Camacho Cigars

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Camacho Cigars was a cigar company founded in 1962 by Simon Camacho and acquired by the Eiroa family in 1995. Now part of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, the company is based in Danlí, Honduras, and specializes in handmade Cuban seed cigars.

History[edit]

After being exiled from Cuba in 1961, Simon Camacho began his cigar business in Miami, Florida.[1] Simon Camacho’s cigars gained success in the United States, as well as abroad.[1] The vitola was developed in the Romeo Y Julieta factory in Cuba in approximately 1903. Production during this period reached 2 to 3 million cigars per year and the quantity continued to grow as the 1990s cigar boom years approached.

Camacho Cigars were reportedly enjoyed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.[2] Camacho later named one of its most popular cigars after Churchill.[3]

Acquisition[edit]

Five years after the death of Simon Camacho in 1990, the company was acquired by the Eiroa family, and tobacco production was transferred from Nicaragua to Honduras. In 1998, 26-year-old Christian Eiroa became the president of Caribe Imported Cigars, setting his years of experience from the family plantations in Honduras to good use.[4]

By the early 2000s and with the launch of the Camacho Corojo, the Eiroa family and their ventures had become well known within the US cigar industry. In 2008, Camacho and its Rancho Jamastran factory in Danlí, Honduras sold to the Oettinger Davidoff Group, although the Eiroas maintained ownership of the Honduran tobacco fields.[5]

Eiroa Family[edit]

Generoso Eiroa had been growing tobacco in Cuba since the 1900s, but due to the wake of the Cuban Revolution and subsequent nationalization of the tobacco plantations, his widow and three sons were forced to leave the country and settle in Tampa, Florida[6] Eiroa's son, Julio Eiroa, joined the Bay of Pigs invasion attempt as one of a force of Cuban exiles with the US Army.[6] While his brother, Generoso Jr. worked in Nicaragua, Julio traveled to Honduras in 1963 on behalf of tobacco dealer Angel Oliva.[6] There, as part of a government-sponsored cultivation project, he laid the foundations for Camachos tobacco plantations belonging to the Eiroa family.[6]

After his first year with the Oliva Family, Julio Eiroa decided to become an independent farmer. Julio Eiroa bought the government tobacco farms year after year. His decision changed helped kick-start the history of tobacco in Honduras.[citation needed] Through partnerships with companies such as Bering Cigars and US Tobacco, he would become the world’s largest Candela tobacco farmer by 1972. In 1987, Julio Eiroa founded Caribe Imported Cigars in Miami, Florida, which manufactures cigars and offers its products through dealers and retailers in the United States and internationally.[7]

Company today[edit]

After five years of adopting Bayer's standards for good agricultural and manufacturing practices, Camacho Cigars and Bayer CropScience signed a working partnership under the Bayer Food Management program. The new alliance established Camacho Cigars as the only tobacco company in history to comply with strict international standards for Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). By complying with the practices set forth by Bayer CropScience, Camacho Cigars ensures the responsible management of natural resources, bio-friendly pesticides, industrial safety, and biosecurity.[8]

Camacho Cigars signed a three-year deal with the Orange Bowl and the NCAA for the 2012-2014 Orange Bowl games and the 2013 BCS National Championship.[9] The sponsorship was pulled [10] after several public health organizations raised concern, saying tobacco promotions have no place in sports and shouldn't be allowed under federal tobacco marketing restrictions.[9]

Brands[edit]

Core brands[edit]

The cigars produced under the Camacho Brand:[11]

Premium brands[edit]

The Cigar Blends that make up the core of the Camacho Brand.[11]

Ultra premium brands[edit]

The Limited Selections are available only at select retailers.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Guide, Eliz (9 June 2012). "Camacho Cigar". ABC Article Directory. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  2. ^ Rich Perelman (29 September 2010). "How Churchill Found Camacho". CigarCyclopedia.com. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Camacho Cigars". Astoria Imperial Cigar Co. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. ^ Widmayer, Reinhold C. (2021-06-18). "Christian Eiroa: The Corojo King". Cigar Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  5. ^ Charlie Minato (17 February 2012). "News: Christian Eiroa Nears Return to Cigar Industry". Halfwheel. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Eric D. Kukucka (23 March 2011). "Camacho Corojo Monarch". Jenuwine Cigar Factory Outlets. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  7. ^ "Company Overview of Caribe Imported Cigars, Inc". Business Week. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ulfer, Tom (19 July 2010). "Camacho Cigars signs partnership with Bayer CropScience". Tampa Bay Examiner.
  9. ^ a b Felberbaum, Michael (20 December 2011). "APNewsBreak: Groups ask to nix Bowl cigar sponsor". Associated Press Archive.
  10. ^ Whittaker, G. Clay. "Camacho and Orange Bowl Part Ways". Cigar Aficionado. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d Pearley, Lamont 'Jack' (10 January 2011). "Camacho Cigars". New York Examiner.
  12. ^ a b c Carey, Bridget (13 October 2008). "INTERNATIONAL: Swiss firm acquires Camacho Cigars - Oettinger Davidoff Group has acquired the Miami cigar maker and plans to continue operations as usual". The Miami Herald.

External links[edit]