La Tradicion Cubana is taking a bold step with its production, moving all of it back to the Miami neighborhood where the company began.

“We are moving all of our production to the USA!” Luis M. Sanchez told halfwheel, nothing that he has already secured two private labels to begin production before year’s end. He added that his current facility the Dominican Republic has been closed.

The new factory, located at 1336 SW 8th Street on Calle Ocho in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, will be known formally as Fabrica La Tradicion Cubana, though Sanchez often refers to it as “The Lab,” a nod to his moniker as “The Mad Scientist.”

The company previously made cigars a few blocks away from the current location between 1995-2006, shutting when the factory was destroyed due to fire.

Sanchez is currently in the process of hiring rollers and other staff, and noted that it could get to 50 employees, the number he had prior to the fire. “We can always expand to a bigger place,” Sanchez said.

La Tradicion Cubana produces several lines, including Sabor Cubano, Reserva Familiar, and the JML 1902, which is named for the birth year of his grandfather, Jose M. Losa. He also makes a number of brands under contract.

Image courtesy of La Tradicion Cubana.

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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 Major League Baseball, 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.