Villiger Reorganizes Business in the US

Source from:  Cigar Journal 03/16/2012

Heinrich Villiger, cigar manufacturer since 1950 and sole owner of Villiger Söhne Holding AG in Switzerland, is reorganizing his US business. The Villiger-Stokkebye International Corp., based in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be renamed Villiger North America on April 1, 2012. Their president up to now, Peter Stokkebye, has been replaced by Roy MacLaren. MacLaren has been working in the tobacco business for 30 years. Most recently, he was vice president of the Beach Cigar Group, the manufacturer of Gurkha Cigars, for eight years. At the same time, Villiger's US subsidiary company will be ending their cooperation with Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG). Heinrich Villiger said: "Until now, we have been importing smoking tobacco from STG to the USA and have sold it there. The STG will now take over on their own." Villiger North America will increase the range of products in the United States and will sell machine-manufactured cigars from Switzerland as well as the premium cigars from the house of Villiger, among them the brand made in the Dominican Republic, Villiger 1888 and La Libertad. Heinrich Villiger commented: "In addition, from April 1, 2012, we will be selling a new kind of pipe tobacco range under our brand NEWMINSTER." The tobaccos will be manufactured in Denmark. Enditem