Doug Barber - Smoke and Mirrors

Doug grew up just north of the Classic City of Athens and attended Jackson County High School.  Doug’s mother was a payroll clerk for Superior Pants while his father excelled as a floral wholesaler.  After High School, Doug enrolled at the University of Georgia, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in marketing.  In the job market after graduation, a degree in marketing literally translated into a two-year assistant manager position at Wal-Mart. Doug rotated between Wal mart stores in Stone Mountain, Lawrenceville, and Athens.

Sensing Wal Mart was not his choice for a long-term career path, Doug accepted a position with Lorillard Tobacco.  Lorillard had deep inroads into southern tobacco usage with polished brands like Kool, Winston, and Salem.  Doug’s responsibility eventually grew to encompass over three hundred outlets in Northeast Georgia ranging from Athens to Augusta.  A good area sales manager’s reputation is intact if he can survive multiple mergers of his employer.  Lorillard merged with R.J. Reynolds in 2015 and the Lorillard sales force was transitioned later after another merger to Imperial Tobacco known as ITG Brands in the US.  Doug resiliently weathered the mergers and maintained his position due to superior results.  

The tobacco market mainstay is local convenience markets and chain fuel outlets like Racetrack. Considering shrinking demand due to smoking health concerns, Imperial Tobacco foresees the future market of their tobacco products as vapor types such as Blu Electronic cigarettes, cigars, and other vapor products filling the vacuum created in cigarette sales.

Doug began running to keep up with wife Rosie.  They reside in Nicholson, GA., population 1696 on the 2010 census.  Rosie and Doug were classmates in high school in the class of 1986.  They went separate ways after graduation but reconnected years later on Facebook in 2010.  They subsequently married in 2013. Keeping up with Rosie gave Doug a real incentive as well as getting out of a small town occasionally! Doug played football in high school and rethought exercise as Rosie became involved in running.  Doug finished second in the 45-49 male age group in Run and See Georgia, Black Bag, and Clover Glove race series in 2018.  His favorite race is the Hartwell Dam race.  Doug runs to stay in shape, because you never know what will happen in the tobacco market of the future.  Doug can tell what a difference running has made in his appearance and psychic when he looks in the mirror.  Often you will find Doug running behind Rosie to follow her shape!

Bob checking out from the back of the pack. Watch for the profile on Jolie Cunningham, and the profile of politically correct Tommy Dorminy.