The United Nations of cigar retailers

Earlier this year, 29 of the world’s leading cigar retailers were invited to the Dominican Republic for a series of masterclasses, factory visits and field trips organised by Davidoff. They were joined by James Leavey

When Davidoff’s United Kingdom sales director, Ron Baldwinson, asked if I’d care to join him on a five-day tour of his company’s cigar factory and farms in the Dominican Republic last February, I had to restrain myself from biting his arm off.

Over the past decade I’ve followed the premium cigar trail to the Canary Islands, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Dubai, North America, Switzerland and Cuba. I’ve always wanted to visit the Caribbean island whose cultivation of tobacco is said to stretch back even longer than Cuba’s.

And the chance to meet cigar retailers from around the world was unmissable.

“Welcome to the family of Davidoff,” said Raymond Scheurer, senior vice president and member of the executive board, Oettinger Davidoff Group, who’d flown ahead to Las Americas international airport in Santo Domingo together with three of his Swiss colleagues from Basel, to greet and fast-track his guests through Customs. “You may not immediately remember the first name of everyone you meet on this trip, but their last name’s Davidoff.” Scheurer has run four Davidoff cigar retailer trips to the Dominican Republic every year since 1994 (coincidentally, the year Zino Davidoff died), which is why everything was now ticking along nicely, rather like Switzerland’s cuckoo clocks.

“This is the first time we have hosted representatives from so many different countries,” said Scheurer, “including Slovenia, France, Norway, Sweden, Hong Kong, Romania, Croatia, Switzerland, South .....

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By James Leavey

Section : International Focus

Page number : 18

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 5 on 15/09/2005.

This article is 65 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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	The United Nations of cigar retailers Earlier this year, 29 of the world’s leading cigar retailers were invited to the Dominican Republic for a series of masterclasses, factory visits and field trips organised by Davidoff. They were joined by James Leavey When Davidoff’s United Kingdom sales director, Ron Baldwinson, asked if I’d care to join him on a five-day tour of his company’s cigar factory and farms in the Dominican Republic last February, I had to restrain myself from biting his arm off. Over the past decade I’ve followed the premium cigar trail to the Canary Islands, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Dubai, North America, Switzerland and Cuba. I’ve always wanted to visit the Caribbean island whose cultivation of tobacco is said to stretch back even longer than Cuba’s. And the chance to meet cigar retailers from around the world was unmissable. “Welcome to the family of Davidoff,” said Raymond Scheurer, senior vice president and member of the executive board, Oettinger Davidoff Group, who’d flown ahead to Las Americas international airport in Santo Domingo together with three of his Swiss colleagues from Basel, to greet and fast-track his guests through Customs. “You may not immediately remember the first name of everyone you meet on this trip, but their last name’s Davidoff.” Scheurer has run four Davidoff cigar retailer trips to the Dominican Republic every year since 1994 (coincidentally, the year Zino Davidoff died), which is why everything was now ticking along nicely, rather like Switzerland’s cuckoo clocks. “This is the first time we have hosted representatives from so many different countries,” said Scheurer, “including Slovenia, France, Norway, Sweden, Hong Kong, Romania, Croatia, Switzerland, South ..... 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 : International Focus Page number : 18 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 5 on 15/09/2005. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 65 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 © 1999-2010. 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.