He’s kept up that dizzying pace ever since, listening, learning and representing the company in meetings with General Cigar’s customers, retailers, distributors and stakeholders. Ask Broersma how he starts a typical workday and he’ll tell you that it all depends on where he wakes up—or where he’s headed. “A day in my life is sometimes just trying to get to a destination, sometimes working with one of our salespeople to visit local retailers and talk to our customers, or sometimes walking around the office or the factory for a ‘good morning’ and casual chat with people of all levels in the company,” he explains.
“Our main office is in Richmond, Virginia, in the center of the state, [and] our distribution network is in Hampton, Virginia (two hours away, near the coast); we have salespeople covering 50 states, an international team responsible for more than 60 countries worldwide, and three cigar-making and two box factories in [the] Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, in addition to our tobacco growing [operations], so my workdays can be very diverse.”
That commitment to engaging with the company’s stakeholders is central to Broersma’s management philosophy, he says. “I like to talk to the people in any location, as that is how you get the feeling about what is happening in the organization. I need to see those smiles to be sure we are on the right path.”
By all accounts, his energetic approach to building his company’s brands—and making a name for himself—in the American premium cigar market has paid off. Enthusiasm and excitement around General Cigar has been steadily building, and Broersma says the company has plenty of runway left to continue that trajectory. The future looks bright for General Cigar,” he asserts. “We’ve hit our stride, and we’re unstoppable. Our employees are empowered. Retailers and consumers are looking at the company and our brands in a new light. We’ve taken a leadership role in ensuring the category is well-positioned for the future. We’ll continue to focus on partnering with retailers, maintaining the vitality of the category through innovation and [remaining] steadfast in our commitment to delivering the world’s finest cigars. Now just sit back and watch us get it done.”
– Story by Jennifer Gelfand / Photos by Robb Scharetg
This story first appeared in the September/October 2017 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
