Another Q&A session with Dag Holmboe, c.e.o. of The Pacific Cigar Company Ltd.
Eric Piras (EP). A question that a lot of people, in the industry, are asking: after the passing of Sir David, what is happening, what is the future of PCC? Or how do you see the company in the next 2 years?
Catching Up with The Pacific Cigar Co.
Dag Holmboe, PCC c.e.o.
Dag Holmboe (DH). Yes, the passing of Sir David was a sad occasion and a tragic loss, not only for us in PCC but for the whole cigar world, and for that matter Hong Kong.
But as it is said: “life must go on”, and PCC will continue distributing Habanos cigars in Asia and further grow the business. That is what Sir David would have wanted and that is what we will do. In two years, I hope we will have an even stronger presence in Asia Pacific.
EP. How did you get in the industry? How many years have you been driving PCC? Is 2001 your first year?
DH. Yes, I joined PCC in 2001, so it has been a while! I had previously lived and worked in Cuba, not in the cigar business, but I did smoke cigars of course. Anyway, at that time I got to know various people in the Cuban cigar business, and a few years later when I had moved to the UK, my friend from Cuba introduced me to David Tang. I was looking for a new challenge, David Tang was looking for a c.e.o., we met, we got on, and six months later I moved to Hong Kong.
ALSO: Catching Up with The Pacific Cigar Co.
EP. What is particular in the running of a cigar company (of PCC’s size) compared to other companies, as you have experience all over the world in other industries?
DH. I think PCC stands out for one thing in particular: the staff. PCC has an extraordinary team of people where many have worked together for many, many years. We just had our 25th anniversary annual dinner and realized that over 40 of our Hong Kong staff have worked with PCC for ten years or more, and three have been with us from the start 25 years ago when Sir David founded the company.
EP. In a September 2015 interview with Tobacco Asia I asked you a question about the lifting of the embargo for the Cuban cigars in the US. Now nearly three years later in 2018, I would like to ask the same question. Any change in your reply?
DH. Ask Trump!
EP. And always the recurrent question: how is the supply of Habanos’ “leading brands”? Any price increase for 2018?
DH. Supply has improved, and we hope it will continue to be good.
EP. It seems that counterfeits increased substantially for Cohiba and Trinidad. Are you or Habanos taking any severe action?
DH. Yes, in certain countries like Vietnam there are a lot of counterfeits, especially Cohiba, and in particular “supposed to be Behike”. We alert customers and consumers wherever we can, and always tell them the same: if the box of cigars has a PCC warranty seal, you know where it comes from.