Georgia: Local Cigar Manufacturer Looks to Conquer Foreign Markets

Source from:  agenda.ge 01/26/2016

Cigars from Georgia's magnificent mountains of Adjara region might be appeared on the shelves at foreign market.

Local tobacco manufacturer Imeri is expanding, looking to conquer foreign markets and bring benefits back to the local economy.
 
Imeri has already started negotiations with Chinese investors to export Georgian cigars to China.
 
Imeri's director Tamaz Turmanidze told Agenda.ge that Chinese investors were visiting Georgia to negotiate with Imery company representatives.
 
Turmanidze explained first he was in China and brought Georgian cigars there "which they liked".

Once the negotiations were over the Georgian cigars' export will begin to China.
 
Meanwhile, the company was also negotiating with Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
 
Imeri cigars have already been exported to Tukrey where they were available in the Duty Free shops.
 
Meanwhile, Imery cigars were also sold on the local market as well. The product was available in Georgia's major towns such as Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Poti and capital Tbilisi.
 
Imery company was financed within the state programme 'Produce in Georgia'.
 
In total $250,000 USD was invested in the company of which $40,000 USD was agricultural credit, allocated by the state.
 
Imeri company produced more than 30 types of cigars and about 60 cigar accessories.
 
Imeri has been growing the traditional variety, Georgian oriental tobacco trial batches since 2007 in Adjara, Keda municipality.
 
The first Georgian cigar samples were made on May 5, 2009 in Indonesia where oriental tobacco Keda version was defined in Indonesian, Cuban and Dominican Republic tobacco combinations.
 
Imeri has been producing Georgian handmade cigars, cigarillos and six kind of wrapping tobaccos since 2014. Enditem