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[ T O B A C C O B U S I N E S S . C O M ]
TOBACCO BUSINESS
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D
espite the impression you may get from
reading tobacco industry publications
and websites, not only is the premium
tobacco industry still very much thriving
and alive in the U.S., but America is still
viewed as the top market for premium cigar makers. As
a leader in the premium space, Davidoff Cigars owns
a brand synonymous with luxury and quality with a
motto to match: “Time beautifully filled.” For decades,
Davidoff has been crafting some of the world’s best
cigars, spawning popular brands like Zino Platinum,
Camacho and Avo.
More recently, even as it continues building on
that rich history and entending the reach of its legacy
brands, Davidoff has been evolving, says Jim Young,
president of Davidoff North America.
“I think people are often surprised at how multi-di-
mensional we have become as a company,” he says. “We
were famous for expensive high-quality, mild-to-medi-
um cigars and are perceived to be very limited by that.”
Yet, since its beginning, Davidoff has demonstrated
that while not constrained by its history or success, the
company remains committed to the spirit of adventure
embodied by its founder, Zino Davidoff, whose parents
laid the foundation for the family business when they
opened a tobacco store in Geneva in 1911. Known as a
great businessman, Zino Davidoff also had a reputation
for pushing the boundaries of cigar-making. His sense
of adventure has been woven throughout the company’s
history and his legacy is also evident in its dedication to
producing memorable cigars, from the popular Escurio
brand to the recent Yamasá line. From Zino Davidoff,
the company’s leadership passed to Dr Ernst Schneider,
who began overseeing Davidoff when it was acquired
by Max Oettinger Co. in 1970.
Today, in leading Davidoff’s North American op-
erations, Jim Young has quite the challenge set out
for him—how will he and his colleagues stay on top
of an industry that’s under attack by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)? According to Young, it’s
about having a clear vision moving forward, one that
acknowledges the FDA’s new deeming regulations but
also looks beyond them. Davidoff will comply with
the provisions and stand with other cigar companies
to help achieve legislative, regulatory and litigation
breakthroughs, while also continuing to provide a
compelling and memorable Davidoff experience for
U.S. cigar enthusiasts.
“At our core, we are a premium cigar company, but
with a complementary portfolio of premium cigar ac-
cessories—both owned and through our exciting new
partnership with S.T. Dupont,” Young explains. “We
also have an important and complementary cigarillo
business, with Davidoff Cigarillos at the core of that.”
i
JIM YOUNG,
PRESIDENT OF
DAVIDOFF NORTH AMERICA
,
PROVIDES INSIGHT TO WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR ONE OF
THE
WORLD’S LEADING PREMIUM CIGAR BRANDS.
BY ANTOINE REID
A
V
I
D
O
F
F
IN AMERICA:
ONWARD & UPWARD
PREMIUM
CIGARS