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12
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MAY/JUNE 2012
NEWS & TRENDS
Highlights
Changes
at Davidoff
The Oettinger Davidoff
Group names its first
senior vice president of
global production.
In March, Basel,
Swi t zer l and-based
Oettinger Davidoff Group announced the
appointment of Javier Plantada as senior
vice president of global production as of
April 2, 2012. Plantada joins the company
with over 20 years of experience in the
cigar business from Tabacalera, which
became Altadis and ultimately Imperial
Tobacco Group. The 58-year-old has lived
in Cuba, Honduras and Nicaragua and was
most recently working in the Philippines as
general manager of Philippine Bobbin Corp.
(Altadis) supplying all wrapper and binder
cuts for Cuba, U.S. and Europe. Previously,
he was heading Altadis’ handmade cigar
operations in Honduras and Nicaragua, and
prior to that hewasbased inCubamanaging
Tabacalera’s program financing the Cuban
tobacco crop focused on wrappers and
selected fillers.
In his new role, Plantada will oversee
the Oettinger Davidoff Group operations
in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
Before joining the cigar business in 1992,
Plantada was in the coffee business in the
Dominican Republic, Mexico, Singapore
andSpain. Javier,who isSpanish, graduated
as an industrial engineer from Madrid’s
Polytechnic University.
“This new role was early on identified
as a critical addition to the senior
management team and with his long
senior experience in the Cigar business,
Javier Plantada is uniquely qualified for this
position,” says Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard,
CEO and president of Oettinger Davidoff
Group. “With his track record of superior
operational performance and building
strong and motivated teams coupled with a
tremendous intercultural breadthanddepth,
I amconfident that hewill be a valued leader
andmember of our team.”
J. Grotto Gears Up for Growth
Premium cigar company adds new sales reps.
This January, Paul Joyal, Ocean
State Cigars’ founder and president,
added a second manufacturer’s
representative firm, then two more
in February. Joining his original
Northeastern U.S. representative,
Mike Ferraro of It’s All a Dream,
the new firms are spreading the
company’s J. Grotto line of boutique
premiumcigarsover half thecountry.
The two-cigar lineup is soon to be
joined by a third wrapper selection,
all manufactured in Honduras.
In February, Pittsburgh sales
representative John Demharter
joined the team, introducing J.
Grotto to smoke shops in Ohio, West
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Maryland. Soon thereafter Joyal
brought Cary Bischoff’s Des Moines,
Washington-basedNorthwest Cigars
on board. Bischoff now covers
Washington, Oregon and Idaho. And
finally, Bob Alion, of Atlanta-based
Robert Alion & Associates, is now
also in place, calling on retailers in
Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.
“Most reps don’t want to take on a
new cigar line, but they see 90-plus
ratings, positive reviews, consumer
advertising and in-store sales aids
in place,” says Joyal. “This shows
we have a strong product, are
well-funded, and have the drive
and commitment to go after the
business. We were one of seven
new cigar companies to appear
at IPCPR 2011. Six have already
disappeared, evidently due to a lack
of adequate funding to support their
efforts.” Ocean State Cigars, Inc.,
West Warwick, RI, 401-822-0536.
New President for Villiger
Erik Stokkebye departs, new leader announced.
Villiger Stokkebye International
has named Ray MacLaren its
new president, effective February
27. MacLaren, who previously
worked for Gurkha Cigar, replaces
Erik Stokkebye, who resigned.
Stokkebye’s departure followed
news of Lane Limited taking over
distribution of Stokkebye and other
pipe tobacco lines. The transition is
seen by many in the industry as an
attempt to move the company from
its pipe tobacco strength toward a
greater share of the cigar market.
The Village of Haverstraw in
Rockland County recently passed a
local law banning tobacco displays
ata all but adult-only retail locations.
Unless legal action overturns the
new law, retail stores in the Village
of Haverstraw, New York will be
permitted to sell tobacco but not to
display it. Instead, store employees
would verify the ages of customers
and offer them a printed tobacco
menu from which to order. Any
stores caught displaying tobacco
products would be subject to fines
ranging from $500 to $2,000. Adult-
only locations would be exempt
from the law.
The New York Association of
Convenience Stores, which is
fighting the new law, called themove
“breathtakingly absurd” and said
it sets a precedent with potentially
major ramifications for the state’s
convenience store industry.
New York Village Bans C-Stores
from Displaying Tobacco