AUGUSTO REYES VARGAS
“
C
THE FIFTH GENERATION OF A CIGAR MAKING FAMILY ADDS SWISHER DOMINICANA TO THE FAMILY SAGA
oming from a tobacco family, I inherited the love and passion for tobacco. Even so, I still think that it was running through my veins when I was born. Tobacco is an active witness of Dominican history, rather, our inherited roots of the Indians, who used to smoke in the most important moments. Although my family was devoted to the planting, cultivation and processing of tobacco, at an early age, I started smoking cigars, even though it was not a common fashion at the time, and I remember that on my vacations I used to work in the tobacco warehouses, along with my brothers. After graduating from college, I dabbled in banking, but only a short time after, I started working in our family business, Flor de los Reyes, where I learned the process of planting, and then in the cigar barns we did all the processing of the tobacco to have it ready for the manufacture of cigars. In 1992 I decided to open a small cigar factory, for selling in our country. And it was in 1994 when I developed my personal worship with cigars. I have made a habit out of arriving early to my office and at that moment of peace, automatically preparing coffee and lighting a cigar. Wow, what a tremendous combination and what a perfect moment to think, meditate, and plan my day. That special moment is so extraordinary that I have relived it every morning until today”. This is what Augusto Reyes says about his intimacy with tobacco and cigars in this
SWISHER IN NUMBERS Year it started: Number of employees: Investment Amount: Number of daily cigars: 2DO ANIVERSARIO 24
November 2011 2,372 RD$1,000,000,000.00 RD $ 10,000,000.00 per day
exclusive interview for Cigarro Dominicano magazine when we visited him in Swisher Dominicana, a business of top notch technology that is dedicated to the mass production of machine-made cigars of an excellent quality that he has added to his family saga. About Swisher he says: “Swisher Dominicana was born by chance, because all my life I’ve tried to help different people and / or companies without lucrative interest. That happened with Swisher, who in
ge for me was the machine production and especially with these fast and modern production machines; but the process was easy, because I had the support of the directors of Swisher International. And only a short time later, Swisher is providing 30% of what is exported in our country regarding tobacco and its derivatives. The natural flavour of Swisher Sweets brand is the best-seller, with 50% of our production, and the other 50% is distributed in different flavors, among which
the United States had decided to try to install a part of the factory in Dominican Republic. They approached me and I helped them with some of their needs and Jules Abbosh, vice president, told me an afternoon: “- Augusto, you are the person we need for this project”, and at the same time, he asked me if I was willing to leave my hand made cigar factory, to which I replied with a yes. I traveled to the USA and within months I got the contract for this new project, which started by the name of Capas Nacionales. For me it was very easy as a professional to understand that we had to make the necessary adjustments to produce what the market wants. The big challen-
we can mention: Grape, Blueberry, Diamond, Tropical Fusion and Strawberry. The market for this product includes a very wide range, mainly fine formats smokers that can enjoy a pleasant smoke, for short time at an extremely low cost. In addition, cigars are packaged in a pouch that allows the product to remain fresh and conserved with ease. “ Leaving out many issues for further discussion, Augusto shows us the extensive and modern factory with his son Augusto Reyes Estrella, who along with his brothers Nirka and Isis Abraham and his cousin Marlon and Edgar are the sixth generation of “tabaqueros” of the Reyes family.