Cubanacan Appoints Spence Drake as VP of Sales

Spence Drake has been named the vp of sales for Cubanacan. Drake will now lead sales for the Nicaraguan-based company owned by the Mederos family, which once went by the Mederos name.

“The cigars, the fermentation on the tobacco, the depth of flavors the family atmosphere within the company,” said Drake when asked to explain what drew him to the company.

He will now work at building a sales staff, something he expects to be fully functional by the end of the year. It will include a mixture of in-house sales representatives and independent brokers. The move comes at a time of change for both Cubanacan and Drake. The former is in the process of introducing the market to the Cubanacan name, a rebranding effort launched last year while the company was affiliated with another company; while the latter recently parted ways with A.J. Fernandez Cigars where he held the same position.

Drake told halfwheel the sales staff is not the only thing undergoing big changes, the company’s presence at the 2014 IPCPR convention and trade show will be the largest in its history and will showcase some of its new products.

The Cubanacan Cigars S.A. factory is located in Estelí, Nicaragua.