Villiger Cigars North America Appoints New President

Villiger Cigars North America (VCNA) has named Rene Castaneda as its new president as part of their corporate restructuring. The company had been without a president since it dismissed Roy MacLaren in 2014 before delegating his responsibilities to the other employees of VCNA. 

VCNA’s corporate restructuring includes moving its headquarters from North Carolina to Miami; dismissing a large portion of its U.S. sales force in favour of a more in-house sales strategy, ending its logistical agreement with Sutliff Tobacco Co, and releasing new premium cigar brands to the market.

Rene Castaneda had this to say about his new appointment: “It is truly an honour to have been chosen for this position at a company so rich in history, we plan on being an innovative company while bringing Villiger back to its roots. Our plan is to develop brands that connect with consumers while working alongside retailers and all partners, providing the best products and service.”

On achieving his new set goals he added it will be a balancing act; “We want Villiger to produce brands that this market will smoke and enjoy on a regular basis. We will do that by making cigars for true premium cigar smokers, but at the same time remaining faithful to Villiger’s tradition.”

This news comes after Villiger’s recent announcement that it would be naming ‘a new general manager who will guide us into this new phase of our North American entity.’ With the appointment of Mr Castaneda it looks to be heading in the right direction.

Before joining VCMA, Castaneda served as vice president of sales and marketing for Orleans Group International and before that he held the same position for Miami Cigar & Co.

We look forward to seeing the company flourish under the new guidance. If you wish to enjoy February with some quality cigars, head over to Havana House where you can find all your favourite blends as well as accessories such as ashtrays, humidors and cigar cutters.

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Photo by: Romtomtom