54 / 102
[ 50 ]
TOBACCO BUSINESS
[
MAY
/
JUNE
|
17 ]
blends and the Maduro is produced in Villiger’s cigar
factory located in Bahai, Brazil.
In addition to making premium machine- and hand-
made cigars, Villiger also produces its own line of pipe
tobacco. While pipe tobacco among a heavy cigar port-
folio may be surprising, it fits well into Heinrich Villiger’s
intent that the company be viewed not just as a cigar
manufacturer but a premium tobacco company.
“When you look at us as a company, we give space
and attention to pipe tobacco and you’ll see more
efforts from Villiger to make people aware of it,”
Castañeda explained. “We have the handmade and
machine-made cigars and we have pipe tobacco. The
cohesive message is that we are committed 100 percent
to premium tobacco.”
IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
Today, Heinrich Villiger continues to be involved in the
day-to-day operations of Villiger Söhne AG but, as in the
past, a new generation of innovative and inspired lead-
ers are carrying on the vision first set forth by Jean Vil-
liger in 1888. Villiger has a new CEO, Robert Suter, and
the North America division has a new president, René
Castañeda. The company has undergone many changes
in the past year but one thing remains—Villiger is whole-
heartedly dedicated to premium tobacco and making
top-quality products from it. From world wars to regula-
tions in the European market, Villiger has faced its share
of obstacles but it has yet to bow to any of them. Each
challenge has inspired those at the helm of the company
to rise to the occasion, innovate, and search for ways to
improve itself. The FDA challenge is no different.
“Whatever we put into the market now is a long-
term commitment and not just a flavor of the month,”
explained Castañeda. “We need to make sure we have
great products that are of great quality because there
is no second chance. We need to make sure we have an
excellent product from the start.”
Castañeda is a veteran in the cigar industry, having
served as a product representative for many years before
assuming the role of president of Villiger North Ameri-
ca. Though he may not have the family name, he under-
stands the work that must be done in order for Villiger to
remain a formidable force in the tobacco industry. He,
like those who have helped shape Villiger’s long history,
also looks to those who came before him for inspiration
and direction.
“Mr. [Heinrich] Villiger is the most passionate person
about tobacco that I’ve ever met.,” Castañeda declared.
“Tobacco is his life. He is a firm believer that even with all
the regulations and all the anti-tobacco movements in the
world, that we as a company need to push forward [in]
developing premium handmade cigars. He thinks that if
anything goes wrong with the regulations, that handmade
cigars have a better chance of surviving in the long term.”
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
Despite the FDA’s growing presence in the U.S. to-
bacco industry, Villiger remains dedicated to grow-
ing its presence here. The company has already faced
regulations in the European market and has worked
diligently on becoming compliant in order to contin-
ue serving its customers, and it plans to do the same
here in the U.S. Castañeda reports that 70 percent of
the company’s portfolio meets the requirements to be
grandfathered into the FDA’s deeming regulations.
When it comes to the company’s handmade products,
Villiger is working through the substantial equiva-
lence requirements ahead of time to ensure its prod-
ucts are available to its customers.
Castañeda and those at Villiger understand that while
work must be done to secure its portfolio of products,
it will not be successful without its key partners—the
tobacco retailers. Customer service comes above all in
Villiger’s marketing strategy going forward. The com-
pany’s sales representatives are constantly going through
training sessions focused on Villiger’s many products.
Sales representatives are also trained in how to carry out
store events, another important marketing element for
both retailers and consumers. The overall philosophy is
if you are carrying Villiger products, then Villiger wants
to help you in any way possible to make those products
successful and profitable in your store.
“Here in the U.S. we’re trying to evolve and make sure
we have a good foundation for our customers to have a
good understanding of our company, its philosophy and
our portfolio of products,” states Castañeda. “We want
to show that we’re committed 100 percent from the be-
ginning to the end.”
TB
We need to
make sure we
have great
products
that are of
great quality
because there
is no second
chance. We
need to make
sure we have
an excellent
product from
the start.
Villiger's René Castañeda