While not quite ready to divulge too much information about what to from Luciano Cigars and ATL Cigars at next week’s Total Product Expo in Las Vegas, the fully vertically-integrated Luciano has just provided a look behind the scenes of their expanding operations. Domestically, in the little over 3 months since Luciano announced the launch of their own distribution service, they’ve already completely restocked their Florida facility and are shipping out every cigar in their portfolio. In Nicaragua, all aspects of their cultivation, processing, and manufacturing are being scaled up.
Luciano’s Pueblo Nuevo, Jalapa and Condega farming and processing facilities have been undergoing expansion since last fall. To accommodate the increased production – and to be able to maintain a dedicated space for special projects and special label batches – ground has been broken and construction is ongoing at what will soon be their second factory in Nicaragua. At the same time, they’ve also moved into a facility that we understand to to have previously been used by Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A. (NACSA).
A recent press release reveals another of the updates we can expect to find out more about soon, describing that “with co-founder and CEO Luciano Meirelles at the helm, the cigar manufacturer has doubled down on its commitment to involvement in every aspect of the cigar making process. Due to its expansion and a soon to be announced manufacturing strategic partnership, its production capacity is set up to surpass 4 million cigars in 2023.”
Meirelles himself also shared that “I find myself seeing 2023 as that sweet spot between innovation and the commitment to the traditions that have shaped our company and industry. I can’t describe the excitement of our team; it’s the payout of our resilience and each member of our team’s hard work.” With the start of TPE only a week away, expect more information soon – for now, they’ve released a simple statement that “the company is set to announce additional news for the coming weeks including upcoming releases.”