Villiger Cigars has a new national sales manager, and it’s Hector J. Pires, who was promoted from his current position of southeastern territory manager.

“Hector has been a great asset to Villiger Cigars over the past year and a half, and has proven that he can be an effective leader for our sales staff,” said Rene Castañeda, president of Villiger Cigars North America. “I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to spread the Villager message to our retailers and consumers.”

Pires begins his new role immediately. His previous position is being filled by Roger Peña, who recently joined the company.

Prior to joining the cigar industry, Pires sworked in the hospitality and restaurant industry, first joining his family’s restaurant group in his home country of Venezuela. He then moved to Miami and opened his own high-end restaurant, which he ran for 10 years before selling it and moving on to follow his passion for tobacco and premium cigars.

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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.