Revealing the Titan of Rolling Papers: Billionaire Don Levin's Path
Now, meet the titan of rolling papers: Don Levin's incredible journey.
Don Levin, the 72-year-old force behind D.R.L. Enterprises and Republic Brands, is a paradox even in the world of rolling papers themselves. While presiding over such iconic labels as E-Z Wider, Zig-Zag, OCB, and JOB, Levin himself neither smokes cannabis nor knows how to roll a joint. Still, his acumen as an entrepreneur hurled him into becoming a billionaire to be by creating the largest empire on earth in rolling papers.
Early Don Levin
Raised in Albany Park in Chicago, Levin grew up quite lowbly—his father a used car salesman, the family facing some financial struggles early on. It was a humble start, but his route to greatness began with service in the Marine Corps Reserves and training at General Motors before he got started good in car sales.
In the early 1970s, Levin made his first foray into retail by taking over Adams Apple, a Rogers Park specialty shop that had originally been planned as a seller of bell-bottom jeans and English music. Levin got the feeling that a market was developing, and he turned the shop into a head shop, selling rolling papers and marijuana paraphernalia.
The Breakthroughs of an Entrepreneur
The entrepreneurial turning point for Levin was when he decided to cut out the middleman and, in 1972, formed Adams Apple Distributing Co. for direct sourcing from the manufacturers of rolling papers. This was a turning point in his business venture: a teaming with the legendary JOB, a brand erected way back in 1838 by Jean Bardou, the inventor of the rolling paper booklet.
Coping with Adversity and Reinvention
The late 1970s were troubled times. Federal authorities were clamping down on marijuana-related products, and Levin was compelled to reconcentrate Adams Apple Distributing Co. solely on rolling papers. Renaming the business Republic Tobacco, Levin set about quietly developing his market share while sanitizing the company of its counterculture reputation.
Transformational Acquisition
In 2000, he took the opportunity to acquire Odet-Cascadec-Bolloré. The move consolidated Levin's control over manufacturing—from paper mills all the way to the production of booklets. With this, Republic Brands' portfolio was further enhanced and the company suddenly surged in dominance within the rolling paper industry.
Republic Brands Today
Today, Republic Brands dominates the North American rolling paper market with brands like Top, Bali Shag, and E-Z Wider. Estimating more than $650 million a year in revenue and cranking out more than 1.2 billion booklets, Levin's empire has moved far from his personal detachment from cannabis consumption.
Legacy and Future Perspectives
Looking to the future, Levin considered his legacy and Republic Brands' future. As Levin's son was not to take over after him, he would consider doing everything possible to keep integrity in the business and people inside it. Reluctance about selling to a private equity group meant not just a safeguard on job security but stability in the organization.
From the son of a poor car salesman to a billionaire industrialist, Don Levin personifies opportunity harvesting and keeping pace with market trends in pure entrepreneurial parlance. His story simply exemplifies the very mechanism of entrepreneurship, coupled with strategic vision leading to the eventual building of a global business empire.
