Habanos S.A. Put Good Numbers on the Board in 2013

In 2013, Habanos S.A. reported a solid uptick of 8 percent from the previous year, a token that the product is “as healthy as ever” and the world’s leading company in the sale of premium cigars remains hefty amid a complex economic and legal environment.

That information was learned today in the course of a press conference staged by top officials from Habanos S.A. to the 1,500-plus delegates from 80 nations attending the 16th Habano Festival at the International Conference Center in Havana.

During his keynote speech during the grand opening, Ana Lopez, chief of Marketing Operations for Habanos S.A., the exclusive and sole seller of the 27 brands of hand-rolled habanos around the globe, said the company finished 2013 with $447 million worth of sales, way up from the $416 million raked in during the course of 2012.

According to Javier Terres, deputy president Development for Habanos S.A., the top eight markets are Spain, France, China, Germany, Switzerland, Cuba, Lebanon and the UAE.

“Even though the economic crisis has hit countries hard, especially in southern Europe, our evolution has been very positive. And that’s owed not only to such emerging markets as the Pacific Rim and the Middle East, but also others with traditionally good numbers on the board, like Germany, Switzerland and Canada,” Mr. Terres said.

“Our presence worldwide embraces 150 countries, so that kind of cushions those fluctuations that come as a consequence of economic crises or political instability. A multinational presence lets us offset the valleys in some markets with the peaks in others,” he went on to explain.

And Habanos remain as healthy as ever, he said. “We can remain upbeat as we look to the future. We’re absolutely clear about our responsibility as the world’s leading company in this market, and that’s to keep the culture of premium cigars alive around the globe,” he expressed.

Jorge Luis Fernandez Maique, deputy president Marketing for Habanos S.A. said the job done for a network of highly-specialized distributors has been key to getting positive outcomes year after year, even amid economic crises and antismoking campaigns.

He added that Latin America is a major emerging market since the region accounts for 16 to 17 percent of all habano sales on the planet.