Klaas Pieter Kelner Opens His Own Cigar Factory in Dominican Republic

Klaas Pieter Kelner has announced that his new cigar factory is now open and running in the Dominican Republic.

Kelner Cigars, S.A.S. is located in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. Kelner is focusing on private-label production for clients and, at least as of now, is not making his own cigars to sell directly to stores or consumers. When asked, he declined to name any of the initial clients of the factory but said that those companies could announce the relationship when they see fit.

“It is my vision to grow organically, creating a close-knit team that believes in the Kelner Family’s passion and commitment to quality control,” said Kelner in a press release. “Maintaining a process where I can personally inspect the tobacco that we use, sort, and roll into well balanced blends. I invite you all to enjoy our cigars made with our signature family craftsmanship.”

Kelner is the son of Hendrik “Henke” Kelner, who built and ran Davidoff’s operations in the Dominican Republic for more than three decades before leaving the company in mid-2020. Klaas is named after Henke’s father—Klaas Pieter Kelner Sr.—who left his home in the Netherlands in the 1920s and, along with his three brothers, established the family’s tobacco operations in the Dominican Republic and Brazil. That tradition continues as Henke and his children have extensive roots in the Dominican tobacco industry, including ownership of numerous farms throughout the country.

While the younger Kelner declined to talk about his new factory’s clients or how many employees the factory has, he did talk about the “Kelner philosophy” that his family established. He described it as creating “a cigar that is consistent and balanced, using tobaccos that have undergone a complete fermentation and aging process. While keeping a strict quality control over all other stages in the cigar manufacturing flow.”

For example, all cigars will be aged for a minimum of three months after rolling before they are sent to clients.

“It is with great excitement that we bring this new project to life,” said Kelner. “I was born and raised in the industry, surrounded by tobacco experts, retailers, and cigar aficionados; and it is through their teachings that I came to love every facet of cigar making. It has always been a dream to blend beautiful cigars bearing the Kelner name for my family and friends, and now I get to do just that with some of the best tobaccos in the world.”

The younger Kelner also worked for Davidoff but left the company in 2021. He also has a consulting business under the name Kelner Tabak.

Kelner Cigars, S.A.S. is located in Zona Franca Industrial Manuel Espaillat, a large free trade complex that also houses Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia, General Cigar Dominicana, Swisher Dominicana and other cigar factories and cigar suppliers.