Press Release: José Seijas, Well Known Factory Head and Cigar Maker, to Retire

January 26, 2012 —  One of the cigar industry’s most recognizable names is retiring. Jose Seijas, who has run the acclaimed Tabacalera de Garcia factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic for over 30 years is stepping down as Vice President and General Manager.

During Jose’s time with the company, Seijas worked closely with the Altadis U.S.A. team in Ft. Lauderdale, and the development team at the factory, to create the outstanding blends that defined many of the industry’s most highly rated and sought-after brands. These include Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Trinidad, VegaFina, Onyx Reserve and many more.

Seijas and the team built Tabacalera de Garcia into the world’s largest factory dedicated to premium, handmade cigars. As such, the factory’s staff of master blenders and cigar makers, along with the US based marketing and creative team, has a depth of experience and expertise unmatched in the industry, assuring the continuation of the high quality standards and premium cigar innovation for which the company has become known.

Over the years, Seijas has made ample use of his engineering background, personally devising many of the quality control measures that have produced cigars of absolute consistency and of the highest quality – helping Altadis U.S.A. to achieve its leadership position in the premium cigar world.

Javier Elmudesi, who has been with Tabacalera de Garcia for over 15 years, has been appointed as the Factory Manager. Javier will report to Antonio Gutierrez, Operations Director – Cigar Division, Imperial Tobacco.

The management and employees of Altadis U.S.A. wish Jose, his wife Carmen and the Seijas family all the best.

Image via Cigar & Tabac Ltd.

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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.