Meet Keith Higgins of Valor Vapor in north Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, and Apache Junction

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith Higgins.

Keith, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Essentially it all started back in college. When I began my education at ASU for a degree in Business Law is around the time I started smoking cigarettes. Just about every New Year I would attempt to quit by some method, but nothing ever lasted. In 2013, when I graduated I received a gift from my sister (Natalie Higgins), and one of the co-founders of Valor Vapor, a high end electronic cigarette. Now I had attempted the little cig-a-like ones you could find at your local mall kiosk, but they were such poor quality. This was a completely different experience and assisted me in getting off cigarettes for good!

The experience I went through quitting in such a short time and a relatively easy process, got the business gears turning. I recognized that the electronic cigarette market was very much in its infancy stages and that it provided arguably the most effective means of quitting smoking of any product ever. The prospect of getting into business in this industry and ultimately helping hundreds and thousands of people quit smoking was exciting. Discussing this with the 3rd co-founder of the company, Carl Dewberry, is where the idea and conception of Valor Vapor happened that summer.

Finally, in December of 2013 with blood, sweat, and tears we opened our first retail store in Tempe with essentially all our savings pooled together. Since then we have grown tremendously, helped thousands of people along the way, and made lasting relationships. We now have our own Valor Vapor juice line and 4 retail locations in Phoenix, Tempe, Gilbert, and Apache Junction along with a production facility and warehouse in north Phoenix. We love what we do and will continue our mission in growing our company to serve people the best products with the best service.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Besides the typical challenges that small businesses face during their early stages, we have big enemies always at the doorstep. Big Tobacco, Pharma, and even the Anti-smoking campaigns (who get funding from Big Tobacco) all want to see our industry struggle to some extent. They have too much money and power to really try and fight against, but we keep on our track. The FDA got involved with our industry in 2016 and changed the landscape forever in some positive and negative ways. That is one of the reasons we got a production facility was to be compliant in future regulation for the way E liquids are produced in a more organized manufacturing practice. We’ve navigated the waters as needed to be in for the long haul.

Valor Vapor – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m the Chief Executive Officer of the company that generally oversees all the facets of the business but with a more dedicated focus to our production facility, warehouse, and wholesale program. I think I specialize in being able to see the big picture of missions and goals the company sets out for, breaking it down for each step and creating a road map to get there, and ultimately executing it with our fantastic work force. That leads into one of the things we are most proud of, the people who make up Valor Vapor. Customers get exemplary service and can really build rapport with our employees and they love what they do. Knowledge, professionalism, and compassion are what you’ll find from our employees when you walk into a Valor Vapor. Ultimately the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m not sure if I’ve identified a proudest moment yet. We’re still growing and looking to do great things going forward with our brand and retail stores. Arguably the proudest moment though is when our 1st store officially opened for business and within a few months we were able to pay ourselves for the first time!

Another very proud moment is when we hired our first employee and realized that we had the potential to be job creators.

Pricing:

• Valor Vapor 30ml Ejuice – $9.99
• Valor Vapor 60ml Ejuice – $14.99
• Valor Vapor 120ml Ejuice – $19.99

Contact Info:

• Address: 4 stores:1) 8830 S. Kyrene Rd Ste 102 – Tempe, AZ 85284
  2) 2737 W. thunderbird Rd Ste 105 – Phoenix, AZ 85053
  3) 825 S. Cooper Rd Ste B7 – Gilbert AZ 85233
  4) 2430 W. Apache Trail Ste 2B – Apache Junction, AZ 85120
• Website: https://www.valorvapor.com/
• Phone: 480 773 7488, 602 993 1366, 480 821 1700, 480 983 2600 (in order with the store list above)
• Email: ownership@valorvapor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valorvapor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valorvapor/
• Twitter: @valorvapor
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/valor-vapor-2-phoenix-2

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