There’s no other way to say it: Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG), particularly its premium cigar division, is changing. The latest move will come for the company’s international division, which will now be headed by Stijn Elbersen. Elbersen is currently STG’s senior international brand manager of international hand-made cigars, effective April 1 he will become the senior mangers of sales marketing for hand-made cigars outside of the U.S. While the difference in title might seem like semantics, the role and scope will change. Currently, Elbersen oversees the international sales of the brands that make up the General Cigar Co. portfolio. However, many of these brands are Cuban names where STG doesn’t hold the trademark rights. As such, the international portfolio centers largely around CAO, Don Tomás and Macanudo. Now, Elbersen and his team will be responsible for all STG brands including those that were part of the Meier & Dutch portfolio, which were previously distributed internationally by Meier & Dutch’s own U.S.-based team. Meier & Dutch is the name for the distribution company that handles many of the cigars sold primarily through STG’s Cigars International retail store. In an email to halfwheel he explained that the distribution of Meier & Dutch brands has been limited so far and that his ...
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