Imagine sitting on the shore of Tampa Bay, Florida sixty years ago, smoking a cigar with a birch wood tip and enjoying the sunshine. Chances are, you would be enjoying a Hav-A-Tampa cigar, a local brand with a factory operating in the center of town. If you walked down Riga Boulevard you would see the large brick building where the cigars were made, which had been functioning since 1902. As you walked, you would probably pass dozens of people who were smoking one right along side you.
Tampa, Florida has been given the name “Cigar City,” and one of the biggest reasons for that is the brand Hav-A-Tampa Cigars. From 1931 to 1997, Hav-A-Tampa Cigars was an American owned company that operated a factory in Tampa, as well as another in Selma, Alabama. The company was revolutionary for introducing machines into the manufacturing and rolling of cigars, and Hav-A-Tampa Cigars is a brand that has been one of the most popular in the industry for decades.
The Hav-A-Tampa cigar line included several different successful options, such as Philly Blunts, Tampa Jewels and Tampa Sweets. They were even sent to members of the military during World War II. The brand has enjoyed decades of popularity, selling several hundred million cigars annually until the company was sold in 1997. In fact, sales in that year hit 859 million units.
Unfortunately, the Hav-A-Tampa cigar factory is no longer located in Florida. The brand was sold in 1997 and twelve years later the company was forced to relocate. The cigars are manufactured now in Puerto Rico, but you can still get the same great experience with Hav-A-Tampa Cigars. Tampa Jewels are one of the most popular and economical brands available today.
Among the reasons Hav-A-Tampa cigars became so popular was their revolutionary system to make so many. By first implementing machines into manufacturing, the company was able to produce a greater amount of cigars while also cutting operating costs. The process did not diminish the quality of the cigar, however, so smokers could get a quality cigar for an affordable price.
In addition, Hav-A-Tampa was the first brand to introduce a wooden tip into their cigars, making them an innovator in more ways than one. Offering a distinctive smell and mellow taste has given Hav-A-Tampa cigars a wide range of supporters that continues today – it remains the biggest seller among wood-tipped cigars in the industry, but smoking one will take you back in time.
