A man in love with cigars - Heinrich Villiger

James Leavey talks to cigar legend Heinrich Villiger about his life and his company

Heinrich Villiger is the trim, fit, sole owner of one of Switzerland’s last surviving tobacco family businesses; his world famous company was founded by his grandfather, Jean Villiger, in Pfeffikon, a small town on the northern outskirts of Lucerne, in 1888.

A soft-spoken diplomat, Heinrich has been producing, selling and extolling the virtues of fine cigars, cigarillos and loose tobacco for over half a century.

For a man who tried his first cigar when he was about 12, then smoked cigarettes until he was 23 when he switched to premium cigars – which he still enjoys every day, Heinrich Villiger looks far younger than his 75 years.

Early every morning, he rides one of his namesake mountain bicycles on the quiet roads around his Swiss farm for 30-40 minutes before driving across the border to his office in Walshut-Tiengen, Germany. Rather like his famous brand of bicycles, and even more famous brand of quality cigars and cigarillos, Heinrich Villiger looks like a man who could go on forever.

And, indeed, many of us hope he will, for Heinrich Villiger, chairman of the board of Villiger Soehne Holding AG, is a gifted entrepeneur, and one of the most influential personalities in the global cigar market.

In order to run a cigar factory successfully, his grandfather, Jean, not only had to specialise in everything there was to know about tobacco; he also had to acquire certain manual skills concerned with the art of cigar manufacture.

As a result, the Villiger family, right up .....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By James Leavey

Section : Cigar Interviews

Page number : 12

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 4 on 10/05/2005.

This article is 87 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	A man in love with cigars - Heinrich Villiger James Leavey talks to cigar legend Heinrich Villiger about his life and his company Heinrich Villiger is the trim, fit, sole owner of one of Switzerland’s last surviving tobacco family businesses; his world famous company was founded by his grandfather, Jean Villiger, in Pfeffikon, a small town on the northern outskirts of Lucerne, in 1888. A soft-spoken diplomat, Heinrich has been producing, selling and extolling the virtues of fine cigars, cigarillos and loose tobacco for over half a century. For a man who tried his first cigar when he was about 12, then smoked cigarettes until he was 23 when he switched to premium cigars – which he still enjoys every day, Heinrich Villiger looks far younger than his 75 years. Early every morning, he rides one of his namesake mountain bicycles on the quiet roads around his Swiss farm for 30-40 minutes before driving across the border to his office in Walshut-Tiengen, Germany. Rather like his famous brand of bicycles, and even more famous brand of quality cigars and cigarillos, Heinrich Villiger looks like a man who could go on forever. And, indeed, many of us hope he will, for Heinrich Villiger, chairman of the board of Villiger Soehne Holding AG, is a gifted entrepeneur, and one of the most influential personalities in the global cigar market. In order to run a cigar factory successfully, his grandfather, Jean, not only had to specialise in everything there was to know about tobacco; he also had to acquire certain manual skills concerned with the art of cigar manufacture. As a result, the Villiger family, right up ..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By James Leavey Section : Cigar Interviews Page number : 12 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 4 on 10/05/2005. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 87 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2012. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.