By Andrew McIntosh, McIntosh Energy
McIntosh Energy has recognized that the demand for eliquid within its c-store locations has grown and, barring the FDA’s apparent efforts to diminish or eliminate the vaping industry, is likely to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. McIntosh Energy is happy to respond to this market demand in order to serve our customers better, and it is this very desire to serve our customers the best products we can deliver that has driven us to select the best eliquid supplier we can find.
Moreover, we wanted not only the best today, but the best for the foreseeable future, as well. That is why we are pleased to announce that McIntosh Energy has selected Pro-Art Vapors as the eliquid brand to be carried in our c-store locations.
Our selection was made only after exhaustive research into both the Indiana vapor products marketplace, then expanded to the national marketplace. One of our first sources of information was the Indiana Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association. It was the IPCA which provided the positive information regarding Pro-Art, and we eagerly followed up on that lead. This is what we discovered: Pro-Art’s Mission.
Pro-Art has always maintained one mission above all others: To serve the needs of both smokers who are ready to move to a less hazardous alternative to smoking and those who have already done so. The fulfillment of that mission, however, begins with two fundamental steps: consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Without ensuring regulatory compliance, no business would be able to prosper for long. Without ensuring consumer safety, it wouldn’t deserve to.
The Science of Quality
Pro-Art has taken pains to ensure that their business is rock solid on both counts. To begin with, there is absolutely no diacetyl, acetyl propionyl, or acetoin in any of their products. They have selected a manufacturer who has been registered with the FDA as a tobacco manufacturer since 2012.
Pro-Art’s manufacturer carries Product Liability Insurance for their fluids that is extended to distributors and, through them, to the retailers who carry Pro-Art products. Pro-Art’s manufacturer additionally practices in accordance with cGMP guidelines (21CFR Part 111). Every one of Pro-Art’s formulas is also made to order by degreed chemists for maximum shelf life and is registered with the FDA.
But Pro-Art didn’t stop there. All of their eliquids are tested in an A2LA accredited ISO 17025 analytical laboratory on a GC/MS, GC/FID and HPLC to assure purity and accurate, consistent levels of levorotatory nicotine sourced from the largest producer in the world. Then they are labeled with Lot Numbers and QR codes to provide start-to-finish transparency of Pro-Art’s testing and quality assurance practices.
Forward Thinking On Regulation
This commitment to current best practices in consumer safety as well as anticipating and proactively conforming to predicted regulatory requirements is what makes Pro-Art an industry leader. By leading the way for their distributors, their retailers, and their consumers, Pro-Art ensures that products of only the highest quality set and maintain the gold standard in the industry. By predicting and pre-conforming to regulatory guidelines before their competitors, Pro-Art hopes to ensure that the industry as a whole has an example to follow and the best image possible in the eyes of both regulatory bodies and the American public at large.
It’s never the wrong time to improve. But there has never been a more critical time for improvement than now. Since August 8th, 2016, the vaping industry has entered a form of stasis — but more deadlines are fast approaching. December 31st, 2016 marks the next important such deadline.
According to the FDA’s website (https://goo.gl/zBImce): “Any domestic establishment engaged in manufacturing regulated tobacco products must register, and every registrant must file a list of its regulated tobacco products.”
While it is at this time too early to predict definitively what the future of FDA’s regulation of vapor products will be, or the final impact those regulations will have on the vapor products industry, there is reason to be hopeful. The re-election of Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson will allow the vapor products industry to retain a strong voice in the U.S. Congress. This is hopeful news for McIntosh Energy, for Pro-Art vapors, and for our customers.
What It Means and Why It Matters
The vaping industry, first and foremost, has been and must continue to be a public health revolution. Pro-Art has positioned itself as an industry leader in that revolution, and that is one of the strongest reason why McIntosh Energy is proud to carry Pro-Art products. We strive to satisfy our customers today and tomorrow. With Pro-Art Vapors, we are confident in our ability to successfully achieve that goal now and in the future.