Villiger eyes the premium side

The U.S. unit of one of the major players in the world of European-style, machine-made cigars is expanding its presence on the premium side of the business.

Villiger Cigars North America, the U.S. arm of Villiger Söhne AG of Pfeffikon, Switzerland, has expanded its small but growing stable of handmade cigar brands, according to a story in Cigar Aficionado.

Villiger Colorado has a pair of new sizes, a 6-inch-long, 60 ring gauge Gordo (suggested retail price $10.50) and a corona measuring 5 1/2 inches by 44 ring ($6.99), pushing the brand to six sizes. Villiger Talanga has been expanded by one size, adding a corona (5 1/2 by 44, $6.99), giving the line five sizes in all.

Both cigar brands are made in Nicaragua by the Plasencia family for Villiger Cigars North America, a Charlotte, North Carolina, company that is headed by president Roy MacLaren.

MacLaren wanted to add a Gordo to Villiger Talanga, too, but found the blend wasn’t as appealing in that size.

Villiger is a company that turns 125 this year, and while it’s a force in small machine-made cigars, particularly in Europe, the company has a very small presence in the premium business in the United States. MacLaren aims to change that.