Jim Colucci Named COO & President of Gurkha Cigars (Update)

Gurkha Cigars has confirmed a report that Jim Colucci of Sindicato Cigar Group has been named the company’s new chief operating officer and president, and that Gurkha’s sales reps will now be selling the Sindicato portfolio of cigars by way of an arraignment between the two companies.

“Jim Colucci is a very well respected cigar industry veteran,” said Kaizad Hansotia, Gurkha’s founder and ceo. “For years he has been both my friend and mentor and now he is the coo and president of Gurkha Cigars. With the addition of Colucci’s industry knowledge and business acumen Gurkha can only continue to grow and excel,” he added.

Colucci will remain in his roles of president and ceo of Sindicato Cigars, a role he has held since 2013 when that company launched. He has said elsewhere that he will oversee the day-to-day operations of Gurkha which will allow Hansotia, who remains Gurkha’s ceo, to focus on a number of other projects and business ventures.

Update (7:20 pm ET) — Colucci told halfwheel that Sindicato “will continue to be a stand alone company and continue to ship and invoice their products to all customers.” He added that his joining Gurkha was born out of conversations had with Hansotia several months ago about Gurkha’s national sales team representing Sindicato.