Nicaraguan Cigar-Maker Weathers
Crisis With Obama
By Filadelfo Aleman
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — President Barack Obama has solved the
economic crisis — at least for one cigar company.
As soon as Obama won the November election, Granada 1524 Cigars of
Corona, California, began shipping Obama Presidential Series 44
cigars out of Nicaragua to the U.S. market.
Miguel Ramirez, head of the company's operations in Nicaragua, says
they've been selling fast.
"They disappeared in Washington, New York, California, Florida and
Las Vegas," said Ramirez, 71.
Granada, which doesn't have its own factory, has hired Nicaragua's
Segovia Cigars to produce the Obama series. The company is among
several cigar manufacturers in northern Nicaragua that in all employ
some 17,000 people.
Ramirez said the company exported a total of 20,000 cigars to the
U.S. in December and January.
Anto Kamarian, owner of Cigars by Chivas in Pasadena, California,
and Anto's Cigar Lounge in Long Beach, said he's never had a new
cigar sell like the Obama model. Kamarian said he expected to sell
one or two boxes a month when he began carrying the line six weeks
ago, and was surprised when he nearly sold out. The cigars retail
for $15 to $20 each, depending on the size.
He described it as a high-quality, medium-bodied smoke, and said
it's popular with cigar connoisseurs as well as Obama supporters.
It was also a conversation piece with his regulars, who "gave me a
hard time because I'm a Republican," he said.
Obama isn't likely to try the cigar: a former chain-smoker, he quit
at first lady Michelle Obama's insistence.
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