family in September of 1986 when Jeffrey’s older brother Mitchell
was killed while attending the University of Arkansas. He was just 22 years of age. After
Mitchell’s death Jeffrey feels that working in the family business as he had done for almost
7 years was just too stressful and decides to try a new path in life. For the next 5 years
Jeffrey tries his hand at a variety of jobs but finds nothing of a real challenge. In 1991
while lounging at the swimming pool Jeffrey met his future wife Laurie. They have been
together ever since.

Then in August of 1992 while attending a cousin's wedding in Chicago Jeffrey visits the
RTDA trade show and speaks to several companies about employment opportunities. In
October of 1992 Jeffrey moves to Chicago and for the next 18 months works for a national
cigar distributor learning warehouse operations, improving his sales skills and gaining
product knowledge.