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arillos, a then-innovative new type of filtered cigarillos.
In 1951, after receiving formal training in raw to-
bacco, Heinrich Villiger assumed control of his family’s
company and like those before him, he had a global vi-
sion for the company. Heinrich wanted Villiger to be an
international company and known by many around the
globe. He began purchasing Cuban tobacco for Villiger’s
Pfeffikon production facility and set the stage for Villiger
to become the world’s largest private purveyor of Cuban
tobacco. He introduced the world to Villiger at the New
York 1964 World Exhibition; he set up different divi-
sions and distribution channels around the world to help
spread Villigers’ influence; he also continued to devel-
op the company’s product portfolio to expand it beyond
machine-made cigars to include handmade cigars and
pipe tobacco. Heinrich Villiger led the company for 65
years before stepping down in March of 2016—but the
Villiger story was far from over.
A DIVERSE TOBACCO PORTFOLIO
Villiger is known for its machine-made tobacco products
that carry the label of being premium. While there’s
sometimes a stigma attached to machine-made tobac-
co products, Villiger works hard to prove that one can
make a premium product by machine. Only top-quality,
premium tobacco is used in its machine-made products
like the Export, a brand that incorporates over seven dif-
ferent tobaccos. The company puts its focus on quality
and consistency, two characteristics that have helped its
box-pressed Export brand find global success.
“Export is machine-made and a 70-year-old brand
with nice, classical packaging and one that you will find
all over the world,” described René Castañeda, president
of Villiger North America. “It’s a product that can either
be in the humidor or that can be sold at the counter in a
display. It’s a short, premium cigar, made for the person
who doesn’t want to spend $10 on a cigar he or she just
wants to smoke for 10 or 15 minutes.” Export is available
in three blends: Natural, Maduro and Brazil.
Villiger also has many premium handmade cigar
products, the most popular of them being the Villiger
San’Doro. This line has earned high ratings among the
leading cigar magazines and websites. San’Doro is a su-
per-premium cigar priced affordably between $8 and
$10. This cigar is available in three different varieties:
Claro, Colorado and Maduro, which is the strongest of
the three blends. Oliva makes the Colorado and Claro
In an age where tobacco companies are under the attack
of increasing regulations and anti-smoking movements,
any company that manages to beat the odds is impres-
sive. Villiger Söhne AG, which dates back to 1888, has
proven itself to be resilient and dedicated to not just ci-
gars but to all premium tobacco categories. For much of
its existence, the company was run by different members
of the Villiger family, all innovators and entrepreneurs in
their own way. Over the generations, Villiger has evolved
and transformed, going from being a cigar manufacturer
in Switzerland to an international company today with
divisions around the world.
Today, Villiger remains as committed to tobacco as it
was at its start. The company’s portfolio is packed with
a variety of products that are both machine and hand-
made, but above all, are made from premium, top-quality
tobacco. From cigars and cigarillos to pipe tobacco, Villig-
er has something for every type of smoker in the market.
To fully grasp the dedication and efforts made to establish
Villiger as a global premium tobacco company, one must
pay homage to the individuals who paved the way for the
brand with over 129 years of history enriched in tobacco.
A FAMILY HISTORY IN TOBACCO
Villiger’s story began in the Swiss town of Pfeffikon in
1888 when 28-year-old Jean Villiger founded his cigar
company. When Jean died in 1902, just 14 years after
founding the company, his wife Louise defied many
stereotypes of the time by taking on the leadership role
at Villiger. Wanting to continue what was built and in-
spired by his legacy, Jean expanded into the German
and international markets, even as the world was en-
gulfed in wars.
After World War I, Louise’s sons Hans and Max led
the company. As they continued to build on the legacy
of their parents, Hans and Max brought new innova-
tive ideas to the company’s products and helped estab-
lish Villiger’s European footprint and dominance with
the development of products like Villiger Rillos, the first
cigarillos with attached mouthpieces, and the ECO cig-