Holt's announces Padilla's demise?

[tone-ny]

An apology like that after everything is in print is a sad statement. He should send out a mailing to all his catalog list stating they did Mr. Padilla an injustice!

 

[Ginseng]

I just posted this at CF. We'll see if it sticks.

Dear Ms Levin,

I'd like to invite you to respond as well to a thread on the CigarPass forum. Ernesto Padilla has written an eloquent response to our concerns and I believe your comment there would be a good step toward resolving the issue there.

Regards,
Wilkey

 

[MindRiot]

Ernesto,

I recently got in some of the new blended 8/11's and have to say they are in my daily rotation, Very nice cigar with a ton of flavor. I do take most of what I read in catalogs with a grain of salt but would say in my opinion that was really uncalled for. When you get the factory up and going along with the store shoot me a email or phone call so I can come visit .

I would also say if the apology was sincere they would act like a newspaper and print it!!!!.

 

[ironpeddler]

Cigar Pass Members,

I was alerted to both the recent Holt's catalog and this thread and
wanted to reply to both.

First, I want to thank everyone for their input on this thread.
Itís nice to see that most people can see beyond whatís written in a
cigar catalog. It is unfortunate that in their attempt to close out our
product that they had to write such incorrect and inflammatory copy.
While everyone is entitled to their opinions, there are many factual
inaccuracies in that copy that I would address.

As you all know, Pepin, Ashton and Holt's have become very close in
recent months. Because of their growing relationship, Padilla Cigars
knew that eventually we would have difficulty securing the cigars we
needed to grow as a company. We also knew that in order for us to take
the next step as a cigar company, we would have to manufacturer our own
cigars. That is why Pepin and Padilla mutually agreed to part ways.
This split has given us the opportunity to build our own factory so we
can better control both our blends and our inventory. Leaving the
Pepin factory was difficult, but as you will see, we believe this move
will result in better blends and better cigars. And you have my promise
that Padillaís existing blends will retain both the quality and the
flavor you have come to expect from us.

In the coming months, once the factory is complete, you will see
Padilla Cigars in the marketplace stronger than ever. We will have more
inventory than ever and will continue to create the best boutique blends
on the market. Despite what Holt's might think, we are definitely
NOT on our way out.

Also incorrect is their description of our relationship with Oliva
Cigars. I continue to have a wonderful and productive relationship with
Jose Oliva and his family continues to have an impact on Padilla
Cigars.† The Habano blend is still the product of our relationship with the
family.

We are working with the Oliva family to formally address this issue
with Holt's. We donít know how this will resolve itself, but as was
stated in this thread earlier, take everything you read with a grain of
salt.

The reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated.
Ernesto Padilla

Ernesto,

Let us be the first to wish you well on your new business venture...which by the way sounds like you knew was coming. No large capital expenditure goes without some uncertainty in regards to it's return. I will contribute to your return, rest it be assured. I have to commend you also for taking 'the high road" and not stooping to the level of Holt's...you are a true gentleman in every sense of the word and a proud example of what the origins of this Industry were built on.

Unfortunately businesses like Holt's and their comments are more inflammatory than they think...and in a negative sort of way that will effect their business. There is still a large contingent of decent people in this World that find that type of statement offensive and will cause them to shop elsewhere. I am one of them. When Pepin Garcia broke into the cigar scene, and I'm sure I can speak for a lot of us, we were rooting for him to succeed. His product was based on quality and not quantity, he kept his eye on his roots and steered his ship in the right direction. Money changes everything unfortunately...and to thinks any different is only being naive. When Garcia dropped Black Cat that seemed to raise a red flag to me....most here didn't think so, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Wilkey said it best when he suggested that Garcia has definitely changed his business model with disregard to who got him to this point of prosperity. Things change, but not always for the best.

When business giants merge, it's not always better for the consumer, it's usually best for the giants pocketbook. We all see where a box of Fuente cigars have settled in after the cigar boom ended and God Bless them for that....but that doesn't necessarily mean that their product is worth it. I think they subscribe more to Madison Avenue than to the discerning tastes of their customers. Make something scarce, price it high, add in a touch of "boutique packaging" and there you have it...retail success with a healthy bottom line. In a free society, this is what we all strive for, and frankly, this is where Ernesto want to be. But eventually the procedure sputters and slows down. I'm not running to purchase the God of Fire at the prices they demand, my money is better spent elsewhere. So good luck to Holt's, the Fuente Family, and Don Pepin Garcia....you have a ton of my money and as far as I see it, it's all you are going to get for some time to come.

Ernesto...God's speed towards success and thank you for posting your comments, it sure made me feel better and I'm sure a lot of others here at CP as well.

 

[Ginseng]

Oops. Apparently Sathya is a guy. Yikes.

Sorry there, Mr. Levin. I hope you won't take offense and still visit our little corner of the cigar world.

Wilkey

 

[MiamiCubano]

Sr. Padilla -

Many thanks for taking the time to come here and share with us, what we all surmised was, the actual state of affairs with your fine company. I for one am a proud consumer of your family's cigars and will continue to be such. Thank you once again for your fine, upstanding, and truly gentlemanly response to this most class-less event.

 

[CigarAl]

Ernesto - thank you for coming here and posting.

I like many others, enjoy your cigars and your participation on this board.

Please keep us updated as to the outcome of this.

A single post on a board (where the incident was not even orginated) is by no means enough of an apology.

I agree with some of the follow up posts on CF, this was not editorial over sight. This was a clear shot to hurt the reputation and business of a fellow cigar manufactuer.

"Hey Ernie P., we've got one word for you and one word only: Buh-Bye." If Sathya missed this, then he should be removed from his position. Not to mention 'bye-bye' (which he means) is two words.

 

[Mark Twain]

"Hey Ernie P., we've got one word for you and one word only: Buh-Bye." If Sathya missed this, then he should be removed from his position. Not to mention 'bye-bye' (which he means) is two words.

Beat me to it.

I don't know what they hell they were thinking with such a classless ad.

 

[MiamiCubano]

I just posted this at CF. We'll see if it sticks.

Dear Ms Levin,

I'd like to invite you to respond as well to a thread on the CigarPass forum. Ernesto Padilla has written an eloquent response to our concerns and I believe your comment there would be a good step toward resolving the issue there.

Regards,
Wilkey

Wilkey - I seconded that over at CF. Will be interesting to see if he does as he should, although, in my estimation anyway, this genie cannot be put back in the proverbial bottle and many have seen the truth about what lurks 'neath the surface over at Holt's - their 100 years of service aside.

 

[vudu9]

tigger started a thread over at CF to bring up the same issue, quoting my post in this thread. While many people doubted his source ( :sign: ), here was one post that was just made. I thought it appropriate to copy here in light of Ernesto's post:

On behalf of Holt's, I want to issue an apology to Ernesto Padilla and Padilla Cigars for the tenor of recent comments in our Father's Day 2008 Catalog. The tone of these comments and the copy in question steps over the line of good taste. I assume personal responsibility as part of my role at Holt's is to approve final copy, and in the rush of going to press, this one slipped past me. For over 100 years, Holt's name has been synonymous with high-quality products, premier customer service and a respect for our customers and our industry and this copy does not comport with those high standards.

Sincerely,
Sathya Levin
Holt's Cigar Company

Even the apology stinks on ice. No one would ever let a thing like that go to print without it being well considered...

 

[Atlasm]

We should have asked them about it yesterday!

Yeah we should have, I'll have to start perusing their catalog a little closer

 

[MiamiCubano]

tigger started a thread over at CF to bring up the same issue, quoting my post in this thread. While many people doubted his source ( :sign: ), here was one post that was just made. I thought it appropriate to copy here in light of Ernesto's post:

On behalf of Holt's, I want to issue an apology to Ernesto Padilla and Padilla Cigars for the tenor of recent comments in our Father's Day 2008 Catalog. The tone of these comments and the copy in question steps over the line of good taste. I assume personal responsibility as part of my role at Holt's is to approve final copy, and in the rush of going to press, this one slipped past me. For over 100 years, Holt's name has been synonymous with high-quality products, premier customer service and a respect for our customers and our industry and this copy does not comport with those high standards.

Sincerely,
Sathya Levin
Holt's Cigar Company

Even the apology stinks on ice. No one would ever let a thing like that go to print without it being well considered...

It's remarkable how Mr. Levin refers to "the rush of going to press...," as if the Holt's catalog is something along the lines of the National Review. Not to understate the duties of those publishing catalogs, but this is not something that got lost in the shuffle, or in the haste to meet a publishing deadline. This was a deliberate act, and a reprehensible one at that.

 

[Ginseng]

I sent a Smoke Signal to his screen name as well. I guess it's possible that one of the 17 guests presently reading this thread is Sathya Levin.

Wilkey

 

[Mark Twain]

Onesock posted this over at CF. Linky

When Pepin Garcia came to the United States, he had nothing and might as well have been "Don Nobody". A mutual friend in the industry, Paul Palmer from Tabacalera Tropical introduced us. I was asked to buy cigars from Pepin to help him out. Pepin came to Philadelphia, sat on my floor, and rolled cigars on a stool so we could sample blends. I would bring back great duty-free scotch from trips and we would drink the bottle in his small office in Miami. I considered him a friend and his cigars were fantastic. I loved one of the blends Pepin made and he started to sell them to me for my personal use.

Around 2005, Pepin began to make a brand for us exclusively called Rey Miguel. I think it's one of the best cigars in the world. We began spreading the word of this terrific cigar maker along with a select few others who were with Pepin since his early days here in the U.S. Pepin became an overnight sensation and his cigars and popularity have reached unprecedented levels.

As a thank you, in March I received a very sad phone call. A man I've never met, John Gonzales, who has some kind of title in Pepin's organization informed me that Pepin's factory would no longer make cigars for me or make the Rey Miguel. I was and still am upset as I considered Pepin a friend. I was blown off.

Enjoy these cigars at rock bottom prices as I no longer wish to help my former friend. I hope that one day soon our relationship can be reconciled. As my good friend Jose Blanco once said to me. " Never forget who brought you to the big dance because just as fast as they built you up..."

It looks like some companies are taking business dealings which should be left behind the scenes to a personal level that involve public statements. First it was Padilla, now it’s Pepin, how many manufacturers are involved?

 

[MadMonk]

A large portion of the catalog is recycled from previous versions. I.e., not much changes.

 

[tigger]

Onesock posted this over at CF. Linky

When Pepin Garcia came to the United States, he had nothing and might as well have been "Don Nobody". A mutual friend in the industry, Paul Palmer from Tabacalera Tropical introduced us. I was asked to buy cigars from Pepin to help him out. Pepin came to Philadelphia, sat on my floor, and rolled cigars on a stool so we could sample blends. I would bring back great duty-free scotch from trips and we would drink the bottle in his small office in Miami. I considered him a friend and his cigars were fantastic. I loved one of the blends Pepin made and he started to sell them to me for my personal use.

Around 2005, Pepin began to make a brand for us exclusively called Rey Miguel. I think it's one of the best cigars in the world. We began spreading the word of this terrific cigar maker along with a select few others who were with Pepin since his early days here in the U.S. Pepin became an overnight sensation and his cigars and popularity have reached unprecedented levels.

As a thank you, in March I received a very sad phone call. A man I've never met, John Gonzales, who has some kind of title in Pepin's organization informed me that Pepin's factory would no longer make cigars for me or make the Rey Miguel. I was and still am upset as I considered Pepin a friend. I was blown off.

Enjoy these cigars at rock bottom prices as I no longer wish to help my former friend. I hope that one day soon our relationship can be reconciled. As my good friend Jose Blanco once said to me. " Never forget who brought you to the big dance because just as fast as they built you up..."

It looks like some companies are taking business dealings which should be left behind the scenes to a personal level that involve public statements. First it was Padilla, now it’s Pepin, how many manufacturers are involved?

Just so it's clear, this text has nothing to do with Holt's, but is from Black Cat Cigars.

While it strikes me as somewhat disloyal of DPG to stop making cigars for folks who helped him become who he is today, what Holt's did in their catalog is far, far worse.

 

[Fia]

tigger started a thread over at CF to bring up the same issue, quoting my post in this thread. While many people doubted his source ( :sign: ), here was one post that was just made. I thought it appropriate to copy here in light of Ernesto's post:

On behalf of Holt's, I want to issue an apology to Ernesto Padilla and Padilla Cigars for the tenor of recent comments in our Father's Day 2008 Catalog. The tone of these comments and the copy in question steps over the line of good taste. I assume personal responsibility as part of my role at Holt's is to approve final copy, and in the rush of going to press, this one slipped past me. For over 100 years, Holt's name has been synonymous with high-quality products, premier customer service and a respect for our customers and our industry and this copy does not comport with those high standards.

Sincerely,
Sathya Levin
Holt's Cigar Company

Even the apology stinks on ice. No one would ever let a thing like that go to print without it being well considered...

Even if it really did "slip" past him, who in their right mind would write that and not think there would be some backlash? Anyone with common sense would know that it would cast Holt's in a bad light. I hope someone is getting their a$$ chewed over this!!!

 

[ironpeddler]

To get back to the original topic... disrespectful, plain and simple. Grind your axes behind the corporate walls. Discontinue the product, be done with it and move on. Holts gains NOTHING by using a tactic like this.

Exactly LnD....there doesn't have to any other dialog concerning a business decision other than what took place in that office. PERIOD. All this other banter in print is self serving.

What happened to Men acting like Men? I hope that guy isn't raising any sons.

 

[Sleeper]

Holt's has made a stupid, hurtful, and careless blunder, but let's not drag anyone else down with them. Fuente and the Levins(Holts) are partnered in a few ventures like Ashton cigars and Casa Fuente, but I have never heard or read that the Levins represent the Fuentes in any manner. They are seperate entities and AFAIK, these statements have nothing to do with Fuente.

 

[Ginseng]

Holt's has made a stupid, hurtful, and careless blunder, but let's not drag anyone else down with them.

The point is, Sleeper, that it may not be a blunder at all but a calculated, vindictive action backed by a specific intent to harm.

Without Mr. Levin's commentary, we have nothing at all to judge for certain. The circumstances, however, do not support the more charitable interpretations.

We're waiting on you, Sathya Levin.

Wilkey