Press Release: Oettinger Davidoff AG Continues to Expand its European Team

February 7, 2014 (Basel, Switzerland)–As of 1 January 2014, Mario Samec is taking over as the new Area Manager responsible for the German market at Oettinger Davidoff AG. As a former Marketing and Sales Manager with Gebr. Heinemann Tabakwaren- Import- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, which was responsible for the distribution and marketing of Oettinger Davidoff cigars and tobacco accessories within Germany for almost 40 years, Mr Samec has over 15 years of professional experience. With this decision, Albert Manzone, Senior Vice President Europe, reinforces the intention to position Oettinger Davidoff AG as a reliable and indispensable partner for merchants specialised in tobacco products across Europe. “In accordance with our new strategic direction, we wanted the area management to be on site, present at the pulse of commercial activity”, explains Albert Manzone. “We are very happy that in Mario Samec, we have regained a proven professional and someone familiar with the German market. Mr Samec will support the market from Hamburg, in close collaboration with our Distribution Partner Arnold André and the specialised tobacco trade.

Mario Samec

The former Area Manager, Carlos Andrés, is now, as Director Training Europe, responsible for the development and implementation of the new training concept based on the needs of specialised dealers in Europe, with immediate effect. For the last 15 years, Mr Andrés has been the Area Manager for various European countries and therefore knows the needs of our retail partners in detail.

 Carlos Andrés

Albert Manzone adds: “Germany is one of our most important markets worldwide. With the strengthening of our team with both of these important roles, the focusing and prioritisation of investment in our main brands, above all Davidoff, as well as in the areas of innovation and excellent customer service, we reinforce our vision of becoming the indispensable business partner for German specialised merchants.” 

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.