Kafie family

The Kafie family is a prominent Honduran business and philanthropic family associated with several major enterprises and charitable initiatives. The family is part of the Palestinian diaspora in Central America. According to the family history described in reference material, its ancestors moved to England during the nineteenth century before Chuckri Kafie relocated to La Unión, El Salvador, in 1901. Other relatives followed, and branches of the family later settled in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From the 1970s onward, some descendants also moved to the United States. The best-known Honduran branch descends from Luis Kafie, a textile businessman, and his wife, Elena “Nena” Larach. Their descendants became active in sectors that are important to the Honduran economy. Schucry Kafie founded Lácteos de Honduras S.A., widely known as Lacthosa, which became the country’s largest dairy company. He was also a founding member of Luz y Fuerza de San Lorenzo S.A., or Lufussa, a major electricity supplier. Luis Kafie co-founded and leads Lufussa and has also represented Finland as an honorary consul in Honduras. Eduardo Kafie has been associated with Lacthosa Cereales and Colon Fruit Company, commonly known as Cofructo, an orange-juice producer that sources fruit from thousands of family farms. The wider family network includes executives involved in Lacthosa subsidiaries such as Sula and Ceteco, managers at Cofructo and Lufussa, medical professionals, and cultural figures. A separate branch associated with Dr. Gaby Kafie operates Kafie Trading Company and premium cigar and coffee businesses. Its brands include Kafie 1901 Cigars, Liga de la Casa Cigars, Naked Cigars by Kafie 1901, and Kafie 1901 Coffee. The cigar manufacturing operation moved to Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, in 2020, where production takes place at La Aurora’s factory according to the supplied reference material. The products have been distributed internationally, although the family itself is not a single consumer brand in the conventional sense. Philanthropy is organized substantially through Fundación Kafie, established in 2006 by Schucry, Luis, and Eduardo Kafie in honor of their parents. The foundation’s work has covered education, health, community development, religious infrastructure, youth rehabilitation, and environmental conservation. Reported projects include school meal facilities, church construction and reconstruction, support for Hogares CREA, maternal-care packages at San Felipe General Hospital, an artificial coral reef in the Gulf of Fonseca, and sea-turtle conservation. The family’s economic and charitable activities therefore operate as a diversified network rather than as one unified product company. Public information identifies the family’s principal presence with Honduras, while particular businesses and family members have operations or professional activities in the United States, neighboring Central American markets, and the Dominican Republic.

The Kafie family’s Honduran history is connected to a wider Palestinian diaspora that developed through migration between the Middle East, Europe, and Central America. Family accounts place the earlier generation in England during the nineteenth century. Chuckri Kafie moved from England to La Unión, El Salvador, in 1901, after which additional relatives joined him. During the following decades, members of the family moved onward to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where later generations established commercial and professional careers. The family’s most prominent Honduran branch descends from Luis Kafie and Elena “Nena” Larach. Luis Kafie was a textile businessman, and the family’s later activities expanded well beyond textiles. Schucry Kafie founded Lacthosa, which grew into a leading Honduran dairy company. Schucry and Luis were also among the founders of Lufussa, an electricity business that became one of Honduras’s largest suppliers. Eduardo Kafie developed responsibilities in cereal and fruit operations, including Lacthosa Cereales and Cofructo. Cofructo’s orange-juice business has been described as working with more than two thousand family farms and selling products in Honduras, nearby countries, and the United States. Family participation extends across management, marketing, social responsibility, and corporate governance. Some descendants have worked in Lacthosa subsidiaries, while others have pursued medicine, film, or business activities in Honduras, El Salvador, and the United States. Dr. Gaby Kafie established a separate specialty-products branch focused on premium cigars and Honduran coffee. His businesses include Kafie Trading Company and Tabacalera G. Kafie y Cia. The cigar portfolio includes Kafie 1901, Liga de la Casa, and Naked Cigars by Kafie 1901. In 2020, cigar manufacturing was transferred from Honduras to Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic, with production at La Aurora’s factory as described in the supplied reference material. The associated coffee line is marketed under the Kafie 1901 name. Organized philanthropy became a central part of the family’s public identity through Fundación Kafie, created in 2006 by Schucry, Luis, and Eduardo Kafie. The foundation has reported more than two hundred projects in community development, education, health, religious infrastructure, youth rehabilitation, and environmental protection. Activities have included school meal facilities, reconstruction of churches, assistance to Hogares CREA, maternal-care packages for new mothers, an artificial reef in the Gulf of Fonseca, and sea-turtle conservation. These initiatives illustrate the family’s hybrid model: operating businesses provide the principal economic base, while a dedicated foundation channels resources and volunteers into social and environmental programs.

1. 2020Cigar manufacturing moves to the Dominican Republic

   The Kafie premium-cigar operation moved manufacturing to Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, using La Aurora’s factory according to the supplied reference material.

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2. 2016Boutique Cigar Association of America is founded

   Dr. Gaby Kafie founded the Boutique Cigar Association of America to represent boutique cigar producers and support their participation in the premium-cigar trade.

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3. 2013Gaby Kafie enters premium cigar production

   The supplied reference material identifies 2013 as the beginning of Dr. Gaby Kafie’s premium cigar-business activity.

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4. 2006Fundación Kafie is established

   Schucry, Luis, and Eduardo Kafie established the family foundation to support community, education, health, and related charitable work in Honduras.

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5. 1901Chuckri Kafie relocates to El Salvador

   Family history identifies 1901 as the year Chuckri Kafie moved from England to La Unión, El Salvador, marking an early stage of the family’s Central American presence.

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A diversified Honduran business-family network combining large domestic operating companies with international specialty-product ventures and organized philanthropy.

• LacthosaDairy

  Lácteos de Honduras S.A., commonly known as Lacthosa, is the family-associated dairy enterprise founded by Schucry Kafie. It is described in the reference material as Honduras’s largest dairy company and includes related businesses such as Sula, Ceteco, and cereal operations.

• LufussaElectricity

  Luz y Fuerza de San Lorenzo S.A., known as Lufussa, is an electricity company co-founded by members of the Kafie family. Luis Kafie is identified as a co-founder and chief executive, while Schucry Kafie is described as a founding member.

• CofructoFruit and beverages

  Colon Fruit Company, commonly called Cofructo, is associated with Eduardo Kafie and Luis José Kafie. Its business includes orange-juice production, sourcing fruit from family farms and selling juice in Honduras and export markets.

• Kafie 1901 CigarsPremium cigars

  Kafie 1901 Cigars is a premium-cigar brand associated with Dr. Gaby Kafie and Kafie Trading Company. The brand’s manufacturing was moved to the Dominican Republic in 2020, where the supplied reference says production takes place at La Aurora’s factory.

• Kafie 1901 CoffeeCoffee

  Kafie 1901 Coffee is a specialty coffee line associated with the Kafie family’s cigar and trading operations. The reference material describes a portfolio of single-source coffees connected with Honduras.

• 2020Premium cigar manufacturing relocates to the Dominican RepublicStrategy

  The family’s premium-cigar operation sought a new manufacturing base for its cigar brands.

  What changed. Manufacturing was moved to Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, with production at La Aurora’s factory according to the supplied reference material.

  Aftermath. The cigar brands continued operating from a Dominican production base while retaining their association with Honduran tobacco and coffee entrepreneurship.

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1. Kafie family