Garo Cigars has announced that the company has a new brand manager, and his name is Ron Arellano.

Arellano comes to the position after having taken ownership of The Refuge Cigar Lounge in Redlands, Calif.. He has also served as the national brand manager for MBombay Cigars. The company praised Arellano’s experience in the industry as well as for his passion for cigars and the relationships the community builds. “We are very excited to have Ron on board with us as our national brand manager,” said Dr. Garo Bouldoukian, the president and founder of Garo Cigars, via a press release.

He has already begun work in his new role, and will focus on growing Garo Cigars’ presence across the U.S. by building what the company refers to as “forever relationships” throughout the cigar industry. The company said that being a lounge owner gives Arellano the perspective to appreciate the changes happening across the industry, as well as the necessity to have a diverse humidor.

“If you love the industry you never get out,” said Arellano via a press release. “For me, it has always been about building relationships with retailers and the cigar consumers in the lounges.”

Garo Cigars launched in 1995, with Dr. Garo Bouldoukian overseeing all blending and production of the company’s cigars, while his son, Harout Bouldoukian oversees marketing and online branding.

Image courtesy of Garo Cigars.

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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.