| Fine Arturo Fuente cigars are some of the most | | | | Ybor City in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. The |
| sought after smokes on the market today. Every | | | | company did very well and in the mid 1950s he moved |
| A-Fuente cigar carries the personal family touch that | | | | to a two-story factory building. Cigar production was |
| makes it one of the world's finest cigars. Only the | | | | on the first floor of the factory while he and his family |
| highest quality vintage tobaccos and hand | | | | lived on the second floor. |
| workmanship go into fine Arturo Fuente cigars, making | | | | By the early 1960's, the success of fine Arturo Fuente |
| them a blend of art and craftsmanship. Each leaf is | | | | cigars demanded more space and the Fuente family |
| personally selected from a private family reserve set | | | | moved their company into the historic "Charles the |
| aside exclusively for the making of these cigars. | | | | Great" cigar factory. This historic four-story red-brick |
| Blended with the finest "Fuente Tobaccos" | | | | building was built in 1895 and remains an architectural |
| internationally recognized for their superiority, the | | | | gem of Ybor City. Carlos, Arturo's older son, was now |
| A-Fuente Gran Reserva is then skillfully rolled with | | | | president of the firm, and Arturo Oscar was |
| African Cameroon, Connecticut Shade or the most | | | | Vice-President. |
| recent addition to the Gran Reserva line, Ecuadorian | | | | The 1970's was a period of economic and industrial |
| Sun Grown, these wrapper tobaccos are the most | | | | challenges in general and for the Arturo Fuente |
| expensive and sought after wrapper tobacco in the | | | | company in particular. Runaway inflation and the |
| world. | | | | inability to find skilled workers capable of producing fine |
| Fine Arturo Fuente cigars are among the most | | | | Arturo Fuente cigars caused the company to look at |
| exclusive and sought after cigars anywhere including | | | | relocating abroad. During the early 1980's, producing |
| Cubans! These cigars from the Dominican Republic | | | | hand-rolled cigars became a lost art in Tampa and |
| are affordable and they tend to offer a medium to rich | | | | visionary changes took place. Factories were started |
| bodied smoke. Although the flavors vary from blend to | | | | in Nicaragua then Honduras, but misfortune once again |
| blend, the sweet spicy flavors of these cigars are | | | | struck sending the now named "Tabacalera A. Fuente |
| highly prized by cigar enthusiasts world wide. | | | | y Compania" to the Dominican Republic. There they |
| The very first of the fine Arturo Fuente cigars bearing | | | | began rebuilding the company with only seven |
| the family name were hand-rolled in 1912 when Arturo | | | | employees. After several years, the demand from |
| Fuente started the A. Fuente Cigar Company. Among | | | | loyal cigar customers necessitated more workers and |
| the very first brands made by the company was the | | | | factories. Today "Tabacalera A.Fuente y Compania" |
| "Tampa Sweethearts." Its logo of a man romancing a | | | | has over 2,500 employees and four factories |
| woman on a rowboat inspired the name. In 1924, | | | | producing fine Arturo Fuente cigars. |
| fortune frowned on the company and Arturo lost his | | | | In 1994, all Arturo Fuente operations were finally closed |
| business to fire. To pay off creditors, without claiming | | | | at the "Charles the Great" factory. At that time, Arturo |
| bankruptcy, he worked for other cigar manufacturers. | | | | Oscar officially retired from the company and then |
| Then during the 1940's, with his wife and a few | | | | opened "Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company," in that |
| relatives, Mr. Fuente began the business of producing | | | | same building continuing the legacy of producing fine |
| fine Arturo Fuente cigars again from the back of his | | | | Arturo Fuente cigars. |
| home with "Arturo Fuente Cigar Company" located in | | | | |