Meera is a third generation Levin to work in the cigar business, which dates back to 1957 when Albert Levin bought a cigar shop. Today it consists of a huge wholesaling, mail-order and retail cigar business.
Meera Levin began working at Ashton as a child, gift wrapping packages during the winter holidays. When she was in college, she worked weekends and some weekdays at the retail shop. She also did an international apprenticeship in Japan for Ashton's Asian distributor Bluebell Group. Meera, who is a sports nut (particularly about basketball), originally wanted to work in sports business, but felt a pull as she drifted from the cigar industry.
"I didn't know if I was going to go into the family business when I was in college," says Meera. She had interned with Comcast Sports Net, seemingly a dream job, but found that she missed the cigar business. "One year, I missed an RTDA," she says, referring to the former Retail Tobacco Dealers of America trade show, the annual gathering of the entire premium cigar industry. She had attended since she was a five-year-old. "My summer was not complete. I decided I had to go into the cigar business," she says. "It's such a family atmosphere, and I would be able to work with my dad and my brother every day."
At the Ashton party, the chili will be hot in our annual chili cookoff! Come out and get a taste!
