Just saw this....Thompson has been acquired by CI (actually STG). Fine way to be classing up the brand... 
From StogieGuys, Feb. 2
On Wednesday, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), parent company of General Cigar and Cigars International, announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Thompson Cigar for $62 million. Thompson is a Tampa-based online retailer that was founded in 1915 and boasts $100 million in annual net sales and 185 employees. “I am pleased to announce this acquisition, which strengthens our position in the online retail channel in the US.,” said Niels Frederiksen, STG CEO. “Our existing U.S. online retailer, Cigars International, will, in combination with Thompson, be able to deliver an unmatched range of premium cigars at the highest level of service to the U.S. consumers. At the same time, we foresee significant cost synergies to the benefit of our customers and shareholders.”
Now there's a case of the blind leading the blind. I'm sure we'll see "significant cost synergies to the benefit of our customers..."
so, they pay $62 mil for a company that has sales of $100 mil a year. am I reading that right? the math doesn't seem right.
Good point on that, it's doesn't sound right. My take is that it might be $100 million in gross sales, not profit.
Some additional issues and numbers from Halfwheel on this acquisition:
Most estimates suggest that the majority—likely a bit less than 65 percent—of cigar sales now happen through the major online/catalog retailers. It should be noted, a lot of these transactions are done in stores that companies like Cigars International, Famous Smoke Shop, JR Cigar, Holt’s, Thompson Cigar and others operate. But the important takeaway is that most cigars are no longer sold through a local mom-and-pop tobacconist.
One of those major retailers estimates that Thompson Cigar accounted for around 6 percent of total cigar sales in America. Now that 6 percent of sales is controlled by STG, which is also the company that sells your local cigar store Macanudos, Cohibas, Partagas, CAOs and others. Most problematically, it means that STG as a whole now controls over 20 percent of the total U.S. retail cigar market.
If you are an independent cigar store in Anytown U.S.A., that’s not good and it’s not going to get any better.
