[Begin Tape #1, Side #1]
KLEE: The following is an unrehearsed interview by John Klee with Gwen Coyte?
For the Oral History Commission. The interview is being conducted in Maysville on January 7, 1986 around 3:30 in the afternoon. Okay, let's just start a little bit with your background, then. Where are you from originally?COYTE: Kenly, North .
KLEE: Kenly?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: . And you were raised in a tobacco business environment or . . .
COYTE: I was raised on a tobacco farm. My parents were tobacco farmers.
KLEE: Okay, they were farmers. They grew flue-cured tobacco?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Okay. As you were growing up, did you . . . were you involved in . . .
COYTE: Yes, [chuckle] yes I was involved in it. We worked in tobacco, you know,
every summer. And all of the other little friends went to the swimming pool there in the summer, but we worked. And I think it builds character.KLEE: I've talked to people about that season, but refresh my memory about the .
. . the tobacco season in .COYTE: Well, you set out the plants in April, and then I guess begin harvesting
it around July fourth. And then you have probably six weeks to eight weeks of harvesting it, and then you sell it beginning in the fall. Usually in August. And it's over with by the time we come here to the market.KLEE: Which is now around November?
COYTE: Um, hmm. We usually come here the week before Thanksgiving.
KLEE: Now at that time, when you-all harvested that flue-cured tobacco, you tore
it off the leaves?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Or pulled it off the stalk, I mean.
COYTE: Yeah, we'd pull it off, prime it, a section at a time, sort of, where
here it's the whole stalk. There, you do like the bottom three to four leaves, whatever is ripe. And then you . . . how they used to do it was tie it on sticks. You know, twine. Then hang it in a barn and put heat to it. And it takes it, all that I'm familiar with it, it would take it a week to kill out. They first put real low heat to it, and get it yellow, get it the color they want it. And then they turn a real high heat to it. By high heat, I guess it's like a hundred degrees. That's total speculation. [chuckle] But I think somewhere around a hundred, and dry it out, dry out the stem and the leaf.KLEE: Now the . . . they're not very big barns, is that right, or . . . that
you're putting it into? Are they pretty good sized barns?COYTE: Pretty good size barns, and where here, you know, the barns are not
air-tight, these barns are air-tight. And . . . but not as big as the barns here, I wouldn't say.KLEE: You were . . . they used wood to burn the fires?
COYTE: That's how they used to do it. And then . . . then they used . . .
started using oil and gas.KLEE: Is that what you're doing now?
COYTE: Um, hmm. I think it's probably oil more than anything else.
KLEE: So you used to work in tobacco in summers, and when you started thinking
about careers, when you were in high school, had you begun . . . begun working in a warehouse or anything like that?COYTE: No, I never worked in . . . in the warehouse at all, until I went to work
with the company. I . . . out of high school, I went to work as a dental assistant. That's what I went to school for. And then I got disillusioned with that and quit and moved back home [chuckle] without a job [chuckle] and I . . . my father works with a grading service. He's a government grader, and he suggested I try to go to work somewhere, you know, in the tobacco business, and so I applied with a job, for a job at American and then went to work with them in the season.KLEE: Okay now tell me about the company, the American Tobacco Company?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And you say you went to work for them seasonally, so what would you do
during the season then?COYTE: That . . . all right, you know, you work . . . you begin working with
them like the end of July, first of August, and then work with them until the market's over with here. And then . . . then you find something else to do until the next year. That's how they, you know, generally hire people.KLEE: Now what were you doing for them in the beginning?
COYTE: In the beginning, I was in the factory, which we . . . I worked where
we'd bring in the tobacco that the buyers bought, and we'd pack in cardboard cubes.KLEE: Now were they on . . .
COYTE: And ship it out . . .
KLEE: . . . using cardboard when you started?
COYTE: Um, hmm. I'm . . . I'm not familiar with hogsheads. They started out
using hogsheads, but I've never worked on a hogshead market. We pack it in cardboard and then ship it to our plants.KLEE: Now when you were working in the plant, you were doing . . . working with
machinery? Actually . . .COYTE: Oh no. I never [chuckle] . . . I'm not very machine . . . mechanically
minded. But I would work pulling the tobacco off the truck, weighing the tobacco. See, you have to reweigh it when it gets into your plant. Reweighing the tobacco and then grouping it by grades and then getting it ready for the people that . . . to put in the cube. I've never actually had to do any of the real heavy work.KLEE: Well now, as you were doing this, is this where you were learning the
difference between grades of tobacco and so forth?COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes, it's a very good place to learn because you had . . . you
are seeing what's already been bought and what the grade is on it. So you . . . you learn to relate the grade to the tobacco.KLEE: Now the American Tobacco Company, as you were . . . as you looked at that
tobacco as it came in, was there . . . was there a certain trend that the tobacco takes or . . . obviously certain companies want certain types of the tobacco, according to their needs.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Were you aware at that point what . . . what the ultimate end of this
tobacco was for? I mean, you knew they were gonna use it for cigarettes, for example?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Could you tell that they were getting only certain types or . . .
COYTE: I don't think I was aware of it because I didn't know there was such a
broad spectrum of tobacco. I didn't realize there was so many different kinds, and so therefore, when I did go out on the floor and see the different kinds, you can pick out the kind that . . . that you've been seeing. You know, the kind you're familiar with. That was . . . that was real strange. I didn't think it would be that easy, but it is.KLEE: So from your knowledge of working in the plant, you had the conception,
and then when you went . . . started going into buying, you could tell that that's American tobacco?COYTE: Well, no [chuckle] not that . . . it wasn't eas-, but it was . . . it was
a little familiar, more familiar than it would have been had I not worked in the factory. But I worked in the factory the first season and then they put me in the office. And I worked in the office where we paid for the tobacco we bought and did the billing to, you know, fill out shipper [inaudible]. And you work on payroll, things like that.KLEE: What . . . at what point did you start . . . you . . . I guess you were .
. . from the beginning you wanted to . . . wanted more work or year-round work or . . .COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: . . . to be a full-time employee.
COYTE: Right.
KLEE: Well, what are your options then, with American Tobacco? What . . . what
kind of people do they . . . I mean, was that the only route to go then, was to be a buyer?COYTE: I think that's what everybody wants to be. Well, that's what I wanted to
be [chuckle] when I, you know, first went to work, was to be a buyer. That was the ultimate.KLEE: Yeah. Well, now what about this . . . you know, there aren't that many
women involved in . . . in the tobacco business. When you had started, how many years have you been working for American?COYTE: I'm working on my eighth season.
KLEE: Your eighth season. There were already some women buyers at that time?
COYTE: At the time that I went to work, I believe there was a buyer with . . .
with another company. I don't know who, but I believe there was one woman. And whether she's still working, I don't know. I have never heard from her since, but . . .KLEE: Well, I guess my question is, you know, you said that most everyone wanted
to be a buyer. Was this really a realistic goal for you at the time? Did they . . . did you feel like you weren't trying to break any, you know, traditions? Or did you feel like you'd get a fair shake as far as progressing towards that?COYTE: That's a hard question. I think it was a realistic goal. And I think my
company has treated me more than fair, and if anything, I've got more than, you know, a fair shake. I have felt, oftentimes, that there are people that have been working with the company longer than I have that haven't had the opportunities I've had, so they . . . they've been more than fair to me.KLEE: What about the . . . did . . . did you start down at the Southern Market
buying first, before you came up here?COYTE: I actually started relief buying in Maysville first.
KLEE: Is that right?
COYTE: That was . . . the . . . the first year that I did any buying at all. And
it was a rations year, you know, where you hold up your finger. I don't remember what it was rationed at, I don't remember the price. I think like a $1.66.KLEE: Let's talk . . . well, go ahead, I'll let you finish that.
COYTE: But it was a very easy year, you know. [chuckles] I was able to get over
my stage fright, if you ever do get over your stage fright. I was able to get over that because all you had to do was hold up your hand, and anything that was nodded to you, you know, you were glad to get.KLEE: Okay, well let's talk about a couple of those terms. You called it a
ration year. What do you mean by that?COYTE: That means that it's all bringing the same price: the real top tobacco
and the real low-grade tobacco. Everything's bringing the same price, say $1.60. And all companies are bidding $1.60 and the auctioneer just rations it out to them. You know, one for you, one for you, one for you. [chuckle]KLEE: So what you're saying then, is in the actual auction, you were just
holding up your hand and just letting him nod . . . you used the expression "nod to you" in other words.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: The auctioneer gives you that . . . your percentage or whatever. Now what
about American on this market? Do they take a pretty big slice of the market, or . . .COYTE: . . . Now that's another hard question. I don't know what you consider a
big slice. But I think, you know, we buy in proportion here as to what we do all over the belt. I think we have . . . they have a percentage that they go by and, you know, they try to get it . . .KLEE: You don't know the percentage offhand? Twenty or thirty percent? Okay.
COYTE: [chuckle] That's one thing I wouldn't tell you if I did. [chuckle]
KLEE: Oh, okay. I see. Well, American is obviously one of the bigger buyers
here. I mean, it's not . . . it's not like an inde-, you know, a smaller independent. How . . . how does American classify itself [inaudible]?COYTE: We're a domestic company.
KLEE: Domestic, right.
COYTE: We're a domestic company. Reynolds is a domestic company and then Philip
Morris. And Philip Morris does not have buyers' representatives. All their tobacco is bought by, you know, someone else. A dealer. And Brown & Williamson is domestic. They're not represented by a buyer; they're represented by, you know, a dealer buys their tobacco. And then you have your dealers like Parker and Southwestern. They buy it for the purpose of . . . they buy their tobacco for the purpose of reselling it. They're not gonna use it theirself.KLEE: As a relief buyer then, there wasn't . . . well, in that year that you
were a relief buyer, there wasn't really too much that you had to know?COYTE: Yeah, you didn't know . . . have to know how to grade it once you got it
or if you got one that wasn't . . . you know, up to your company's standards. You had to see if you . . . [chuckle] you had to give your little . . . your slice to somebody else at that time.KLEE: Right.
COYTE: But as far as knowing the mechanics of the sale, yes.
KLEE: Okay, then . . . then the next year . . .
COYTE: And then the next year . . . I didn't relief buy in the flue-cured that
year. But I came back here and relief bought here. And it was, you know, a little more challenging cause it wasn't rationed. And I . . . they broke me in very slowly. I learned a little at a time.KLEE: Well, inasmuch as you can tell me, and you know, again if you . . . if you
feel like well that's something that, you know, I can't discuss, just feel free to say so. But now, when a . . . you have a . . . tell me about the mechanics of . . . of the buyers. You have a buying supervisor?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And then there's . . . American has a set of buyers, so if Maysville has
two sets or three sets, there's an American buyer . . .COYTE: For every set.
KLEE: . . . for each set of that . . . those. So all those individual buyers, of
which you are one, what . . . how do they . . . how . . . how's the reporting done? What's the . . . what's the administration of . . . of a company like that?COYTE: What's the chain of command?
KLEE: Yes, um, hmm.
COYTE: Okay it . . . the three buyers which, for the three sets here. Then we
have a head buyer who, you know, is over all three of us. And there's a supervisor, and . . . which is Mr. Ashley, who is over . . . over our head buyer and over us as well. And then we have our leaf buying supervisor which is . . . he is in charge [inaudible] and then . . . well, as assistant leaf buying supervisor and then leaf buying supervisor.KLEE: Now how does . . . how does what the company needs and want, how's that .
. . how's that expressed through this chain?COYTE: It's decided by our leaf buying supervisor. He tells it to the supervisor
and the supervisor then gives it to the head buyer and then it comes to the buyers.KLEE: Okay. So just hypothetically, you don't have to tell me specifically, but
now . . . American has . . . makes certain products and they know what their blend is and so forth, and what kind of tobacco they need. Will they tell you expressly how . . . what kind of directions might they give you? Again, you don't have to use what you . . . what you do, but for any buyer. Would they tell you, for example, we want dark leaf, or we want a leaf that has a lot of . . . what we think will have a lot of flavor? How . . . what . . . do they use specific grade names? Do they say, we want 3BRF's or what . . . how do they . . .COYTE: Well, they don't use government grades, but we have specific company
grades. And I would assume, and this is total assumption because I don't know how they come about that, but you know, they will tell they want so much of a certain grade. And I'm sure that plays into how much they need for the blend.KLEE: Sure. But now they tell you . . . they tell you what they want on their
grades? They use the company grade names?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Okay. Whatever they . . . whatever they might be. So they tell you in
advance how much they need of that, or they tell you to buy a lot of it, or . . .COYTE: [chuckle] They tell you daily. You know daily how much they want. And
it's according to, you know, the market. How the market is, how, you know, the quality of the leaf you've got on the floor, and you know, different variables. But that's not a decision an individual buyer makes. That's something that he's, you know, he's told how much he . . . they want of so and so.KLEE: They . . . they . . . then they will tell you everyday that we want you to
buy X amount? Pounds of tobacco? Of the type we want?COYTE: No X amount. They'll give you a percentage of, you know, how much is
gonna be sold.KLEE: What if that day on the . . . on the . . . at the warehouse that you're
at, they just don't have that type of tobacco? Now you know that in advance cause you go and look at tobacco beforehand?COYTE: No, huh-uh. If . . . if they don't have that type of tobacco, you know,
[chuckle] you . . . you don't get what you're supposed to get that day. [chuckle]KLEE: You don't buy it?
COYTE: Yeah. You don't compromise.
KLEE: You can't pick up a lower grade or . . .
COYTE: [chuckle] Huh-uh.
KLEE: Yeah, that's the kind of thing that buyers get in trouble on.
COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes.
KLEE: Not getting exactly . . . now, how does . . . what do you use as a
guideline? You said that your company has a grade, and then the government has a grade on it and . . . and a price support. Do you pay any attention at all to government grade as you're going down the row?COYTE: I don't get to see the government grade. We're . . . you know, fifth or
seventh in line, I don't even get to see the ticket.KLEE: Okay, and now you . . . you just mentioned that you follow seventh in
line. There's a pecking order of buyers?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And your position is settled then?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And that . . . that deals with how much each company has bought in the past?
COYTE: Um, hmm. In the previous year.
KLEE: So you're what? Five, six feet behind the auctioneer?
COYTE: Well not that far. Usually I'm maybe two to three feet behind the auctioneer.
KLEE: And he's . . . he's . . .
COYTE: He'll be selling like right up there.
KLEE: Uh-huh. So you can see the tobacco from where you're at?
COYTE: Yeah. Um, hmm.
KLEE: And you just . . . you just make a snap decision, on whether that's what
you . . . what you need or . . . what about the . . . let me get into some of the dynamics then of that process. Do you have a certain buying style? Different buyers have different styles as far as . . .COYTE: No, sir, I don't think I have a style. [chuckle]
KLEE: Do you holler at the auctioneer?
COYTE: I will holler at the auctioneer if necessary. [chuckle] To get his
attention. But I . . . I bid basically with my hand, you know, to show him what I'm . . . what money I'm holding. A lot of people nod and wink and different things. But I bid with my hands.KLEE: Was that something you just automatically did when you . . . how did you
decide how to . . . how to do that? Just what came natural?COYTE: It was easier for me. I felt a little awkward, depending on . . . and . .
. and I do nod, like if he's taking my bids regular, I'll nod at him like that, but if . . . in order to get him to get his attention originally, I just throw my hand in front of him.KLEE: Now you said that he's taking your . . . your bids regularly. You might be
in a . . . in a certain farmer's tobacco then, that a lot of it's what you want.COYTE: No, that's not what I meant.
KLEE: Okay.
COYTE: I meant like on a pile, and he's started out at $1.50 and it's gone down
to $1.45 and I've hit him at forty-five. And then somebody in the front of the line goes six, then he looks at me, and then I'll nod.KLEE: I see.
COYTE: And I'll . . . so if he's . . . then I will nod. I don't . . .
KLEE: Does that process really take place that much?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: I mean, as far as the actual interchange?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Course it doesn't on the . . . like the markets where everything's just
bringing one price, you don't have much in that?COYTE: Hmm-um.
KLEE: But now like . . . like on the market you're dealing with now . . .
COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes sir, that happens quite a lot.
KLEE: Uh-huh. So he is actually going around the buyers and . . . okay. How do
you decide . . . do you . . . are you instructed by the company . . . course again, back to their grades, do they tell you this is all I want you to spend on that tobacco?COYTE: Yeah, you have your top money.
KLEE: Okay. So you . . . you're . . . sometimes you might be at cross purposes
with yourself. You've got what you can spend on it, and you also got a percentage you need, and they might conflict with one another. In other words, the tobacco might be bringing more . . .COYTE: [chuckle] Yeah, that would definitely be a conflict.
KLEE: Does that happen much? Or . . .
COYTE: Sure it does.
KLEE: Prior to a market opening, what kinds of discussions and so forth go on
with the buyers? You know, does . . . do you-all discuss or does someone tell you, now this is the kind of money we think this tobacco's gonna bring . . .COYTE: Oh no. No sir. Never. And that sort of . . . you know, just . . . we'd
never . . . we don't discuss the money before the market opens. We look at the tobacco and find out, you know, how much is on the floor and get a report of the quality of what's there. And go from there.KLEE: Well, what I'm thinking, though, there has to be some kind of guideline.
You know . . .COYTE: Well, that comes from the powers to be. I don't know anything about
[chuckle] about the guidelines.KLEE: But it's related to you, though, some way. You know, we think this
tobacco's . . . I guess what I'm really getting at is this opening day, it looks to me like there would be a certain amount of jitters on opening day. Cause you don't know what the other company's gonna bid. You know, you . . . you know how much mon-, how much tobacco you need. How do you decide how much to jump in at, or do you have any . . .COYTE: You have . . . I have my little buyer . . . [chuckle] buyer to tell me.
But . . .KLEE: Who usually takes initiative at first, in that first . . . on that first
day? Does one company bid more often or kind of set the tone for what a sale will be, or . . . in those quota years, you know, on the first day, who starts this . . .COYTE: Who sets the rationing?
KLEE: Yeah.
COYTE: I don't know. I couldn't tell you. Well you have . . . you know, you can
on-, with the co-op, there's only so low the tobacco can go. So you're . . . that . . . that does give you some kind of a . . .KLEE: So, for example, in a ration year, you know what the government support
is, and you know, you might just send in a little bit above that, so that the company's get . . . get the tobacco.COYTE: I don't know where that . . . who determines how . . . where they fit in
or how. I think it's probably . . . and it's just, again, totally speculation, but I think it's probably set by, you know, the dealers who have to buy this tobacco to resell, and they know where their breakpoint is, as to how much . . . you know, what they can pay for it in order to make . . .KLEE: A profit.
COYTE: . . . the money. Because they know what they're gonna be able to sell it for.
KLEE: And everybody just kind of falls in that. The . . . there's another whole
line of questioning I want to get on, but I don't know if there's . . . let me . . . let me continue that with these relationships we're talking about. We talked about your chain of command and all those things [inaudible]. Now we talked about your career. Are there . . . would you like to go the next step up and so forth? Would you . . . is the goal for a buyer to be a buying supervisor then?COYTE: I think in most cases it . . . it probably is. In my case, I have no
desire to be anything but a buyer. I . . . you know, I enjoy what I'm doing right now. Of course, I may change. I haven't been doing this long enough to be wanting to do something else.KLEE: You're in your eighth season?
COYTE: Um, hmm. But I haven't been buying but only two years.
KLEE: Oh, okay. You've just been buying for two years. When . . . how did the
opportunity to . . . you . . . you said that you were a relief buyer. Did someone say, you wanna go up . . . you know, you're gonna go up north this time and we're gonna let you go out on the floor? How did that happen?COYTE: I didn't know I was going out on the floor 'til I got . . . you know, you
can't . . . I came here working in the office. And they tell you when you get here, when they get ready to go, they tell you, "Get your coat and come on." [chuckles]KLEE: Is that right?
COYTE: Yeah, that's . . . that's how you find out. But now when I knew I had . .
. myself, they . . . you know, they do tell you that you will have a sale.KLEE: Did you go through any kind of special training at all? I mean, did they .
. . did somebody . . .COYTE: Went through a lot of special training. But as far as, you know,
structured training, I . . . you don't go to school or classes, but you spend a lot of the time with your individual . . . like here, I rode around with the head buyer and spent a lot of time.KLEE: Okay. You just followed the head buyer around then for awhile, asking
questions and . . .COYTE: Asking questions and he would put me in . . . in the place of the regular
buyer and then, you know, he would comment on what I had bought and . . .KLEE: Well, he'd tell you what you did right and what you did wrong?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Well, what kind of things, you know, could you do wrong and what kind of
things make it right?COYTE: [chuckle] Well, the quality of the tobacco you're buying. You're . . .
you can be off style, off . . . you know, like we were talking awhile ago. American . . . you know, that there's a certain style that is American style and that you can be off style. You can buy wet tobacco. You can buy dirty tobacco. [chuckle] And so you can . . .KLEE: So you . . . you have to continually improve on . . . on recognizing
really the tobacco you . . . you need to buy or the company wants.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Now, can you share with me what is the American style? I guess, you know,
you could go down through the warehouse and pick out what American buys and make some kind of . . . you don't have to be very specific, but generally, what kind of tobacco does American want?COYTE: We . . . I . . . I would say good color, thin. I think it's classy
tobacco. [chuckle] I think we like a good line of tobacco, but it's hard to describe it in words without . . . have to show it.KLEE: Is . . . is there a noticeable difference between what American wants and
maybe what R. J. Reynolds is buying and so forth?COYTE: Um, hmm. Yeah, we do, in some styles, we . . . you know, we do cross in
some grades, but I think there's a difference.KLEE: But in others, there is a noticeable . . . you might . . . you know, of
course I'm sure you don't do this because when we get done, you wanna leave the warehouse, but if you walk back down the road, and saw the tickets that were on each bale, you might say, now we wouldn't have bought that, or . . . I mean, if it . . . by another company?COYTE: No, you don't do that. [chuckle]
KLEE: Well, I know you don't . . .
COYTE: You don't be critical.
KLEE: Right. But . . . but the thought would pass . . . I mean, that would be a
true statement, that there would be certain tobacco, obviously, that they bought they you wouldn't want.COYTE: That is not our style.
KLEE: Right.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Not your style. Okay. When you got out on the floor, was there any
resistance at all? You know, or did you feel any because you were a woman?COYTE: Yes. I felt surprisingly more resistance from people . . . the younger
men. The older gentlemen, who I thought would be set in their ways and . . . accepted me readily as a . . . I mean, on the whole. But the younger men, I think I was more of a threat. [chuckle]KLEE: Now you were in competition for their jobs might be their . . . well, what
about . . . can you tell me any stories or is there anything that sticks out in your mind, as far as . . . do you remember . . . now there . . . when I was down just earlier in the year, there were two buyers, two women buyers, I think and yourself.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: How many women buyers are on this market now?
COYTE: Just two.
KLEE: Just two, okay. So you're in the same . . .
COYTE: Um, hmm. I'm on the same set with the other woman, um, hmm.
KLEE: How do farmers take you? Have you ever heard any comment?
COYTE: Most of the farmers think you're there selling tobacco [chuckle]. You . .
. I can be walking before a sale, you know, looking at tobacco, and they'll say, "Is this your tobacco, honey?" [chuckles] And well, that . . . the farmer . . . I assume they accept me, cause you know, after the sale is done, I've never had anyone come up and be critical of me. Saying, "You shouldn't be in there buying my tobacco."KLEE: Well has any . . . I guess no one has ever said much to you about, "You
should have paid for this" or . . . buyers don't really have too much contact with the farmers, do they?COYTE: You're moving so fast, that you, you know, you don't have that much. I
have more contact before the sale when I go in, and walk . . . you know, walk around looking. And that's one of the interesting parts. I enjoy talking to them because I think they're really neat people. They're hard working people.KLEE: I was with a buying supervisor for an independent and they didn't know
that he wasn't working anymore. It was Mr. [Gilbert M.] Darnell?COYTE: Um, hmm. Gilbert?
KLEE: Yeah. Gilbert. And a farmer got after him while I was there. We lowered
his price of his tobacco and you're still not paying anything for it, but you don't catch very much of it, cause you're not really recognized I don't guess as a buyer.COYTE: Hmm-um, I don't catch very much of that.
KLEE: What about the reactions from buyers of other companies? What kind of
reaction do they have? Or do . . . what kind of reaction do they have?COYTE: From me being a woman?
KLEE: Uh-huh.
COYTE: I think a lot of them are surprised. They . . . they didn't think a woman
could do it, but there's no reason why a woman can't do it as well as a man. Absolutely none. I guess they didn't think women could think fast enough to do it. But I . . . I believe they were surprised that . . . that I do as well as I do do.KLEE: Well that's . . . I guess that's primarily the main thing that a buyer's
doing, is thinking on their feet, and you spend a lot of money and hoping, you know, someone's not made that they spent it wrong, I guess. [chuckles] But of course that happens with any kind of buyer. What about the relationship to the auctioneers? Did . . . auctioneers give you a hard time, or did you feel like they were . . .COYTE: No, I've had one auctioneer who . . . who was real ugly to me. He told me
I should have . . . just be at home in the kitchen; that's where I belonged. But he's the only one that's ever been verbally bad . . .[End Tape #1, Side #1]
[Begin Tape #1, Side #2]
KLEE: This is side two of a tape with Gwen Coyte, and we're talking about the
relationship with auctioneers, and you said there was one individual that actually was ugly. I wanted to get into that . . . continue that.COYTE: I think most people felt like I . . . the auctioneer would favor me, but
that's not true. If I've been shown any favoritism, I've never known it.KLEE: Yeah. But that . . . that's an important relationship between the buyer
and . . .COYTE: It sure is. Um, hmm.
KLEE: A buyer can really have problems with an auctioneer that's not . . . in
this auction system that we're talking about, there are times when you and another buyer hold up . . . and you're bidding the same price, and you just stop there. Isn't that right?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And then it's up to the auctioneer to decide . . .
COYTE: Who gets it.
KLEE: Yes.
COYTE: And he bases his decision on, well, who got the pile before that and who
. . . you know, who's buying more at this particular time and . . .KLEE: Do you ever . . . have you ever had to talk with an auctioneer later and
say, I haven't been getting enough or . . .COYTE: No.
KLEE: Okay. Generally you think you've been treated fairly?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: That's put a lot of pressure, I would think, on an auctioneer,
particularly if there's more . . .COYTE: Yeah, I think he does not have an easy job.
KLEE: Yeah, there's several . . .
COYTE: And there's some good . . . good auctioneers and then there's some
mediocre auctioneers. But there's a lot of auctioneers that know . . . know your style of tobacco, and it's . . . you know, they'll know when to look at you. And then there's some that just don't even take the time. [chuckle]KLEE: Well, they kind of come up the same way you have, more or less. I mean,
now they are employed by the warehouses.COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes, sir.
KLEE: What kind of relationship do buyers have with warehouses? Are you . . .
are you ever wined and dined?COYTE: Very seldom. [chuckles] I . . . let's see. We had the board of trade
dinner. I think the warehouses paid for that, but that's the only time I've been wined or dined by a warehouser this year.KLEE: They don't try to . . . course, you know, they have a vested interest.
COYTE: I think . . . you know, I don't expect them to, because I . . . anything
that I do, I'm . . . I'm . . . like helping family for it.KLEE: Sure, sure. Well, but they do want, you know . . . if you have a certain
percentage to buy that day and you visit almost every warehouse, I guess, during the course of the day?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Well, you don't visit everyone, but a third of them since there's three
sets of buyers?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And then you alternate the next day. That set will go to another set of warehouses.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: So in the course of week, you'll hit all the warehouses. You know, I guess
warehouses . . . warehousemen . . . warehouse persons because there are women warehousemen too . . . they're not . . . they have never lobbied to say won't you buy more tobacco at my place instead of over here?COYTE: No, they haven't to me.
KLEE: Okay. The . . . I was . . . I was thinking and you mentioned the example
of the . . . the auctioneer that said something to you . . . are you prone to . . . do you hear a lot of sexist kind of comments, and how do you react to that? You know, there's . . . let me go on with the question a bit. I . . . of course, any of us that work, there are, you know, women are in various fields of endeavor, but in a . . . in a business like yours, it's kind of a little fraternity more or less, because you travel from one place to another and you're in a strange city and so forth. Was it . . . was it important for you to be accepted by these other people? Or is it especially difficult when you have to let a lot of things slide over or . . . do you understand what I'm saying?COYTE: Um, hmm. Well, it is important for me to be accepted, but I think, I
think a woman's makeup is different. I . . . you know, I think a woman's different from a man and things are gonna affect her different. You know, what might bother a woman doesn't bother a man and I . . . I've adjusted real well. I think . . . and I think the people who work with me adjusted to me real well. [chuckle] Because they . . . they knew they couldn't say things to me that they could say to another man.KLEE: So you let, you've let them know in one way or another that these are the
kinds of . . . you know, I object to those kind of things or . . . I guess specifically . . .COYTE: I've never had to say anything. They can tell when I don't like it.
KLEE: Okay.
COYTE: And as far . . . you know, they've all . . . they've . . . are basically
a good bunch of people. The people in tobacco business are . . . are good people.KLEE: I guess maybe the question I'm asking, I'm sure they were used to acting
in a sort of way in this all-male fraternity, and then all of a sudden, you know, there's starting to be women in this fraternity.COYTE: They're having to clean up their act a little bit.
KLEE: [inaudible]
COYTE: Clean up their language and that . . . it's frustrating though to work
with a bunch of men [chuckle] because they never know when to put paper towels on the rack and they [chuckle] . . . that's left up to you. And they're basically helpless as far as housekeeping, so you have to do all the cleaning in the office and things like that. But . . .KLEE: So you've made some adjustments too, from that . . . from that angle. Do
you . . . have . . . I guess you . . . are you telling me then you have or haven't experienced a lot of the jibes and jokes about being a woman?COYTE: No.
KLEE: You haven't? Okay. Can you tell that men . . . that people are acting a
little differently when you walk into the room, or . . .COYTE: [chuckle] No. I think if I would have, you know, experienced any, it's
been good-natured. Any kidding that I've experienced.KLEE: Right. Okay. You don't feel like, then, that, you know, there's been any
kind of . . . and I'm not asking this, you know, to be accusatory or whatever, but it is . . . you know, in a lot of ways, you're blazing new ground too, just like . . . and I just wondered how much . . . how much of a struggle it was, and if it was very much of a struggle or continues to be a struggle for you.COYTE: It's not been easy. It's easier now than it was because I think I've
adjusted to . . . to being away from home and to . . . I . . . you know, I have some really close friends in this business, even though they are males, they're my close friends. And I have a lot of . . . [chuckles] because they are . . . they do take care of me.KLEE: Yeah. And some of the . . . I guess some of the people have kind of taken
that . . . that kind of attitude that, you know, as . . . out of friendship, that they help out or . . . okay. That . . . let me get into that line of questioning then. This is a . . . a particularly . . . and I was about to make a sexist statement, I guess, but you know, I don't guess it's any harder on a man than it is on a woman, it's just a little . . . it's a little more different in our society. But to a certain extent, you become a gypsy.COYTE: Yeah, you do.
KLEE: You know, you move up here the week before Thanksgiving, so you're . . . I
guess you go back home during the holidays, but you're back and forth and you . . . in your case, you rent a little apartment, which because you're only renting it for a short time, you're not gonna spend very much time or effort on.COYTE: None at all.
KLEE: How does . . . what's that do? How's that affect you personally?
COYTE: I've lost a lot of good boyfriends. [chuckles] It's . . . I think I
handle it better than the men because a lot of men are just pure helpless. They . . . they don't know how to wash their clothes or can do no cooking on their own, and . . . and for a lot of men it is the chance to get away from home. But I am more independent as far as I can do my own cooking and . . . but now, I guess, men don't have as hard a time when their car breaks down as I do. [chuckle] But it is . . . it's a . . . you just have to adjust. Now it wasn't . . . I liked it better before I got married.KLEE: Now you started out and you were single.
COYTE: Um, hmm. I just got married this past September.
KLEE: Right. Was that . . . how did that pose . . . did that pose any problems
for you as a woman? Here was a single woman and here were a lot of men away from home and some of them were single. Has it changed any? Has there been any transition between being single and married? As far as the way you're treated?COYTE: No. Hmm-um. Because I . . . I didn't make it a habit to go out with
people that I worked with unless we went out as a group. I went out with very few tobacco men one-to-one.KLEE: Okay. But you say it is more of a strain now that you are married?
COYTE: Um, hmm. As far as . . .
KLEE: Yeah, you miss . . . miss your husband.
COYTE: I miss my husband.
KLEE: Sure. Do you . . . does . . . does it cause that much of a strain if you
think about, at times, why I might do something else, or . . .COYTE: [chuckle] No, it hasn't yet. [chuckle] No, it hasn't been that bad yet.
And hopefully it won't. If I want to continue working, I . . . I love my job. I like it.KLEE: What is there . . . what . . . what's special about being a tobacco buyer?
COYTE: Oh, you're never doing the same thing over and over again. It's . . .
you're working with new people and you feel like you're really doing some good. [chuckle] You know, you're really accomplishing something.KLEE: Is . . . let me . . . let me finish that line of questioning about being
away from home. You're given . . . you're on a salary.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Does, and I guess you get some expense money and so forth?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: So you . . . you make conscious decisions about, you know, you might . . .
you might . . . some people life at a motel, and other people try to rent an apartment to save some money. That's all a personal kind of thing.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: So you're . . . your approach is . . .
COYTE: To rent an apartment [chuckle] and try [inaudible]. [chuckles] Yeah. And
that hasn't changed since I've gotten married. I felt that way before I got married.KLEE: So you . . . you probably do a lot of your own cooking and don't eat out
every night?COYTE: Very rarely . . .
KLEE: But now there are people in the business that will eat out most every
night, and . . .COYTE: Stay in a motel.
KLEE: Right. Right. What do you do? You've been on the Maysville market now . .
. how many times you been to Maysville in this eight . . .COYTE: How many years . . .
KLEE: . . . years?
COYTE: I was here my first two years with the company. I was gone for two, and
then come back for my . . . this is my third year back.KLEE: Now do you . . . you've only . . . you've dealt exclusively in the . . . I
can't even think of it . . . the [chuckle] air-cured? You haven't dealt in other burley markets? The air-cured burley, have you?COYTE: Well, in . is air-cured.
KLEE: Oh, okay.
COYTE: It's not burley there. Now that's . . . I don't . . . that . . .
Maysville . . . and then I was in [inaudible] burley air-dried. And in Shelbyville.KLEE: Oh, so you . . . you've seen different markets, then?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Been on different markets. How do you . . . how . . . how do you . . .
what does a North Carolinians think of ? What are your impressions of tobacco buyers? Of the different [inaudible] or . . .COYTE: Well, I . . .
KLEE: Now be honest. [chuckles]
COYTE: There . . . there's more to do in Shelbyville. [chuckle]
KLEE: Than there is in [inaudible]. [chuckle]s
COYTE: It's closer to . You're closer to a big town, and a nice town. is a nice
state, it's a beautiful state. I had never been to in the summertime until last year. And it . . . it's really pretty in the summer. But as far as wintertime, you know, this is pretty dreary around here.KLEE: Yeah, that's true.
COYTE: So . . .
KLEE: Well that, you know, does that add to the blahs of the . . . of the job,
or . . .COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: . . . do you just see it as part of . . . for example, right now, we're in
a . . . we're in the first full week of January. Are you anxious for the market to end?COYTE: No, not yet. Hmm-um.
KLEE: Not ready to really . . .
COYTE: I'll be anxious about the first week of February.
KLEE: Yeah.
COYTE: If it drags on that long, then I will be getting pretty bored.
KLEE: Well now, there's a pecking order there, too, as far as buyers are
concerned when the market closes. Now you're . . . are you one of the buyers? How do they decide who goes . . . you know, who leaves first?COYTE: I don't know. [chuckles] But I've left last the last three or four years.
[chuckle] I need to find out how they do decide that. [chuckle]KLEE: I guess that's handled differently too, from company to company.
COYTE: I think that's totally . . . you know, the supervisor and the leaf
purchase director who's [inaudible].KLEE: Okay.
COYTE: And I'm sure they have a good reason for basing it . . . for making it.
KLEE: Sure. Okay. There was another . . . another line of questioning that I
wanted to get into. Oh, you're a tobacco person, and in talking about the tobacco industry in total, how do you feel about being part of the tobacco industry?COYTE: How do I feel about my future?
KLEE: Well not . . . not partic-, well yeah. I guess that's . . . that's a
pertinent question. Do you . . . you know, there . . . there are some . . . I don't know . . . you could call them reformers or zealots, which ever way you wanna look at it, that really think people involved in the business are really doing bad things because they deal with tobacco, cigarettes and so forth. Have you ever felt any of that?COYTE: I . . . I don't feel it . . .
KLEE: [inaudible]
COYTE: . . . I don't feel it as far as my job. I'm a smoker. I feel it from
that. My sisters just cannot understand how I can smoke and one of them will not allow me to smoke in her house. So for the first time I'm, you know, being embarrassed about being a smoker. [chuckle]KLEE: Well now, that goes right into the other question then: how does that make
you feel about your future in, you know, this kind of business?COYTE: I . . . I have no qualms about being in the tobacco business because, you
know, everybody's got to do something to make a living, and I happen to like what I do. And for a woman, it's good money. It's . . . it's allowed . . . it's given me a lot of opportunities I never would have had and . . . I mean, it's not like you're traveling to exciting places, but you do . . . you know, you make some really good friends and in here, you know, I would never have seen Maysville, Kentucky. And I'd probably never seen or .KLEE: It is a position with quite a bit of responsibility too, I guess.
COYTE: As far as the buying?
KLEE: Well you . . . I mean you're doing . . . you're . . . you are a very
responsible person. You're dealing with a lot of money and it's . . . you know, it's . . .COYTE: It is a very responsible position. And I think I'm proud of myself that
they have that faith in me. And I want to do everything I can to not make them regret [chuckle] they trusted me. But it . . . it has given me a lot of opportunity, and the market, that's and especially interesting market. That's a whole, you know, another breed of people.KLEE: Let me . . . I wanna get to that about the different types of tobacco that
you deal with, you've dealt with. But I wanna continue here just a minute . . . about your . . . do . . . have . . . in the few years that you've been in the . . . in the business, have you seen any kind of adjustments or change that particularly alert you or alarm you or . . .COYTE: As to how the tobacco business is going?
KLEE: How . . . how things are gonna go or . . .
COYTE: Well, I think we've all seen it . . . you know, it's . . . nobody knows
what's gonna happen. And I certainly don't. I have, you know, some very . . . I have my opinion of, you know, where they went wrong, but I sure can't tell them what they could have done different. But that's totally opinion.KLEE: Okay. Let me . . . let me ask you . . . you're talking about the style of
the tobacco. And flue-cured tobacco is, I guess, significantly different than the air-cured.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Really, you have to learn . . . it's . . . it's like going out of two
different books, isn't it? You work on both markets?COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes, it's to-, totally different.
KLEE: Tell me about those differences a little bit.
COYTE: Well, it's color doesn't . . . you know, burley color is dark and then
flue-cured is bright leaf. And it's handled differently. You know, it's sold in sheets.KLEE: Right. You get . . . you get one certain quality at a time in the southern
market because it is being harvested differently I guess.COYTE: Um, hmm. Like you'll get everybody's lugs at one time, everybody's cutters.
KLEE: Do you . . . do tobacco people have a preference in . . . is this a more
challenging market because you do have different types there on the floor?COYTE: What, the flue-cured?
KLEE: No, the . . . the air cured up here?
COYTE: Flue-cured's more challenging.
KLEE: Is it? Okay.
COYTE: Um, hmm. To me. That part is . . . is hard. You've got different . . .
here, how it's supposed to be, you come in and you have one farmer's, you know, his flyings and then his cutters and then his leaf and tip. And they're laid out. There, this week you may have this man's lugs, but . . . and you're gonna have maybe four piles of that, and then the next four piles are gonna be this man over here's cutters and the next one . . . next day, piles are gonna be, you know, somebody's leaf and . . .KLEE: Because they don't harvest . . .
COYTE: . . . a lot of different kinds. A lot . . . it's . . . you have more
different . . . things to deal with. [chuckle] It was harder for me.KLEE: Now does that market last longer than ours?
COYTE: Um, hmm. Yes, it runs from the end of July, and it's usually over by the
middle of October.KLEE: That's because there's more tobacco involved or it's a longer harvesting
season, or . . .COYTE: There's more tobacco involved, I believe. I don't know.
KLEE: Well, how does . . . talking about your gypsy-ness a few minutes ago, how
does that run your schedule then? You're . . . you're buying tobacco there in July, up through October.COYTE: The end of October.
KLEE: Right. And then you have a little break, and come up here before Thanksgiving.
COYTE: Um, hmm. I think I had two weeks off, which . . . when . . . when I came
up here, and then I'll be here until the market closes, and go to Maryland the middle of March.KLEE: So you . . . you do work another market after this one?
COYTE: Um, hmm. Not everybody does, but I do.
KLEE: Now why is . . . why is that so late?
COYTE: Well, the crop is actually the same crop that we're doing . . . it's last
year's crop. This is just . . . that will just be their turn to sell it.KLEE: Oh, is that the way it always works, then? They're always running a . . .
kind of a year behind?COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: A season behind or something.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And they . . . the way the . . . the market's set up, it's just their turn
to sell.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Now as I understand it, they don't have support prices.
COYTE: Hmm-um.
KLEE: So how does that . . . what kind of problems . . . how does that . . .
what does that do for a buyer?COYTE: Well, that's really . . . um, hmm. It's a lot more challenging, and it's
. . . you have to really . . . you're going totally on . . . on your judgment. But it's . . . all their tobacco is tied in little hand-tied bundles . . .KLEE: Little hand-tied.
COYTE: [chuckle] Little hand-tied bundles. And it's . . . and then a [inaudible]
pile, which here would weigh seven hundred pounds, there it isn't gonna weigh but two fifty.KLEE: Is that right?
COYTE: Um, hmm. It's real light.
KLEE: Um, hmm. Now is there . . . is there . . . is there American style of that
type of tobacco?COYTE: Certainly.
KLEE: Okay. So, as a . . . as an American buyer, then, there's a certain thing
you're looking for in flue-cure. You know, certain things you're looking for in air-cured and then there's certain things you're looking for in the tobacco.COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And somebody coordinating all these things knows what everybody's looking
for, what they need and so forth. How that fits into the . . .COYTE: Yeah, I don't know [chuckle] . . . I don't know who that coordinator is.
[chuckle] I don't think they found him yet because, you know, it . . . it all works out. I guess this was . . . you know . . .KLEE: Off-hand, I don't know . . . the American products. What . . .
COYTE: What do we make?
KLEE: [inaudible] consumer . . .
COYTE: We make Carltons. We make Lucky Strike. "Lucky Goes to War." , Tareyton.
We make Half & Half smoking tobacco.KLEE: Now, what is the . . . most of the tobacco you're dealing with, you . . .
of course, most of it is gonna end up in cigarettes, is that . . .COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: . . . is that right?
COYTE: Yes.
KLEE: I'm . . . I'm interested in this tobacco. Using last year as kind of a
measure, what kinds of prices did it bring last year?COYTE: I believe their average last year was like $1.50. I'm . . . I'm not sure.
KLEE: So even without a support program . . .
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: . . . tobacco . . . but does the farmer not get very much return because
it's so light? Does it take . . . I mean, do they not get very many pounds per acre or . . .COYTE: I don't know how that runs. They're bound to be able to get . . . you
know, they . . . they must be making something.KLEE: Oh, sure.
COYTE: They keep doing it.
KLEE: They keep growing it.
COYTE: But it's . . . it's not nearly as heavy. So I'm sure it doesn't yield as
much as burley tobacco does.KLEE: Are you . . . your husband's involved in the tobacco business? Um, hmm. Is
that how . . . is that how you-all met or . . .COYTE: Um, hmm. We met in , on the tobacco market in .
KLEE: . He was . . . what was he doing on the . . . that market?
COYTE: He was relief buying, and I was relief buying as well that year. And he
was relief buying for Hale & Cotton, which follows right in front of us in line. So that's how we met.KLEE: So this is one time you did go out with another . . .
COYTE: [chuckle] [inaudible]
KLEE: Went out with one of the tobacco buyers.
COYTE: [chuckle] This is one of the exceptions. [chuckle] The last one.
KLEE: Shouldn't have made that exception. [chuckle] [inaudible] or that was the
last exception.COYTE: Yeah, was the last exception.
KLEE: Got that for the record.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: And so, now he's with . . . where's he at right now?
COYTE: He's in . They have a plant in , , so he works there year round, unless
he happens to be in . He goes to for the flue-cured market, or at least part of it.KLEE: So he is buying still, some?
COYTE: Um, hmm. He's still relief buying. He is . . . he's involved in . . . a
lot in customer relations with Hale & Cotton as far as what their . . . who they're gonna sell their tobacco . . .KLEE: Now they're . . . they're . . . they would be called [inaudible]. They're
an independent.COYTE: They're dealers.
KLEE: A dealer.
COYTE: All the tobacco they buy is for resale.
KLEE: Right. Now you said he worked in a plant, though, where they actually . . .
COYTE: That's where they process . . .
KLEE: . . . they process it . . .
COYTE: . . . the tobacco they bought and packaging it for their customers.
KLEE: Sure.
COYTE: And he would be really interesting for you to talk to, because there's so
many . . . the . . . the . . . the dark air tobacco, it's . . . they're . . . it's really intriguing to find out about their customers and they sell some to . And over there, they use it for barter. They use their tobacco and some places they eat it [chuckle] and . . . there's some pretty interesting . . .KLEE: Well, how does this . . . how does this work out for you-all as a family
situation? You're from . . .COYTE: You get together on the weekend. [chuckle]
KLEE: Okay.
COYTE: He get . . . you know, generally, comes up on the weekends if the
weather's good, and he's not having to work on Saturday. And then over Christmas, we went and spent some time in , and then sometime in . . . at his home, his parents' home.KLEE: Yeah, but now when you . . . when you're . . . now, in , how long does
that last?COYTE: Two months.
KLEE: Gee. So you're really almost committed full . . . full-time. You have a
break then?COYTE: I'll have a . . .
KLEE: . . . from May to . . . May and June?
COYTE: Well I . . . I'll have to come back and do some sales work. Where, you
know, we're involved in promoting our products. And so I'll do some sales work, but then I will get some vacation.KLEE: So you're a year-round employee of American, and you-all kind of . . .
COYTE: Kind of work year-round.
KLEE: . . . have a commute-, commuter marriage as much as possible to get together.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: But you try to get down to . . . is that where you-all have a home or . . .
COYTE: That's where . . . I still have my home in that I rent from my parents.
And we're gonna keep that and then he's gonna keep his home in .KLEE: Talking about the . . . I wanna ask about that . . . that merchandising
role you have which is . . . now, a lot of buyers don't do that.COYTE: Hmm-um. Not very many companies . . . not any other company, I don't
think but American.KLEE: A lot of buyers just maybe work two markets and then they're done.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: They might have six months off a year.
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: [chuckle] How does that . . . is there much . . . is there much
interchange with, you know, would an American buyer think about wanting to buy for a . . . for a dealer?COYTE: No. [chuckle] I think we're very proud . . . you know, proud breed of
people, and most . . . course they . . . that does happen, you know.KLEE: Oh, it . . . it has? You do know some [inaudible] have happened?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: But in most cases, people wouldn't do that kind of thing. One of the
things I've found about . . . particularly in people like . . . very little is discussed about money and so forth. So you might not know whether a better offer [inaudible].COYTE: I have no idea what any other company . . . I know what my husband makes,
but as far as anybody else that works with my company or any other company, I have no idea. I may really be underpaid. [chuckle]KLEE: Right. Well, how do you . . .
COYTE: But I'm real happy with . . . with mine, so I can't . . .
KLEE: Okay, so generally speaking, it . . . even though you don't have that
information, most people don't seem to . . . buck the trend to try to find out about it?COYTE: Hmm-um.
KLEE: Okay. Well, that's kind of curious that, you know, [inaudible]. There's no
kind of a union mentality or anything with . . . with tobacco people.COYTE: Hmm-um.
KLEE: Is that because there's just such a few of them and they're such a
close-knit kind of . . . or do you really feel that? I mean, I say that, but . . .COYTE: I feel that. Yeah, I feel very close to the people that I work with. My .
. . you know, my fellow employees. And . . .KLEE: What about the . . . your . . . your . . .
COYTE: And the way I feel about my company is . . . you know, I'm . . . I can't
think of the word for it, but you know . . .KLEE: You said you smoked. You obviously smoke American products.
COYTE: Very definitely. My parents smoke American products. My husband smokes
American products.KLEE: What about the . . . the other buyers, and more or less your competitors?
Do you feel pretty . . . are those kind of people usually on friendly relations?COYTE: Oh yeah. I think so. But they don't smoke American products. [chuckle]
Your Reynolds buyer is gonna be smoking a Reynolds cigarette.KLEE: But I mean there's . . . you don't . . . you don't . . . you don't get
fiercely competitive or . . .COYTE: No.
KLEE: . . . or angry or . . . let me ask you about this merchandising. Are . . .
is that interesting too? How do you . . .COYTE: We . . . you know, we have a sales department which handles your . . .
your big outlets. What we do is try to hit the small country stores, people that may never see American brands salesmen, and encourage them to carry our products and let us hang up some signs.KLEE: So you actually get in the car and take around your product, or order the
stock . . .COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: You're doing some of that kind of work?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: Do you enjoy that or like the buying a lot . . .
COYTE: Well, I'm not a salesman. I . . . I couldn't sell dollar bills for a
quarter. I'm just not a born salesman, and that . . . but I enjoy promoting my company's products. And I enjoy going to the little country stores. Most of the time, people are real nice and are very glad to see a face and real anxious to talk to you.KLEE: Are they often alarmed . . . or not alarmed, but surprised, to see a . . .
a woman's face . . .COYTE: No. Because . . .
KLEE: They must be used to that, as far as . . .
COYTE: Well, a lot of . . . I . . . well, several companies have women salesmen.
That's not an unusual thing for a tobacco company to have a woman . . .KLEE: The buying part's more unusual?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: One question [inaudible] finish up with, and that is, can you see yourself
doing this ten years from now?COYTE: Yes. Um, hmm.
KLEE: Even with . . . even with the marriage . . .
COYTE: I hope I can be doing it ten years from now.
KLEE: Do . . . do you-all think about a family or . . .
COYTE: Well he has . . . he has two children from a previous marriage, and so .
. .KLEE: You have a family then?
COYTE: Yeah.
KLEE: But you . . . you see this as a career, then?
COYTE: Um, hmm.
KLEE: At this point in time, you're happy buying?
COYTE: Um, hmm. I may not be next week, if you call me [chuckles]. I may be real
unhappy with it. But at this point, I'm happy.KLEE: Well, I appreciate you talking to me.
[End Tape #1, Side #2]
[End of Interview]
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