Omar de Frias has quickly put himself towards the top of “hardest working man in the cigar industry.” Since launching in mid-2013, a cornerstone of de Frias’ Fratello brand’s success has been a hectic a travel schedule alongside a full-time job at NASA.

Now he’s getting some help.

Fratello has hired its first full-time employee, Mariela Matos, who will serve as the company’s brand manager.

de Frias said that her role will include retail relationship, marketing and social media, new product introduction and developing a retailer support system. At least for the time being, Matos won’t be on the road visiting accounts, leaving that solely on de Frias’ plate for now.

“This is an amazing opportunity,” said Matos in a press release “Entering a new industry and making an impact on a growing brand will be an amazing challenge.  I look forward to being at the IPCPR this year and meeting everyone that has played a role in the growth of Fratello.”

Fratello is available at over 400 retailers nationwide. The company’s second line, Bianco, will soft launch tomorrow.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.