Quesada Cigars

Quesada Cigars is the consumer-facing identity associated with Manufactura de Tabacos, S.A. (MATASA), a family-owned premium cigar manufacturer based in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. The company makes cigars under its own Quesada label and produces or has produced several other notable lines, including Casa Magna, Fonseca, Heisenberg, Cubita and Regius. Its business combines cigar manufacturing with the family’s longer tobacco-trading and agricultural history. The Quesada family entered the tobacco business in the late nineteenth century after arriving in Cuba from Spain. Antero Gonzalez and his brother Constantino began as tobacco brokers and leaf purchasers, eventually becoming major exporters of Cuban tobacco. The family’s connection with the Dominican Republic began in 1929, when it investigated local tobacco varieties and sold Dominican leaf to European manufacturers. Although the family continued to operate from Havana for a period, the Cuban Revolution forced Manuel Quesada and his family into exile. In 1961, he established a new tobacco brokerage in Santiago under the name Manipuladora de Tabaco. Manuel Quesada’s son, Manuel “Manolo” Quesada, Jr., became interested in cigar blending and manufacturing while working in the family business. A relationship with Miami cigar manufacturer Juan Sosa led to an arrangement in which Quesada handled production in the Dominican Republic while Sosa remained responsible for distribution in the United States. MATASA was established in June 1974 in a Santiago free-trade zone to manufacture the Antillian line. The operation began with only three rollers and modest equipment, but expanded through contract manufacturing, additional brands and investment in a box factory. During the 1970s and 1980s, MATASA produced brands for outside customers while also developing proprietary products. Its contracts included production for the Ricardo Samuel, Romeo y Julieta, Santa Clara and Licensiados lines, and the company launched its own José Benito brand. By the 1990s, it had become an established Dominican manufacturer with substantial production capacity. The United States premium cigar boom of the 1990s placed exceptional pressure on factories, tobacco supplies, packaging and labor. MATASA expanded and trained additional rollers while protecting access to farms and establishing manufacturing capabilities for cigar boxes and related materials. It survived the subsequent late-1990s collapse in demand, although the end of its Romeo y Julieta manufacturing relationship and the death of Manuel Quesada, Sr. in 1998 created additional challenges. The company also gradually reduced its tobacco-leaf brokerage activities, partly because of regional competition and Dominican export taxation. A further setback occurred in April 2002, when a plane crash killed general manager Julio Fajardo, vice president Alvaro Quesada and nephew Alvarito. Manolo Quesada subsequently continued to lead the business with support from members of the next family generation, including Patricia and Raquel Quesada, Esther and Hostos. The company’s Santiago factory has employed more than 300 people and produced approximately 15 million cigars in a cited historical year. Quesada’s own cigars are generally associated with medium- to full-bodied profiles, while Fonseca is positioned toward milder and medium-bodied smokers. The business remains an active family-operated Dominican cigar manufacturer.

The Quesada family’s tobacco history began in Cuba in the late nineteenth century. After initially working as bakers, family members entered tobacco brokerage when a debt was settled with tobacco. Antero Gonzalez and Constantino Gonzalez established a leaf-purchasing business and became important exporters of Cuban tobacco. A later marriage connected the Gonzalez family with Agustin Quesada, whose son Manuel Quesada eventually led the brokerage and became the father of Manuel “Manolo” Quesada, Jr. The family first visited the Dominican Republic in 1929 while searching for new tobacco varieties. Dominican leaf was sold to European companies for cigar and cigarette production, although the family’s principal base remained Havana. The Cuban Revolution forced the family into exile in 1960. Manuel Quesada moved with his family to Santiago, where he founded Manipuladora de Tabaco in 1961 and resumed tobacco-brokerage activities. Manolo Quesada later joined the family business after studying in Miami. His work required him to evaluate and smoke different tobaccos, which encouraged an interest in blending and manufacturing finished cigars. He developed a relationship with Juan Sosa, a Miami-based cigar maker associated with Antillian Cigars. The two businesses combined their capabilities: Quesada handled Dominican production while Sosa continued to distribute the cigars in the United States. Manufactura de Tabacos, S.A., commonly known as MATASA, was created in June 1974 in a Santiago free-trade zone. The factory started with three rollers and minimal equipment and produced about 20,000 cigars in its first year. It initially manufactured Antillian products, then expanded through additional contract work and the development of its own José Benito brand. MATASA took on production for the Ricardo Samuel line and later secured contracts connected with Romeo y Julieta, Santa Clara and Licensiados. Expansion included the opening of an in-house box factory in 1978. The company grew throughout the 1980s and entered the United States premium cigar boom of the early and mid-1990s as an experienced manufacturer. Demand overwhelmed cigar factories and suppliers, leading MATASA to train more rollers, secure tobacco and expand box production. The boom ended with excess capacity and falling demand in the late 1990s, but MATASA survived while many newer manufacturers disappeared. The termination of its Romeo y Julieta production relationship represented a significant business loss. In 1998, Manuel Quesada, Sr. died. The family subsequently reduced its tobacco-leaf brokerage operations as regional competition intensified and Dominican export taxes made the business more difficult. In April 2002, a plane crash killed Julio Fajardo, Alvaro Quesada and Alvarito, removing several members of the management team. Manolo Quesada continued to run the company with assistance from relatives, including Patricia, Raquel, Esther and Hostos. The business is now presented as Quesada Cigars and remains associated with MATASA’s Dominican manufacturing operation. Its portfolio includes Quesada, Casa Magna, Fonseca, Heisenberg, Cubita and Regius. The company is known for producing premium cigars in multiple strength ranges, with Quesada and Casa Magna associated with medium-to-full-bodied cigars and Fonseca with milder to medium-bodied offerings.

• 2002

  Plane crash reshapes management

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  A crash in April killed general manager Julio Fajardo, vice president Alvaro Quesada and nephew Alvarito.

• 1998

  Manuel Quesada, Sr. dies

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  The death of the senior family leader was followed by a gradual reduction of the company’s tobacco-leaf brokerage activities.

• 1992

  Premium cigar boom begins

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  A rapid increase in U.S. premium cigar demand placed pressure on MATASA’s tobacco, packaging and labor supply.

• 1978

  Box manufacturing added

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  MATASA opened its own cigar-box factory as production expanded.

• 1974

  MATASA begins cigar production

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  Manufactura de Tabacos, S.A. was founded in a Santiago free-trade zone and began manufacturing Antillian Cigars.

• 1961

  Dominican tobacco brokerage established

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  Manuel Quesada y Gonzalez established Manipuladora de Tabaco in Santiago.

• 1960

  Cuban Revolution drives the family into exile

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  The Quesada family left Cuba and relocated to the Dominican Republic.

• 1929

  First documented Quesada family activity in the Dominican Republic

  [1]Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org

  The family investigated Dominican tobacco varieties and supplied leaf to European cigar and cigarette manufacturers.

Family-owned Dominican premium cigar manufacturing with deep Cuban-Dominican tobacco heritage, in-house production capabilities and a portfolio spanning medium-to-full-bodied as well as milder cigar profiles.

• Premium cigars

  Quesada Cigars

  The company’s namesake premium cigar line, associated with the Quesada family’s Dominican manufacturing heritage. Available information characterizes the line broadly as medium to full bodied rather than as a single uniform blend, reflecting the brand’s use of multiple formats and tobacco combinations.

• Premium cigars

  Casa Magna

  A major MATASA-associated cigar line and one of the company’s best-known offerings. Casa Magna is generally placed in the medium-to-full-bodied segment and represents the company’s positioning around substantial, traditionally styled premium cigars.

• Premium cigars

  Fonseca

  The non-Cuban Fonseca line is associated with milder to medium-bodied cigars. MATASA has manufactured Fonseca products and lists the brand among its principal cigar lines, giving the portfolio an offering aimed at smokers seeking a lighter profile.

• Premium cigars

  Heisenberg

  A cigar line included among the brands associated with Quesada Cigars and MATASA. The supplied reference material identifies the line but does not provide sufficient details about its blend, formats, launch date or current distribution.

• Cigars

  Cubita

  A cigar line listed in the Quesada Cigars portfolio. The available reference does not specify its blend composition, strength profile, formats or launch history.

• Premium cigars

  Regius

  A cigar line identified as part of the company’s broader portfolio. No reliable details were supplied concerning its launch date, blend, formats or present availability.

1. 1Quesada Cigarsen.wikipedia.org