Eli Witt, together with several partners and investors purchased the Hav-A-Tampa Cigar Company, forming Hav-A-Tampa Cigar Company, Inc.
MAY 1920
The company once again relocates, this time to a larger factory at 2411 21st Street in Ybor City.
Hav-A-Tampa moves to 2007 21st Street, formerly the Regensburg and Sons Factory.
The company registers the name “HAV-A-TAMPA” with the U.S. patent office. The name, all in capitals, had been in use since at least 1923.
1931
1918
1912
MAY 06 1918
Hav-A-Tampa agrees to produce cigars exclusively for Eli Witt Cigar Company.
APRIL 1917
The image of a woman replaces that of a man on the Hav-A-Tampa cigar label.
MARCH 14 1917
The company relocates to a factory on the northwest corner of 14th Street and 12th Avenue in Ybor City.
Hav-A-Tampa and Consolidated Cigars merge to form Altadis USA, based in Fort Lauderdale.
2005
A French tobacco company, SEITA, purchases Consolidated Cigar, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. SEITA and Tabacalera merge to form Altadis Cigar Company.
2005
2000
Havatampa is sold to Tabacalera S.A. based in Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1636, Tabacalera claims to be the world’s oldest cigar company.
1999
1997
1987
1982 Havatampa purchases the “Phillies” brand from Bayuk Cigar Company, doubling the size of Havatampa. The company becomes the second-largest cigar manufacturer in the U.S.
Havatampa purchases Diamond Products, manufacturers of rubbing alcohol, peroxide, witch hazel and other similar products supplied to grocery stores and drug stores such as CVS and Wal-Mart.
Pride Manufacturing, founded in Tampa in 1930, makers of wooden cigar tips for “HAV-A-TAMPA Jewels,” closes its Tampa manufacturing operation. Altadis Group, owners of Altadis USA opt to purchase wooden tips from China.
MAY 2009
1902 Timeline 2009 Hav-A-Tampa manufacturing plant in Tampa closes.
Imperial Tobacco of England merges with Altadis USA.
Portions of this time line were excerpted from A History of the Name by Earl J. Brown, Jr. Copyright 1980.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009
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