For the past few years, there has been a growing amount of speculation as to what Padrón would have in store for its 50th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2014. New versions of the Padrón Family Reserve, which had become the company’s headlining release at the annual IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, were absent from the 2012 and 2013 shows, and while there was no shortage of traffic and a few new products, it was clear that the focus was on celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary, occurring in 2014. It has been a long and interesting journey for the company, founded in 1964 by José Orlando Padrón after leaving Cuba and settling in Miami. The story is best told by José Padrón himself, and is featured on the company’s website: In 1962, I arrived in Miami, an unknown city in a foreign land. I had to start from zero. At first, I received $60 monthly, as government aid given to Cuban refugees. I was thirty-six years old, strong, and in good health. Every time I cashed that check, I felt like a burden on the country that had taken me in. For many days, I looked for a job and ...
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