Oliva Opens Remodeled TABOLISA 1 Factory

Yesterday, Oliva formally unveiled its remodeled TABOLISA 1 factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The factory, originally named Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A., has been home to the brand since 2005. Oliva has regularly expanded the factory, but for the last three years, Oliva’s new owner, J. Cortès, has been working to overhaul the factory.

Some of that involved more space, other work required reconfiguring existing space and a cosmetic makeover. All told, the updated factory will now be able to produce 90,000 cigars per day, up from 55,000 prior to the renovations. Some of the major updates include adding more space for cigar storage, increasing tobacco sorting areas, and increasing the size of the packaging warehouse by 17 times.

For its workers, there’s a new health facility. For visitors, there’s an upscale lounge that looks into the front of the rolling room. The outside of the building has also been updated to reflect a more ornate colonial look.

“The Oliva family offered our family a real gem by selling Oliva Cigars to us,” said Fred Vandemarliere, owner of J. Cortès, in a press release. “Without them, we would never be where we are now. But to let a diamond shine, you need to work it. We try to do this with care and the opening of Tabolisa Uno is a clear example of this promise. Cory, Fidel and their team did a fantastic job in making sure we got this facility to the level we want to have it. ”

To celebrate the opening, Oliva is taking the first 10,000 Serie V Double Robustos created after the renovation and placing them in special packaging. The cigars will be sold in individual coffins and are expected to arrive at retailers in the first quarter of 2020.

Nearly a year ago to the date, Oliva opened TABOLISA II, which was described as being capable of producing 25,000 cigars per day. In 2018, the company opened a new, modern box factory.