November 19, 2013 (Kansas City, Mo.) — Cigar aficionados around the world value the engineering and design expertise that XIKAR puts in to every one of the cigar accessories they create.  Building on that expertise, XIKAR is proud to announce the creation of XIKAR Product Design Services (XPDS).  XPDS, a design, innovation and engineering group within XIKAR, focuses on creating accessory designs for other companies in the cigar and other consumer product industries.

Over the years XIKAR has received multiple inquiries from other companies for product design services.  In response these requests, XIKAR formed XPDS as an industry resource, giving volume purchasers a design development center with deep industry knowledge and a track record of excellent product design.

“XIKAR has invested heavily in engineering and design talent, and technology over the last two years.  XPDS is the vehicle through which we can assist our customers who are looking for proprietary product designs,” said Kurt Van Keppel CEO.  “This is an exciting new initiative at XIKAR that leverages our core competency of innovative product design and expands our relationships with customers who have unique product goals,” added Scott Almsberger, CDO.

Inquiries regarding product development should be directed to David Frazier, Vice President of Sales.

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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.