By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- New factory: Fermin Perez Cigars has shifted production to Tabacalera Familia Disla in Estelí, Nicaragua.
- One-stop distribution: Domain Distribution will handle U.S. wholesale ordering, fulfillment and retailer support from Kansas City.
- Blends stay put: Perez says existing blends and prices will remain unchanged, although the move provides access to better tobacco.
Fermin Perez Cigars is changing where its cigars are made and how they reach retailers. Just don’t expect the cigars themselves to change.
Fermin Perez Cigars has moved production to Tabacalera Familia Disla S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, and shifted U.S. distribution to the newly launched Domain Distribution. Both changes are now in effect.
Founder Fermin Pérez Jr. will remain directly involved in tobacco selection, blend development, and final approval of the cigars. “For me, the cigar always comes first,” Perez said. “Familia Disla gives us a strong home for production, while Domain Distribution gives our retail partners a simpler way to order, restock and keep Fermin Perez Cigars on their shelves.”
Perez told halfwheel that the company’s existing blends and pricing will not change as a result of the move. He said, however, that he now has access to higher-quality tobacco and believes that will improve the quality of the finished cigars.
The move gives the Miami-based brand a new manufacturing home after Perez previously operated his own cigar factory in Estelí, where he worked directly on tobacco selection, blending and production.
Fermin Perez Cigars was founded in 2021 and currently offers seven lines: Bold, Classic, Esmeralda, Royal, Miami, Puro Estelí, and Serie de Oro. The production change has already led to a new release.
Fermin Perez officially launched Puro Estelí this week, the first new addition to the portfolio produced through the Familia Disla relationship. The regular-production cigar is made entirely from tobacco grown in Estelí, featuring a Sun Grown Habano wrapper, an Estelí binder and Estelí fillers.
Puro Estelí is offered as a 5½ x 42 corona in 20-count boxes and distributed through Domain.
The other half of the move aims to simplify how those cigars reach U.S. retailers.
Domain Distribution launched in August as an extension of the business established by Daniel Lance and Esteban Disla. The distributor works exclusively with brands manufactured by Tabacalera Familia Disla and initially launched with Los Amigos Cigars.
Based in Kansas City, Kansas, Domain integrates merchant-of-record services, wholesale ordering, sales, fulfillment, retailer support, reconciliation, and brand settlement into a single distribution operation.
Retailers can now browse the Fermin Perez portfolio and place wholesale orders on Domain’s online platform, with centralized fulfillment from Kansas City and nationwide shipping.
Domain is also developing an updated platform designed to give retailers additional inventory and order-management tools, along with analytics and other information. Tabacalera Familia Disla, led by Disla and Lance, produces Domain Cigars as well as cigars for other independent brands.
