BliViSiTSTheJ . C . newmanCiTyfaCTory
Bar leadership Institute Chairs : AlexaCline — StateAttorney ’ sOffice , 13thJudicialCircuit , JasonImler — ImlerLaw & DanielaMendez — TampaGeneralHospital
everyclassmemberwasgratefulfor theopportunitytoseeandmeetwith afamilythathelpedtoshapeTampa intothecityitistoday .
The 2023 Bar Leadership Institute Class had an opportunity to meet with Legal Counsel and Part-Owner Drew Newman of the J . C . Newman Cigar Factory . As Tampa ’ s only operating cigar factory , the class was invited to tour the facility and see its operations . J . C . Newman still has staff that handroll premium cigars daily at a rate of approximately 100 cigars . The company also produces thousands of cigars made by machine each day within the Tampa factory .
The company was founded in 1895 by Julius Cesar Newman . The factory , an Ybor City National Historic Landmark , is also known by long-time Tampa natives as
“ El Roloj ” or “ The Watch ” in English . In 1986 , J . C . Newman partnered with the Arturo Fuente family to make the Moya , a Tampabrand cigar at the J . C . Newman factory . The company agreed to do so in exchange for J . C . Newman hand-rolled cigars to be made at the Arturo Fuente Factory in the Dominican Republic . This partnership expanded J . C . Newman ’ s operations and created one of most successful premium cigar manufacturing and distribution combinations in the world .
While meeting with Drew Newman , the BLI class learned that he is a fourth generation owner . He provided a colorful history of the company and his family ’ s ties to the Tampa Bay area . Drew stated that he is the first in his family to attend law school and has worked since 2007 alongside the company ’ s counsel to understand the inner working of the company and its day-to-day operations . He now runs the company alongside his cousins to keep Tampa ’ s cigar making history alive .
The first floor of the factory has a museum with artifacts , photos , and a timeline of the history of the building for the public to visit . During the tour , the class got a sneak peek at the archives in the basement , with special items preserved by the family over the
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