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Category: Around the Industry

  • Fire Ravages AJ Fernandez’s Main Factory in Nicaragua

    Fire Ravages AJ Fernandez’s Main Factory in Nicaragua

    A fire has ravaged Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, the main factory for the AJ Fernandez operation. According to local news reports, everyone including the company’s school, was evacuated safely with no serious injuries reported.

    According to Halfwheel, the factory is one of the largest in the world, producing cigars for a long list of companies, including some of the world’s largest, like Altadis U.S.A. and General Cigar Co., and smaller brands like Foundation Cigar Co. and Artesano del Tobacco. AJ Fernandez operates another factory, the San Lotano Factory, in Ocotal, about 40 miles north of Estelí.

    Videos showed firefighters battling a large blaze in one of the buildings. Multiple sources said the fire appears to be in the packaging department, and it’s unclear how much of the rest of the building has been damaged.

    “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed for us, and stood by our side during this incredibly difficult time,” the company said in a statement. “Your love and support mean more than words can express. We are beyond grateful for the strength of our community, our team, and all those who have shown up for us. Above all, we are thankful that everyone is safe. In moments like these, we’re reminded of the power of unity and we feel it now more than ever. We will move forward, united, resilient, and more committed than ever to what we stand for.”

  • El Septimo Displaying New Line with $25M Humidors

    El Septimo Displaying New Line with $25M Humidors

    With the annual PCA Trade Show less than two weeks away, many companies are looking to make a splash at one of the cigar industry’s biggest events. El Septimo is doing just that, as it announced it will be displaying three custom-built, El Septimo Fabergé Egg Cigar Humidors, each valued at $25 million. Each humidor contains more than 475 carats of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, but they are not for sale.

    The spectacle is to promote El Septimo’s release of its Doble Gran Reserva. The Doble Gran Reserva is a 6 x 52 toro that uses an Ecuadorian wrapper over a Dominican binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The company says that all of the tobacco used is aged between seven and 10 years.

    Each cigar will have an MSRP of $125, and production is limited to 1,000 boxes of 14 cigars. 

  • PMI Earns Real Estate Award for Colorado Zyn Project

    PMI Earns Real Estate Award for Colorado Zyn Project

    Philip Morris International’s (PMI) purchase and planned development of 150 acres of land in Aurora, Colorado, in July 2024 earned a 2025 CoStar Impact Award, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market. According to the seller, Opus Development Co., the site acquisition by PMI’s United States-based affiliate, Kairus, Inc., was one of the largest direct land sales to a user and set a record price per square foot based on land area. PMI plans to invest $600 million into building a manufacturing hub for Zyn nicotine pouches.

    “PMI and its U.S. affiliates are accelerating their mission to move adults who smoke away from cigarettes by investing in new manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing demand for nicotine options that are scientifically substantiated as better alternatives,” PMI Americas President and U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy said in a statement unveiling the company’s development plans. “We believe Colorado is like-minded in its commitment to innovation, economic opportunity and public health, and we’re eager to work with the state and its talented workforce as we expand our U.S. manufacturing presence.”

    The project is expected to generate more than $1 billion in economic contributions for the Denver-area suburb by the time it is fully operational in 2026, and will host at least 500 full-time employees, and generate upward of $550 million annually in economic benefits statewide.

  • PMI Launches IQOS in Texas

    PMI Launches IQOS in Texas

    Philip Morris International began selling its IQOS heated tobacco device in Austin, Texas, today (March 27), an executive told Reuters, kicking off efforts to build a market for the world’s top-selling heated tobacco device in the United States.

    PMI said that after a successful pilot program, it was offering IQOS to smoking-age Austin residents and would host demonstrations and guided trials for adults to showcase the product. The device is being offered for $60 with the accompanying tobacco sticks available for $8, said Francisca Rahardja, vice president and chief marketing officer of inhalables at PMI U.S.

    Rahardja said PMI was offering IQOS at a lower price versus some other markets in part to reflect the fact it was trying to build up appetite among new consumers. PMI hopes to capture a 10% share of U.S. tobacco and heated tobacco unit volume by 2030 and build a substantial base of new users in the world’s top market for smoking alternatives.

    PMI previously said it would launch IQOS in four cities in two U.S. states, but so far only the Austin launch has been announced. It is pursuing a limited U.S. roll-out of an older version of the IQOS device while waiting for authorization from the FDA to sell the latest iteration, dubbed ILUMA, in the country.

  • Sweden Wants Others to Follow its Harm-Reduction Success

    Sweden Wants Others to Follow its Harm-Reduction Success

    Sweden is boasting about its success with tobacco harm-reduction and is encouraging our countries to follow suit. Only 4.5% of Swedish-born adults smoke cigarettes which, according to the government, is owed to its policies that push safer alternatives like snus, nicotine pouches, and vapes.

    “Swedes have participated in a long-running harm reduction experiment, providing undeniable proof that replacing smoking with smokeless nicotine dramatically reduces smoking-related disease, disability and premature deaths – a net gain for public health, while reducing expenditure,” said Dr. Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden. “With harm reduction now policy in Sweden, every public health decision will reflect this approach. Other countries should adopt Sweden’s model without further delay.”

    Sweden’s Parliament formally adopted harm-reduction as a policy in December 2024, saying “Tobacco policy must consider the varying harmful effects of different products. Cigarettes pose a greater health hazard than smokeless nicotine… This must be reflected in taxation and policy goals.”

    Sweden has already applied risk-based taxation by lowering excise tax on snus while increasing it on cigarettes.

  • Utah E-Cigarette Bill Gets Favorable Ruling

    Utah E-Cigarette Bill Gets Favorable Ruling

    Utah’s Electronic Cigarettes Amendments bill, which was signed into law last March, can finally be enacted after U.S. District Judge David Barlow’s ruling. One of the main questions in the litigation centered around the state’s inspection programs, which Barlow said were not central to the case.

    The bill bans the sale of tobacco products the Food and Drug Administration has not approved or is still pending approval. It also bans all sales of flavored e-cigarettes. After it passed, the Utah Vapor Business Association and The Smoke House filed a joint lawsuit against the state, seeking an injunction on the legislation. But, in his ruling Barlow said the bill could still achieve its purpose without keeping the inspection program. Under the bill, the inspection program would have allowed state health departments to review at random.

    Barlow said the bill “says nothing about the frequency of any such inspections. It does not say that they are to occur on a temporal basis, like annually or quarterly. It does not even say that they are to occur regularly. It simply says they ‘may’ occur. In short, the inspection program seemingly leaves it in inspectors’ hands entirely as to whether any inspections occur.” The judge further said the Legislature would have passed the bill regardless of whether an inspection program was in place, adding that “these provisions are operable without the inspection program, as they provide a comprehensive program for regulating electronic cigarettes and punishing retailers that sell banned products.”

  • Company Launches Sensors that Detect Vaping

    Company Launches Sensors that Detect Vaping

    Today (March 25), Eagle Eye Networks launched Eagle Eye Sensors that detect and alert when someone is vaping. The sensor detects environmental shifts such as air quality and temperature changes, and water presence. The sensors combine with video surveillance to monitor a variety of environmental conditions and give customers real-time data and a comprehensive view of what’s happening in their buildings.

    The sensors themselves can monitor sensitive areas where security cameras are not allowed such as restrooms, locker rooms, health care facilities, etc.

    “With intelligent automation, real-time alerts and actions, Eagle Eye Sensors can prevent costly damage, save money, and help organizations run more efficiently,” said Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. “Eagle Eye Sensors also help create healthy environments with clean air and well-functioning systems, which is essential to the well-being, productivity and success of students and workers.”

  • PCA Announces Advocacy Awards

    PCA Announces Advocacy Awards

    The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) announced the recipients of the 2025 Step Up Awards, which recognize outstanding leadership and dedication to premium tobacco advocacy. These awards honor individuals and organizations that have gone above and beyond to protect the rights of premium cigar businesses and consumers across the nation.

    The award ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 13, 2025, immediately following the PCA comedy show at the 2025 PCA Annual Convention and Trade Show. “This special recognition celebrates those who have stepped up in a meaningful way to defend the industry in legislative, regulatory, and grassroots arenas over the past year,” the PCA said.

    This year’s Step Up Award winners include: Jimmy Hargrove, of the Colorado Premium Cigar and Pipe Association, Luke Benson of the Colorado Premium Cigar and Pipe Association, Greg Zimmerman of The Tobacco Company, Cigars for Warriors, and Michael Edney fromHunton Andrews Kurth.

  • Casa 1910 Tabs New Sales Director

    Casa 1910 Tabs New Sales Director

    Casa 1910 announced yesterday (March 18) that it hired Jeremy Fondi as its new national sales director. Fondi has more than 10 years of experience working within the premium cigar industry and is a certified retail tobacconist and co-founder of the Facebook cigar community Cigar Cartel (C2), which has over 34,000 members worldwide.

    In this position, Fondi will help shape and execute the company’s national sales strategy, build relationships with key distributors and retailers, and expand the brand’s reach across the U.S. 

    “I am thrilled to join Casa 1910 and work alongside such a passionate and dedicated team,” said Fondi. “Casa 1910’s commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with my own values as a cigar aficionado and industry professional. I look forward to leveraging my experience to expand the brand’s presence and continue to build a community of cigar lovers across the country.”

    Fondi has held numerous positions within the cigar industry, serving as general manager and regional manager at several companies, and most recently served as the innovation manager for handmade cigars at Scandinavian Tobacco Group, where he helped develop and implement innovative strategies that enhanced product offerings and market presence.

  • Meerapfel Cigar Raises $75K for Charity

    Meerapfel Cigar Raises $75K for Charity

    The Meerapfel family—owners of Meerapfel Cigar—raised a total of $75,000 at three private charity events last week, donating proceeds to Latet, an Israeli nonprofit organization that provides aid to those living in poverty and starvation.

    Hosted at a New York restaurant and two private residences in Miami, a single box of 25 Meerapfel Création de Coeur cigars, which were created especially for charitable functions, was auctioned at each event. The high-end belicoso-shaped cigars measurd 5 1/4 inches by 52 ring gauge and were covered in the rare Cameroon wrapper the Meerapfel family is famous for.  

    “It brings joy to our hearts knowing that these cigars will significantly improve the life of thousands of children who are fighting starvation and extreme poverty,” company vice president Reinhard Pohorec said. “We not only believe but are reassured that by sharing our passion, opening our hearts and our resources, we can make a real difference in the lives of others. We are moved by the generosity and warmth of the noble donors.”