When people ask me what state our company is based out of, they are extremely surprised to hear "Ohio." And then when they remember that there is a pretty die-hard cigar community in Cincinnati, they are even more surprised to hear that we aren't out of Cincinnati, but in fact Cleveland. But I think things are about to change in terms of people hearing more about the Ohio cigar scene now than before. Take for example our start: Many people consider us the first cigar manufacturers to come from Ohio. Now, this could be up for debate but there is no doubt we are the first to be getting to the scale that we are aiming for, and that we have achieved. The national recognition we are garnering has not been seen by any other cigar company in Ohio, and that is something we are very proud of.
Next, you have Cigar Explorer, which is a Columbus based cigar production company that reviews cigars, covers events, covers cigar news, from companies and shops all over the country. But their base is in Columbus and they have come a very long way in their year of operation. And they are only growing in size of and coverage, and it seems everyone you talk to knows about Dan Reeve and Mario Takeyama.
Next, you have New Havana Cigars, with Dan Welsh being the forefront of that one. Also based out of Columbus, this is a shop that boasts one of the most sought-after collections of cigars, often getting sticks that are considered nearly impossible to obtain. But Dan has secured himself as an extremely respected nationwide cigar enthusiast, but his base is again in Columbus.
And lastly, you have Cigars In Review Magazine, based in Northeast Ohio. This magazine, run by Joe Baker, Tony Bellatto, and a host of others in Ohio is a free magazine given to shop owners all around the country with pieces ranging from interviews with Charlie Torano, to articles by Glynn Loope. And recently at the IPCPR Trade Show, they had every bag contain an issue of Cigars In Review. So to say that this year-old magazine has come a long way in recent months is a gross understatement.
But you can't just leave it at that. There are a whole host of shop owners and managers that have had considerable clout in the cigar industry, one in particular whose name I would normally mention, but he might kill me if I did that :). I am not saying we are the official Mecca of the cigar industry, and I am not saying we sport the most brilliant cigar aficionados around, but we are creating a name for ourselves here and all around the country. Stay tuned in the coming days, weeks, months, and years and you will see Ohio as one of the focal points of the cigar industry.
Mike
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