Blanco Cigar Co. has a new president and ceo as of this morning, and it’s David Blanco.

In an announcement made via Instagram, Blanco announced that he will be taking over the reins of the company he found with his father, Cesar, and uncle, Francisco, in 1998 when it was called Los Blancos Cigar Company. The company has been run by Cesar and David Blanco for much of its 20-year history, as Francisco was forced to step away from the company as a result of health issues. All three men are military veterans.

While his father had held the title of president and ceo up to this point, David was executive vice president since the company’s launch, a role in which he oversaw the blending of cigars, product development and design, marketing, advertising and sales.

Blanco Cigar Co. currently has distribution throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In addition to its own brands, the company is responsible for cigar blends and the importing and exporting for 12 different companies, domestic and internationally, according to the announcement.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.