Perdomo Cigars
Tabacalera Perdomo values three attributes above all: quality, tradition, and excellence. With unparalleled attention to detail and a commitment to integrity handed down through generations, Perdomo cigars represent an ongoing legacy of distinction rooted in Cuban tobacco mastery and Nicaraguan terroir.
History of Perdomo Cigars
The Perdomo story begins with patriarch Silvio Perdomo, born and raised in San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba, 17 miles southeast of Havana. During the early 1930s, Don Silvio apprenticed at Cuesta y Cia until 1937, then moved to the H. Upmann factory. By 1945 he was working at the famed Partagás factory in Havana, where he remained until 1959. His son, Nick Perdomo Sr., began his apprenticeship in 1948 at the Marin & Trujillo factory and earned such high praise for his craftsmanship that he soon joined his father at Partagás.
The 1959 Cuban Revolution changed everything. Don Silvio, an ardent anti-Communist, vehemently opposed Castro's regime, leading to his arrest, trial, and conviction. He spent over 12 years in some of Cuba's most vile prisons, finally leaving the island in 1974 to emigrate to the United States.
Nick Sr. suffered similar consequences. Ambushed by pro-Castro guerillas, he was shot several times and critically wounded. Thanks to a close friend and sponsorship from The Catholic Church, Nick escaped Cuba and started a new life in the U.S.
Living in Washington, D.C., Nick worked as a janitor in a psychiatric hospital, but lousy wages made supporting a family difficult. In 1976, after connecting with relatives already living in Florida, Nick moved his family to Miami, started a small construction business, and became a successful general contractor.
About Nick Perdomo Jr.
Nick's son, Nick Perdomo Jr., grew up in Miami and after high school joined the U.S. Navy. Following military service, Nick Jr. took a job as an air traffic controller at Miami International Airport. Though his knowledge of the business was limited at the time, Nick Jr. was determined to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and become a cigar maker.
While keeping his lucrative airport job, in 1992, with help from his wife Janine, Nick Jr. started "Nick's Cigar Co." in his garage. The tiny tabacalera had three rollers, and Nick and Janine handled all packing. Despite tireless efforts, the company sold less than 10,000 cigars the first year. Though sales improved, revenues remained below par. However, Nick's timing was excellent--the impending cigar boom was warming up.
At that time, cigars made with mild Dominican fillers and Connecticut wrappers were the norm. But Nick Jr., who always thought outside the box and liked bucking industry trends, began making full-bodied cigars. When the boom arrived in the mid-90s, cigar smokers eagerly tried these Nick Perdomo cigars made with robust Central American tobaccos and richer-tasting Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers. During the boom, Nick also introduced the Perdomo Squared line. As one of the first box-pressed cigars produced for the U.S. market, its success gave the company a huge shot in the arm.
In 1995, Nick Jr. bought his first cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. His father, Nick Sr., who had already retired to Estelí, helped set up and supervise factory operations with his brother Antonio, and Perdomo Cigars S.A. was born.
Meanwhile, Miami factory sales were heating to the boiling point. Backorders piled up, so in 1997 Nick Jr. opened a new Perdomo factory in Tampa's Ybor City district. But due to high labor costs that limited production and profits, the Tampa factory tanked.
Were it not for Nick Jr.'s vision and success in Nicaragua, cigar smokers today wouldn't enjoy Perdomo Habano cigars or Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne. Perdomo would be just another brand among many that fizzled out after the boom.
In the first year alone, the Estelí factory produced over a million cigars, and by 1999 Perdomo had to build an even bigger facility to keep up with demand. By 2001, production had increased tenfold with a staff of 700 workers. That same year, the leaves for the future Perdomo Lot 23 selection were harvested.
Nick Perdomo Sr. passed away in 2004, but he left a marvelous legacy. The company has continued to grow and modernize by combining traditional Cuban tobacco farming methods with the latest advances in agricultural science. Today, Tabacalera Perdomo is an 88,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility and the second-largest producer of premium handmade cigars in Nicaragua.
