TOB_Magazine

[ 52 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MAY / JUNE | 18 ] N No matter what they’re selling, retailers are always looking for ways to maximize profitability from every square foot of their stores. They seek products that build the prestige of their stores and excite their customers. They look to do business with companies that seek to establish partnerships with them—companies with a vested interest in retailers’ success and that view business-to-business relationships as collaborations that will help both the retailer and the manufacturer build profitability. The same is even more true for tobacco retailers, who face restrictions on where their customers can smoke that limit their sales potential and who must cope with excise taxes that eat into their profit margins. Now more than ever, tobacco retailers across the board are seeking strong partnerships with manufacturers they can trust. These manufacturers provide more than simply products to sell. They take consultative approaches to help their retail cus- tomers build stronger businesses. They also listen to their retail partners and act on their feedback. One such company working nonstop to earn retail business is Royal Agio Cigars, a 114-year-old company based in the Netherlands. Since its launch in 1904 by Jacques Wintermans, Royal Agio Cigars has grown into one of the world’s largest cigar producers, making an estimated 770 million premium cigarillos per year. Royal Agio’s cigars are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide, and the company employs approximately 2,500 people in factories in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sri Lanka and the Dominican Republic. Despite tremendous growth over the years, Royal Agio Cigars remains a family-owned company and is now directed by Boris Wintermans—the fourth generation of Wintermans to run the company. The Wintermans family attributes Royal Agio Cigars’ success to two factors: fostering loyalty to employees who the Wintermans view as extended family members and a commitment to excellence for all of Royal Agio Cigars’ products. American Expansion These products are highly sought-after by tobacco enthu- siasts because of the company’s steadfast commitment to using only the finest leaf and production methods available. Led by its world-famous Panter (the Dutch ➤ Panter and Mehari ’s premium cigarillos offer consumers and retailers alike a premium tobacco experience. BY STEPHEN A. ROSS Royal Agio’s Premium Focus PREMIUM CIGARS Photos courtesy of Royal Agio Cigars