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Hello from Portland/Nicaragua

coppereagl

coppereagl

Not looking for trouble, but if it finds me....;)
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Home is Colorado, stationed in NY
welcome to the hood! This place blows my mind the cross talk between customers and manufacturers, its great. Many other cigars would benefit if only they knew to watch the BOTL more closely. As far as trying some samplers, we dont likehandouts either we like the onld fashioned way, win them in contests! lol
 
AndyMadera

AndyMadera

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Well, just wanted to check in with all you guys sorry I have been quiet lately as I was waiting to get my cigars... well I GOT THEM. I have both Reserva MiraFlor and Goviado.

More info and pictures soon to come. At the moment I am here in Chicago and have been running around to all the shops in town trying to get in. If any of you are in chicago and think you might be able to meet up within the next couple days let me know... Even more so if you want to meet at your local shops. Odds are I can come to you.

Andy
 
AndyMadera

AndyMadera

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pirmigrin said:
So how did you get into the cigar biz? Its seems like something that wouldn't be easy to get into, let alone be successful in. Just curious.
Click to expand...
Good question man! ill answer one at a time.

Q: Would it be easy to get into?

A: Actually no! its "VERY" easy to get into the biz. Anyone can go to nicarauga or any other cigar producing country and get a blend together if they got the money to do it. You actually now dont have to go any farther than Miami to do it.

Q: How did I get into the cigar biz?

A: Well... Thats a interesting question... I still dont know!!!! haha! I wasnt even trying.... I was born and raised in Portland OR. I actually even grew up thinking smoking was bad. Cigarettes OR cigars. In 2001 i started attending Mt Hood Community College in Gresham OR. Being as it is in the green state of oregon you could imagine it would be a great place for people to study Natural Resources. That same year I met a group of students from all over Latin America studying just that. They were all granted a scholarship 100% funded by US AID and administered by Georgetown University. I slowly got more and more invovled with the students learning about there lives back home, helping them through there studies, and learning spanish little by little got very involved with the students that came every 2 years. In 2005 Rafael Guillen our now General Manager at the young age of 20 was accepted into the program. He arrived speaking no english and after just a few months of language classes 5 hours a day he jumped right into the courses alongside the american kids. I got to be really good friends with him and learned all about his families work in tobacco and the cigar industry. In June 2007 Rafeal went home with cirtificate in hand and I went with him. I met his family and got to see first hand everything he had told me about. Even though I never smoked a day in my life I was determined to help my friend fulfill his dreams of having a cigar company of his own. At first I wasnt expecting anything in return as just to help them out and get organized. They insisted I be part of the company and I accepted. I have always been intrigued by business and never knew what I was going to do. I stayed there for several months brainstorming and learning about the trade and in Sept 2007 we were granted our licenses to produce AND export Nicaraguan Tobacoo products. Still a newb I turned right to the internet and started posting on any place I could find to get some sales making cigars for private companies. It has been hit and miss and lots of ups and downs but we are still in business and still making cigars. I smoked my first cigar June 2008, I got my first real look at the industry when I attended IPCPR in vegas July 2008. We are now in the middle of the launch of our own blend that we label as Reserva MiraFlor. I have sold a few houndred stick throught a few forums and am making my first push to hit retail shops in windy Chicago with some fellow online members that invited me out here to help me get my feet wet. So far its looking positive. All in just a weeks time, I have probably visited about 15 stores and 5 of them will be carrying them so far and im sure a few more will call within the next week to make a small sample order. I go back to Portland OR on Wednesday evening and will keep you posted on how it goes. I also have a friend on the boards that will be trying to rep my cigar in the SE states as well as 10s of people supporting me to get my product in their local shops. Its ALOT more work that I anticipated but man its what I have always wanted to do... My OWN business. Its funny how I knew nothing when I got into this and now im pushing my sticks to shops like I knew EVERYTHING there is to know about our cigars. I take alot of pride in our product and truely beleive its worth while and one day the Guillen Family will be a well known name in the Inudstry. I think thats about it for that question and I hope that I answered it well!!!

Now for the last Q...

Q: Is it difficult to be successful in this biz?

A: ... wow.... If I only knew HALF of what I was getting into. This is probably one of the tuffest industries out there. Sure anyone can get into it. But id say 90% or more of them dont make it. We very well still may fail if this product doesnt take off retail like im hoping it will. First we got to get it in there.... Then people have to buy it, and buy it again, and again, and again. Theres lots of competition out there as you all can see in the 100s of lines out there. There are even 100s more that are created but never make it into shops and slowly fade away like they never existed. The most important factors of a cigars success is Quality, Pricing, and most important, Advertising. I know we have Quality from the countless reviews. I know we have pricing form people telling us our stick is worth more than we are selling it for. but we dont really have the resources for the Advertising. We just lake the funds for that. We have mostly gotten this far from sheer grassroots efforst from people who beleive in us and our product. Although I dont think we will be one of those dreams that never come true... It haunts me almost every second of every day.

Thank you agian for your questions and I love answering them. Please feel free to ask me ANYTHING else you would like to know about me the cigars or company.

Andy
Guillen Cigars
 
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