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Don Rolando was born in Las Villas, Cuba near the town of Remedios in 1924. He comes from a family of 7 brothers and 7 sisters.
His father was in the goods transport business but Rolando, alone among his siblings, insisted to his father that he wanted to be
a "tabacalero" (tobacconist). He was all of 9 years old at the time. Finally, his father agreed to have him trained by the renowned
Tobacconist, Silvio Santana of the Tabacalera Pequeña in Zulueta. Silvio taught Rolando the techniques and all aspects of cigar making.
Don Rolando later practiced his art of tobacco making at the Aguiar Cigar Factory near the city of Remedios where he lived.
In 1938, Rolando went to work in Pinar del Rio at the Jose L. Piedra Cigar Factory in Guanajay. This was followed by work in Havana at the H. Upmann Cigar Factory and later the Jose Gener & Batet Cigar Co. At these factories he mastered the art of making "figurados" and "parejos" – producing hand made cigars without a mold, as well as other techniques. He then returned to Placetas in Las Villas to establish his own cigar factory "Los Aliados". After several years he moved Los Aliados to Havana; he was barely 21.
Rolando continued to operate with great success until the communist government confiscated his Los Aliados Cigar trademark and factory and personal properties in 1968. The government tried to take advantage of his knowledge by putting him to work in the El Rey del Mundo Cigar Factory. He refused, so the government retaliated by making him work in the rice fields.
Rolando immigrated to America in 1971, finally settling in Union City, New Jersey. There, Rolando worked in the textile industry by day and rolled cigars for sale in the evenings. In 1973 he constructed a building to house his family and cigar factory, changing its name to "Cuba Aliados". His line of cigars was picked up by a major distributor and sales continued to grow. However, he temporarily lost distribution of "Cuba Aliados", thereby for the second time being deprived of complete control over his beloved trademark. Fortunately, Rolando regained the distribution rights for Cuba Aliados in late 2004, with a redesigned ring, new wrapper and the original tobacco blend.
In 1978, Rolando decided to move to the Dominican Republic to produce his cigars. However, he found the overall quality to be below his standards so he returned to New Jersey and continued to produce cigars there until 1984. At that time he moved his operation to Miami. By 1988 he was ready to establish his factory in Honduras. He picked Danli relocate his operation because its conditions reminded him of Cuba, and he finished the move in 1989.
In late 1995, the ‘Puros Indios’ cigar line was launched with a 15 vitola (size) presentation. This unique blend has remained unchanged since its introduction; the filler blend in all ‘Puros Indios’ cigars are identical using a four country blend of tobaccos. All wrappers are Ecuadorian-grown from Sumatran seed and the binder is Ecuadorian. Puros Indios Cigars have been a success from the start, selling millions of cigars annually in the USA and internationally.
In 2002, Rolando finished construction of a new factory farther south from Danli than the previous one. The new Puros Indios factory sits on a moderately sloped five acre plot, below his farm and home. "Don Rolando" says he can now keep a closer eye on the factory, right from his kitchen window. Known as a stickler for quality, Rolando has laid out the two story building in an interesting manner. The lower floor is taken up by a huge rolling gallery, which slopes up the hill in tiers. "That way," he says, "I can be at the top, and still watch workers all the way to the bottom tier; likewise, I can see to the top, when I am at the bottom." The upper story holds 15 bulk tobacco storage and aging rooms, along with 3 large walk-in freezer rooms for killing tobacco pests without using chemicals. Don Rolando, also an avid farmer, has provided an in-factory store, where workers can buy fruits, vegetables, and juices from his farm.
The new factory is built in the old Cuban tradition and is the best in Honduras and, his friends believe, among the best in the world. Rolando employs over 200 rollers and has over 300 employees producing over 75,000 cigars daily of his various brands. He claims to be the only factory owner who also retains the atmosphere of Cuban cigar factories of old, by having a full-time lector to read the day’s news and other literature to the rollers as they work. He continues to inspect all cigars manufactured in his factory.
Rolando Reyes Sr. has been called "The world’s most talented cigar maker". He continues to use the magic of his gifted hands to create the world’s most highly sought-after cigars. Rolando Reyes Sr. considers himself to be a genuine "Cuban Tobacconist" in the old tradition. He continues to create premium cigars – refusing to lower quality, refusing to use chemicals to fumigate, and refusing to use chemicals as aroma or taste additives. Don Rolando embodies the term "old school" and is known as a cigar legend by his peers and loyal customers around the world.