The Cigar Family

There just might not be any industry quite like Cigars.

The culture is romanticized in art, music, and relationships.

It is these relationships that seem to span & endure the test of time and even passed down from generation to generation.

Ask anyone who has been around cigars for some time and two family names will keep coming up.

Newman and Fuente.

In 1996 these two families joined in founding The Cigar Family in celebration of a combined 200 years of family tradition and love of cigars.

The Fuente Family

The Fuente family, led by Carlos Fuente Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr., are well respected in an industry that is rich in history.

The Fuente family has a deep-seated history in Cuba. Arturo Fuente (1888-1973) learned the art of cigar cultivating from his father and in 1906 Arturo immigrated to Key West.

The Fuentes opened their first factory in the Dominican Republic in 1980. This factory, which started with only a handful of employees, has grown to over 2500 employees – all based in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

They are well known for making these cigar brands:

• Gran Reserva
• Chateau Fuente
• Don Carlos
• Hemingway
• Anejo
• Magnum
• Casa Cuba
• Destino Al Siglo
• Fuente Fuente OpusX

In 2012, the Fuente family celebrated 100 years of cigar tradition.

Carlos Fuente, Sr once said, “We don’t hurry things, we just do things the way they are suppose to be done.”

To this day, the Fuente family is well respected in a sometimes very competitive industry. The company remains innovative and steadfast to a cigar making process that constantly improves yet maintains a rich history of traditions.

J.C. Newman

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is America’s oldest family-owned cigar maker.

At just 14 years-old, J.C. Newman (1875-1958) became a cigar-maker apprentice in Cleveland, Ohio.

J.C. Newman started his operation from very humble beginnings. A cigar table made from old boards, $50 worth of borrowed tobacco, and space in the barn behind the family home.

In 1954, Newman joined the Tampa cigar making revolution. This move was not only good for growth, the geographic location was closer to Cuba. Since the turn of the century, more Cuban tobacco cigars were rolled in Tampa than in Cuba.

In 1961 the Cuban Embargo made it impossible for many Tampa operations to continue. However, Stanford Newman was a visionary. Searching the world for alternatives to Cuban tobacco, Stanford was determined. In 1963, he became the first cigar manufacturer to introduce Cameroon tobacco to America.

Calling on Tampa, FL for its base, J.C. Newman is the last operating cigar factory in and area fans refer to as, “Cigar City.”

Today, the Newman tradition is carried on by Eric Newman and Bobby Newman. Their brands include ultra premium to value priced options for all smokers including:

• Diamond Crown
• Diamond Crown Maximus
• Diamond Crown Julius Ceasar
• Cuesta-Rey
• La Unica
• Brick House
• El Baton
• Perla Del Mar
• Quorum
• Factory 59, Tampa Trolleys & El Reloj

The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation

Together, both families have intertwined business and charitable endeavors.  In 2001 they formed The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation to help fight poverty in the Dominican Republic and give back to those in need.