VENTURA CIGARS TO START 2019 WITH NEW INDEPENDENT FOCUS
Company to Become Standalone Business Under Kretek Intl., Inc. Umbrella
January 2019 –Ventura Cigars is pleased to announce its new status
as a stand-alone business unit and full subsidiary of Kretek International, Inc.
Initially a division of Phillips & King, this reorganization enables Ventura
Cigars to focus on their premium tobacco sales channel while building their
portfolio of proprietary brands.
Says Patrick Hurd, Vice President of Sales for Kretek
International, Inc., “We’re excited to bring a cigar division directly under
our wing. Kretek will give Ventura Cigars the autonomy it needs to flourish,
while providing some of the bigger picture infrastructure like staffing,
warehousing, and distributing. As a former General Manager for Ventura Cigars,
I know that this newly applied focus will help them succeed as a serious player
in the Cigar space. Ventura Cigars has great products and a solid team, and I’m
looking forward to being involved with bringing their portfolio to market in a
better way.”
For the last few years, Ventura Cigars has enjoyed the initial successes
of their exclusive brands like Archetype, Case Study, and PSyKo Seven. Now able
to fully utilize the horsepower of Kretek’s cross-functional resources, Ventura
Cigars will be equipped to develop, manufacture, and market their products.
“We’re truly excited about
this new phase,” says Michael Giannini, General Manager of Ventura Cigars. “We’ve come a long way with Phillips and
King, but as a standalone company, Ventura Cigars will be able to build out our
brands and really put ourselves on the map as a big player in our industry.”
Under the new organizational structure, Ventura Cigars will shift
to a direct-to-retail model, servicing premium tobacconists. They are
constructing a sales team dedicated to offering their products to this channel under
the leadership of Barry Bennett, Ventura Cigars’ National Sales Manager. Phillips
& King will continue to play a vital role with Ventura Cigars as their
largest distributor and will sell its brands to much of its customer base,
along with the over 12,000 other products in their portfolio.
Says Giannini, “Ventura Cigars has enjoyed much success under
Phillips & King for the past 7 years. And now we’ve put the pieces in place
to stand on our own and build upon the exceptional work that Phillips &
King started. We’ve got the people, the products, and now a bigger
infrastructure and focus. The future of Ventura Cigars is looking great, and I’m
pleased to be a part of it.”
The transition of Ventura
Cigars moving under the Kretek umbrella is effective as of January 2019. For
questions or additional information about Ventura Cigars, please call 800-358-8100
or visit venturacigar.com.
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About Ventura Cigar
Company
Ventura Cigar Company
(VCC) is a unique cigar brand born in sunny Southern California that is on a
mission to create memorable, complex cigar blends that excite the senses and
reward discriminating palates. Their flagship Archetype, Case Study,
Project805, and PSyKo SEVEN brands offer multiple award-winning blends that
earned 90+ ratings in Cigar Aficionado, Cigar & Spirits, and Cigar Snob. And
Archetype’s Axis Mundi won #13 Cigar of the Year for 2017 from Cigar
Aficionado. Ventura Cigar Company also distributes the 4th Generation
and Comoy’s of London line of pipe tobacco products, extending its reach and
tradition of offering top-quality tobacconist products. Pipes and blends under
these brands are cultivated through generations of craftsmanship, making them
longtime favorites of pipe tobacco enthusiasts.
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