OUR STORY
SocialSmoke.com was launched in 2003 as an online retail outlet from an underfunded college student’s bedroom. From this humble start, Ali Nadimi laid the foundation of Social Smoke through hard work, determination, and a passion for smoking hookah.
What first began as a one-man operation eventually became an international enterprise.
Ali Nadimi grew up in a suburb of Dallas, TX to humble means and a loving family. He learned the value of financial independence at a young age as he watched his parents struggle to go to college while raising two young boys. He dreamed of a day when he and his family would be free to live the life that they wanted. Preferring independence and challenge to a steady paycheck, Ali avoided the common jobs most young adults had and instead found work in places where he would be in charge of his own success.
Social Smoke 1.0: socialsmoke.com
When Ali first had the idea of Social Smoke, he was a young college student looking for ways to bring people together. After trying hookah for the first time with his friends, he was inspired and connected to the pastime that was deeply rooted in his own middle eastern heritage. He was amazed at how easily time passed and the stories were expressed while sharing a smoke. In 2003, in the bedroom of his parent’s home, Ali Nadimi founded Social Smoke during his senior year of college.
The company grew at an astonishing rate. Operation of the warehouse, website, and fulfillment was more than a full-time job for Ali. As the business grew bigger, so did the need for support. Ali’s brother, Abrahim Nadimi became the second member of the Social Smoke Team, followed by Ali’s parents Iman Enciso, and Sayyid Nadimi. Ali’s family sacrificed the comfort of their steady jobs for the prospect of something greater.
This partnership of effort, capital, self-reliance, and most of all family, would continue to grow over the years with the addition of Mohammad Nadimi and Fatimeh Nadimi. The dependence of family gave Social Smoke a solid foundation, and a unique perspective to differentiate and innovate from the crowd.
Social Smoke 2.0: Manufacturing & Distribution
2005 marked two major changes for Social Smoke. The first major change came in the form of manufacturing its own hookah products and accessories. Social Smoke’s wholesale and distribution business had grown substantially and it could no longer afford to rely on local importers and distributors for its main product lines. This shift in direction was not unique to just hardware and Ali started the development of Social Smoke Tobacco. This top-secret project began after being exposed to the inconsistent supply and poor business practices of many of the established hookah tobacco importers and brands. Social Smoke made the unpopular decision not to work with other manufacturers and go down the more difficult path of taking manufacturing into their own hands.
With the knowledge that most “American” hookah brands are simply private labeled tobacco from manufacturers overseas or unflavored tobacco flavored in the US. Social Smoke knew they had the opportunity to create the first true Premium American Hookah Tobacco. The initial research and development was slow and tiresome. Through many long nights of experimentation, analysis, and years of trial and error significant progress was made. Mohammad Nadimi joined the effort and took on the role of project lead. His fresh interest, unique taste, and energy provided the extra push necessary to complete the project and finalize the recipe that would become Social Smoke Tobacco.
Social Smoke 3.0: Social Smoke Tobacco
By late 2009 small batches were being produced and tested in local hookah bars and after receiving great feedback, Social Smoke Tobacco was officially released on SocialSmoke.com in February 2010. Over the next few years, Social Smoke Tobacco’s sales and popularity grew significantly. In 2015, Nadimi LLC, Social Smoke’s parent company, made the strategic decision to restructure Social Smoke to focus all efforts on further development and growth of their tobacco. This decision resulted in the closing of its wholesale division. By allowing importers and distributors to handle local and regional sales, Social Smoke was able to reduce structural inefficiencies and produce more tobacco while providing superior service for all consumers.
Through consistent efforts to ensure and enhance quality, the introduction of new unique flavors, and by delivering exceptional products day after day, Social Smoke eventually became one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of Hookah Tobacco in the USA.
Social Smoke 4.0: Collaborative & Distributed
Social Smoke is excited to announce the latest evolution of its focus and strategic direction. This direction was born in part by the innovations in the smoking market as well as the desire to become a more dynamic company better suited to serve its customers around the world.
Social Smoke Tobacco
A New Era of Social Smoke Tobacco has arrived. Social Smoke Tobacco products will now be made utilizing decentralized tobacco manufacturing and distributed via regional/local distribution hubs. The first international manufacturing facility in Tunisia has replaced Social Smoke’s USA manufacturing facility as of May 2023. This change creates new opportunities to access the EU and Middle East markets while continuing to support American and international customers. Discussions are also underway with manufacturers in other key markets and while the location where Social Smoke Tobacco has changed, the quality of the product will remain the same.
Collaboration
Social Smoke has embraced the shift from competition to collaboration and is currently discussing projects with innovative companies to expand the Social Smoke brand catalog. The first example of what collaboration can achieve is the Social Smoke X Quasar bowl that was released in select markets with strong sales and great feedback. Another example is the Social Smoke S-750 Vape line which was released only in Germany for a limited time in 2022.
Please contact us to discuss collaboration ideas and opportunities.