PDR Cigars has announced that Richie “Riot” Otero has been promoted to be the company’s new director of sales, effective immediately.

Otero has been the company’s sales representative for the Florida territory since October 2017, though he began traveling across the country in support of the brand and other sales reps at the start of 2018, as well as handling the company’s key accounts. Otero told halfwheel that he and Abe Flores, who owns the company, “clicked immediately” and are currently working on several projects for the company’s portfolio.

Prior to joining PDR Cigars, Otero was the Florida sales representative for Caldwell Cigar Co., a position he held for 2 1/2 years. He also has several years of experience operating retail cigar shops in the Miami, Fla. area.

Otero will continue to be based in Miami.

Image courtesy of Richie Otero.

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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.