Villiger Announces Opening of New Nicaraguan Factory
The Villiger Group has announced the official opening of Villiger de Nicaragua, its new factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
The factory is a joint venture with Joya de Nicaragua, which was enlisted to be “a trusted operational partner in Nicaragua to make this project an outstanding factory,” according to Rene Castaneda, president of Villiger Cigars North America. He cited that Joya de Nicaragua’s know-how and expertise in managing and running a premium handmade cigar factory as being a fit for Villiger’s needs.
It measures approximately 33,000 square feet in size, and is a completely new construction that was completed over the past 12 months, a notable accomplishment in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The factory currently employs approximately 100 people between administration and production, but expects that number to increase to 160 people in the coming months.
Villiger de Nicaragua will produce a number of its brands at the factory, including the Villiger San’Doro Colorado and Claro lines, Villiger La Vencedora, Villiger La Meridiana, Corrida, La Libertad, Casa de Nicaragua, and others. The factory officially began production on Oct. 13.
“Our goal was to create a modern production facility where hand-rolled premium cigars are produced for all Villiger worldwide,” said Heinrich Villiger, chairman of the board of Villiger Söhne AG and Villiger Söhne Holding AG. “From raw tobacco purchasing to shipping, Villiger now has quality control completely in one hand. With the new Villiger de Nicaragua, we will be able to strengthen and expand our market position in all markets in the future, especially in the largest sales market for handmade cigars, the USA.”
Villiger also operates Villiger do Brazil, a factory located in Feira de Santana, a city in the eastern state of Bahia, Brazil.
Images courtesy of Villiger Cigars North America.
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 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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