photo by: Shelley Hanson

Tyler Harto, owner of Living My Best Cigar Life, stands inside his shop’s humidor in Moundsville. Harto and his brothers also launched their own cigar brand on Friday, Jack & Jerry’s Cigars.

MOUNDSVILLE — A new specialty shop, Living My Best Cigar Life, held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday hosted by the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce.

Owner Tyler Harto said his shop, located at 259 Jefferson Ave., Moundsville, sells premium cigars and pipe tobacco. The shop also has a separate smoking lounge featuring 10 chairs and five TVs. He said the room contains an air system so the room does not fill up with smoke while inside.

Harto and his brothers — Luke, PJ and Christopher Harto — also launched a new cigar company, Jack & Jerry’s Cigars, on Friday. Their father, Paul Harto, was on hand to lend his support and celebrate as well; he is an assistant fire chief with the Wheeling Fire Department.

“It’s a house blend company featuring 13 unique cigars you can’t buy anywhere else but right here in Moundsville,” Harto said of Jack & Jerry’s Cigars.

“I’m one of the blenders with my three brothers. We source the leaf from all over the world. It gets shipped into Florida and then it goes to my manufacturer in Texas and then it ships up from Texas to me.”

Harto said he plans to eventually make the cigars in-house, but that will require hiring additional employees first.

Harto said he started smoking cigars when he was about 21 years old. He became interested in them as a business and decided to launch Living My Best Cigar Life with a business partner from Philadelphia.

Harto said his store’s walk-in humidor is fully stocked.

“Right now we have 150 different boxes,” he said.

Scott Reager, executive director of the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce, said it is exciting to have a new specialty shop in the city’s business district.

“When you specialize in something that draws people to you,” he said. “It’s a different clientele. He’s got a nice business and he’s growing and trying to get his name out there. We’re excited to have him.”

Moundsville Councilman Eugene Saunders said he was happy to see Harto’s business operating downtown.

“It’s another business for Moundsville and we need that,” he said. “I’m tickled to death to see another business open.”

Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said he was happy to hear that Harto also plans to expand his business in the future.

“This business has their eye on growth and that’s important to us,” Healy said. “They’re the type of new blood we need and we’re happy to have them.”

For more information, visit the shop on social media. The cigar shop can be accessed via the entrance to Heller’s Flowers, also at 259 Jefferson Ave.