The Briarville Story
"Find a Need And Fill It” is the hallmark of all successful businesses. Another hallmark
is, “Turn A Problem Into An Advantage”. In late 2012 Ric Farrah, the founder of
Briarville Tobacco Pipe Repair and Restoration, turned to both to create the industry
leader in pipe repair.
First the problem. Farrah lost his corporate position as Director of Recruiting at a
medium sized trucking company in Nashville, TN after the firm was sold. Seems the
guy who bought the company had a nephew needing a job. Now without a gig Farrah
turned to his roots over-the-road and signed on as a driver with a temp company
serving the trucking industry. While deciding what to do next he vowed never again to
put his career in another man’s hand. As the story unfolds, you’ll see a problem will
often lead to an equal or greater advantage.
In the 80s and 90’s the tobacco pipe industry was in a state of flux. Hand rolled cigars
were quickly gaining popularity. The corner brick and mortar pipe shops were
disappearing or ceding valuable retail real estate to “sticks”. Where you could once
easily visit your neighborhood shop for great conversation, supplies, and repairs, these
social establishments were simply fast fading into a bygone era. The community which
would gather locally at the table or in overstuffed chairs in their locals for a bowl of their
favorite tobacco and swap lies were now congealing online - this time worldwide. The
pipe industry was moving out of the brick and mortars to the Internet. The pipe
enthusiasts didn’t go away. The retail tobacco shops just changed direction; ergo the
need.
In the early to mid 2000s a sort tobacco pipe renaissance of sorts was taking shape on
YouTube. The YouTube Tobacco Pipe Collectors channel was gaining subscribers and
growing as pipe enthusiasts were showing off their collections and independent pipe
carvers had an audience in which to show off their wares. One of those pipe carvers
was Nashville broadcaster, television weatherman, and Farrah’s brother-in-law, Joe
Case, a woodworking hobbyist that turned to pipe making. Over time, Joe Case Pipes
began gaining popularity on the channel and the pipe smokers were gaining more
comfort doing business online.
Farrah, a longtime pipe enthusiast and hobbyist needing a real job and Case looking for
growth and increased credibility within the industry collaborated and decided for a short
time to throw in together and add a repair side to Joe Case Pipes to test the water. The
cross promotion proved very effective and both companies’ reach expanded. The need
was there. Fewer and fewer shops were doing pipe repairs. Most of the shops still
around were just sending off repairs to the few repair shops that served these dying
brick and mortars. Farrah came up with Briarville’s trademark “Pipe Repair as Close as
Your Mailbox” and hit the ‘Net doing YouTube videos himself, mostly a tad silly but
nevertheless offering useful tips in DYI pipe maintenance as well as where to send their
smokers needing more work. The concept took off beyond any expectations. The
quality of work and customer service coupled with the ease of doing business led to
Briarville’s exploding growth and popularity.
The second generation of Briarville began in 2019 when Farrah retired and sold the
concern to Rich Messineo. Rich, a retired pharmacist, joined the company in 2016 and
rose to the position of lead technician in three short years. Messineo graduated from
Florida State University in 1987, finished his pharmacy degree at Florida A&M School of
Pharmacy in 1990 and is no stranger to business. From 2003 - 2010 Messineo owned
and operated Hungry Trout Cigars with three locations from Utah to Florida.
When Rich Messineo bought out Briarville he used his chemistry knowledge to create
three aftermarket products now available to the public. The first product called “No Oxi
Oil” was developed to keep vulcanite stems from oxidizing, a problem that plagued pipe
smokers since the advent of vulcanite. The second product is the only real product out
there to actually remove oxidation from vulcanite easily and effectively. The third
product is a pipe cleaner and sweetener, the same that is used in the Briarville shop
daily. Since purchasing Briarville, Messineo added a third profit center adding his own
brand of cigars. Teaming up a national wholesaler, all Briarville products are now
available online at TobaccoPipes.com.
As Briarville nears their 10th anniversary it safe to say that the once figment of Farrah’s
imagination has grown to the leader of the industry. Briarville serves the global
community with clients worldwide. There is no looking back. Expect Messineo to
continue the exceptional growth and notoriety Briarville clients have enjoyed since the
advent of Pipe Repair as Close as Your Mailbox TM
This piece is dedicated to the memory of Joe Case. His kindness and support was
instrumental in developing Briarville Tobacco Pipe Repair and Restoration.




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