VCF (Vandermarliere Family of Cigars) has opened two new processing centres for Oliva Cigars in Nicaragua in Central America.

Las Llantas, in Condega, became operational in December 2021 and Las Mesitas, in Esteli, followed in March 2022.

The new centres combine a dedicated space for crafting the distinctive cigars with state-of-the-art monitoring techniques.

They have provided a welcome boost for the communities, creating approximately 1,400 jobs in total.

“It is not enough to deliver exceptional quality today,” said Fred Vandermarliere, CEO of VCF.

“We always want to stay a few steps ahead of the game. With these investments, we reassure cigar aficionados around the globe that we commit ourselves to the highest levels of quality, for many years to come.

“When they enjoy one of our cigars, its composing roots must resonate through the entire experience.”

The processing centres provide ample space for nurturing the process from seed to cigar, including drying, curing, fermentation, and the stripping and sorting of tobacco leaves.

For example, large surfaces are required to stack the tobacco leaves according to texture and amount of sun-exposure.

Hi-tech facilities, such as the hypersensitive sensors in each pilon that perform around-the-clock tracking of the fermentation process, enhance quality control.

Oliva Cigars is part of the Vandermarliere family, along with J. Cortès.

The brand is available in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the US, France, Spain, Benelux, Italy and Hong Kong.