What Machine Made Cigar Are You Smoking Today? WMMCAYST™

Citizen B · Fri Sep 29, 2023 8:58 pm

Is there a video of how they make Parodis? You know, like a tour of the factory? I would watch that. They are cigars in a class by themselves. It must be fascinating how those machines work.

Piping Abe · Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:06 pm

Citizen B wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 8:58 pm Is there a video of how they make Parodis? You know, like a tour of the factory? I would watch that. They are cigars in a class by themselves. It must be fascinating how those machines work.

Here you go.

Flyfish Falls · Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am

A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.

Piping Abe · Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:52 am

Flyfish Falls wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.

Thanks for the info. Shame they moved the company. Still make great cigars though.

Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:03 am

Flyfish Falls wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.

It’s a sad story, US cigar companies relocating to the DR. The same thing happened to Finck of San Antonio in 2014.

Citizen B · Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:34 pm

Flyfish Falls wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.

What do you know about Red Lion, which was also a PA machine made cigar, along the lines of Topper or a poor man's Judge's Cave? If I recall correctly, the brand was revived a few years ago and was touted as being made again, if not in the original factory, at least in the same town.

Mr Beardsley · Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:30 pm

Citizen B wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:34 pm
Flyfish Falls wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.
What do you know about Red Lion, which was also a PA machine made cigar, along the lines of Topper or a poor man's Judge's Cave? If I recall correctly, the brand was revived a few years ago and was touted as being made again, if not in the original factory, at least in the same town.

Looks like those have also moved to the DR for production. Stateside labor isn't cheap enough to be profitable anymore

Citizen B · Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:39 pm

Mr Beardsley wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:30 pm
Citizen B wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:34 pm
Flyfish Falls wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:48 am A Great post Abe. The Avanti/Parodi facilities were located about 15 miles from where I live. The video was done about 4 years ago. They were a staple to the local economy, and were in business for almost 100 years. (1930).
While the cigars are still made with American tobacco, the manufacturing end of the business was moved to the Dominican Republic last year.
The Pennsylvania location remains as the distribution center for Avanti and Parodi cigars. So while they still come from Pennsylvania, they're not made in Pennsylvania anymore.
What do you know about Red Lion, which was also a PA machine made cigar, along the lines of Topper or a poor man's Judge's Cave? If I recall correctly, the brand was revived a few years ago and was touted as being made again, if not in the original factory, at least in the same town.
Looks like those have also moved to the DR for production. Stateside labor isn't cheap enough to be profitable anymore

Well, at least the Dominican Republic is a democracy and our allies. The provide good baseball players, too.

I am spoiled because I can watch men roll cigars in New Orleans. I suppose I could in Ybor City or Tampa, too, but I can't think of anywhere else that it would be profitable. Cigars are a niche product now. Supply and demand, both in labor and product. They feed into each other.

Cigar rollers in New Orleans are a tourist attraction, nowadays. The biggest handrllled cigar factory in the U.S. used to be on Camp Street. Those days are long gone to the Dominican Republic.

Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:08 pm

Busy day...smoking a banana backwoods.

montag · Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:42 pm

Citizen B wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:39 pm
Mr Beardsley wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:30 pm
Citizen B wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 9:34 pm

What do you know about Red Lion, which was also a PA machine made cigar, along the lines of Topper or a poor man's Judge's Cave? If I recall correctly, the brand was revived a few years ago and was touted as being made again, if not in the original factory, at least in the same town.
Looks like those have also moved to the DR for production. Stateside labor isn't cheap enough to be profitable anymore

Well, at least the Dominican Republic is a democracy and our allies. The provide good baseball players, too.

I am spoiled because I can watch men roll cigars in New Orleans. I suppose I could in Ybor City or Tampa, too, but I can't think of anywhere else that it would be profitable. Cigars are a niche product now. Supply and demand, both in labor and product. They feed into each other.

Cigar rollers in New Orleans are a tourist attraction, nowadays. The biggest handrllled cigar factory in the U.S. used to be on Camp Street. Those days are long gone to the Dominican Republic.

I forgot about the cigar rollers in New Orleans. My wife and I visited the city the first weekend the COVID lockdowns were lifted. We had a grand time eating, drinking, and smoking a few cigars. The cigar shop, while tourist oriented, was an enjoyable stop as we walked around the city.