2015 marked the 100th anniversary of Thompson Cigar, the Tampa, Fla. retailer that is best known for its significant online and catalog business, but whose history traces back well before the internet. Thompson was founded by M.A. Thompson in Key West, Fla. in 1915, as both a manufacturer and distributor of cigars. Following decimating hurricanes in 1920, the company moved to the famed Ybor City in Tampa, Fla. In 1934, the company and factory would again move, this time to Bartow, Fla., where it would remain until 1960, when Robert Franzblau purchased the company and has remained the owner since. Franzblau didn’t purchase the factory however, using other factories in the Tampa area to produce cigars, including Clear Havanas prior to the embargo. The company got its first 800 number in 1977 and in 1979 mailed its first catalog, having previously relied on letters and postcards. In 1982, Franzblau moved the company to its current location at Hangar Court, where the entire operation as well as a walk-in retail location. It wasn’t until 1986 that the company carried brands besides its own, and in 1995 the company launched its first website, with just two pages. As a cigar retailer is apt ...
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