Who is Guillen Cigars?

[Dunkel]

Do you have a website? I have tried looking around for some place to see the cigars and prices, but haven't turned up much. From what I've seen in other peoples posts you seem to be an honest and generous guy. I didn't vote as I don't know much about you.

[elderboy02]

What is your position in the company?

Hi Andrew, haven't had a chance to meet ya, but I was wondering how you got into the buisness? I would imagine that it is quite an experience.

[AndyMadera]

Originally Posted by :eevis

Hi Andrew, haven't had a chance to meet ya, but I was wondering how you got into the buisness? I would imagine that it is quite an experience.

I met a good friend named Rafael Guillen at MHCC college in August 2005. He was one of the newest students to pass through a scholarship program funded by US AID called CASS. every year they bring in a group of central American and Caribbean students who speak little or no english. I had been involved with this program since 2001. It was a great way for me to meet new people from new places and at the same time share with them about our country and our language.

I spent alot of time with Rafael through out his 2 years studying natural resources and english. I was always there to help them learn some new words and practice what they already know. I was also picking up spanish little by little by listening in!! took me 5 years to get to the level im at now but I would easily say I have I higher spanish vocabulary that an 5 year old native speaker. Through our time together I also got to know about the students lives back in their home countries. Being I was good friends with rafael I grew really interested in what his family was doing and their history with tobacco and cigars. They had been working in fields and rolling from a very young age and grew a real passion for the work that they did.

In 2007 when it was time for Rafael to return home I went with him to meet his family. I had done the same thing in 2005 and took a 40 day tour from Guatemala - Panama visiting all the students and experiencing life as they know it. At times I crossed borders with hardly any money in my pocket not knowing when I would get more being travelers checks are not ass accepted as one would think... It was a hassle and a little scarey crossing with less than even 1$ from Guatemala to Honduras. In my 2007 visit however I was there with a mission. To meet his family and see what the possibilities were on making their dreams come true. To produce cigars for themselves. In Sept 2007 our business licenses and permission to produce and export were granted. It has been a tuff road so far working on limited resources and even more so... LIMITED EXPERIENCE. I have made a few mistakes and have learned from them. We also have taken a few lumps from people in the industry who wanted to do business with us and it ended up not working out in our favor... It wasnt until February 2009 that we started pushing cigars to retail. Before that it was just making cigars for a private company. Currently Reserva Miraflor is available in 13 states retail and a few stores in each state and Goviado in just 2 states as it is a newer blend and we have not pushed it as much, that is soon to change.

I have spent most of my time here on CA and been here since it was created and on CS for about a month before that. I was also a part of a few other forums for about a year before that trying to spark interest but didnt get anywhere near the support I have gotten here. I know there is much more detail I have not mentioned here that many of you may know already but keep in touch and you will learn more and more. And get to know me personally more and more. Thank you all for the questions I enjoy answering them.

[MajorCaptSilly]

Good thread. Thanks for giving us some background, Andy. I'm looking forward to the Toro sampler you offered up.

MCS

[AndyMadera]

Originally Posted by MajorCaptSilly

Good thread. Thanks for giving us some background, Andy. I'm looking forward to the Toro sampler you offered up.

MCS

I think tomorrow you will be feeling it even more once you have them in your hands!!!

USPS - 01038555749783494444

[AndyMadera]

Originally Posted by elderboy02

What is your position in the company?

I do prettymuch everything that isnt directly involved in making the cigars. I do tell them how much of what I want and they make it. But i work on design, what is produced, arranging shipping, making sure taxes are paid, finding customers, managing reps, and finances... I do so much more though I end up putting in 18 hour days all the time. The hardest part is communicating with all the people as I had mentioned in a previous post. One of the hardest parts is working with limited inventory as well, budgeting where each cigar needs to go and for how much it is going to sell for, and what product to use as samples... It is really stressful but I am confident we will make it if we just hang in there.

[AndyMadera]

Originally Posted by Dunkel

Do you have a website? I have tried looking around for some place to see the cigars and prices, but haven't turned up much. From what I've seen in other peoples posts you seem to be an honest and generous guy. I didn't vote as I don't know much about you.

Option 3: No, but would like to applies to you then! hehe. Thank you for the post and to those who have posted in the past that you have found. I had a frontpage to the website up but its down now as it was on my brothers server and he doesn't have it anymore. I have a few people from the CA crew that have offered to help me set one up and it should be running before IPCPR which is Aug 8th. I dont really know anything about this kinda thing so the help will be greatly appreciated.

I will be sure to post the site up here as soon as it is ready to go but the domain will be www.guillencigars.com

Thanks for the question and I hope to be able to answer any more that you may have.