West Tampa Tobacco Co. Names Stijn Elbersen Director of Global Sales and Marketing
As West Tampa Tobacco Co. continues to expand into international markets, the company has announced that it has appointed Stijn Elbersen as its new director of global sales and marketing.
Elbersen is currently the owner of Small Batch Traders, a distribution company based in Elst, The Netherlands, which is currently the exclusive distributor of West Tampa Tobacco Co. Among his new duties with West Tampa Tobacco Co., he will lead the company’s international expansion into more markets as not just a distributor and independent sales consultant, but now as part of the company’s sales team.
“As friends and former colleagues at STG/General Cigar, we have a deep respect and trust of Stijn and his capabilities,” said Gus Martinez, president and co-owner of West Tampa Tobaco Co., via a press release. “He has been instrumental to this point in building our brand outside of the U.S. and we expect to see continued global growth in the near future. We are fortunate to not only have the opportunity to welcome someone who has a deep understanding of the industry but shares the same values that both Rick and I believe will be key to the success of our company.”
Elbersen brings nearly two decades of experience in the premium cigar industry to the position, having started his career in 2005 with Habanos S.A., the Cuban cigar conglomerate. He then joined Swedish Match in 2008 where he helped develop the General Cigar line of products in the Benelux region, which includes Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. Following the acquisition of Swedish Match by Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Stijn became director of international sales and marketing. In addition to building all STG/General Cigar brands outside the US, Elbersen built a talented and passionate team that allowed them to achieve significant sales and profit growth, according to a press release.
In May 2021, Elbersen decided to further pursue his love and passion for handmade cigars by starting his own imports and distribution company in the Netherlands, Small Batch Traders. It was there that Elbersen reunited with former colleagues Rick Rodriguez and Gus Martinez.
West Tampa Tobacco Co. is currently available in the U.S. and 25 other countries around the globe.
Image courtesy of West Tampa Tobacco Co.
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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