T.L. Johnson Cigar Co. Merges with Black Patch Cigar Co.
A pair of American cigar companies with ties to the Dominican Republic have joined forces, as today T.L. Johnson Group Dominicana, SRL/T.L. Johnson Cigar Company and Black Patch Cigar Company announced a merger between the two entities.
Black Patch is owned by Eric McAnallen and headquartered in Pikeville, Ky. It was launched in 2000 and makes cigars in the Dominican Republic using the company’s Kentucky-grown tobacco, known as Kenbano, in its blends. The company’s current lineup of cigars the original Kenbano and the Kenbano Platino and Kenbano Oro, which were released earlier this year.
T.L. Johnson Companies dates its history back to 1993, branching out into cigars on a small basis in 1998 before expanding in 2002 and then being relaunched in 2010. It has grown to include the Tabacalera TLJ factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic as well as a distribution company based in the Denver, Colo. area.
As part of the merger, Black Patch Cigars will be produced at Tabacalera TLJ and distributed by T.L. Johnson Distributors.
In the announcement, the companies intend to work closely on continuing to grow tobacco in Kentucky, as well as expansion of T.J. Johnson & Co. Tobacco’s growing operations in the Dominican Republic. “Black Patch Cigars and McAnallens’ tobacco growing experience in Kentucky and the Dominican Republic to be a welcome addition to the T.L. Johnson Cigar family,” said Johnson via a press release.
Randy Shorman, vp of operations for T.L. Johnson, will be handling the day to day activities following the merger.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified T.L. Johnson Cigar Co. as having been established in 2010. The company’s history has been updated and corrected.
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.
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