Heinrich Villiger: 1930–2025
A major figure in the world of cigars has passed away. Heinrich Villiger, owner of Switzerland-based tobacco powerhouse Villiger Söhne AG, died on Friday, July 25 at 95 years old. In a 2018 interview, this magazine called Villiger one of the most formidable players in the cigar industry—and he was. He worked in the family business for 75 years, a company that today produces more than a billion dry-cured European-style cigars every year. He was the exclusive importer and distributor of Cuban cigars to five countries in Europe; he built handmade cigar factories in Nicaragua and Brazil; and he owned a large portfolio of premium cigar brands sold in the United States and abroad. Between Villiger’s machine-made products and handmade cigars, his company exported to 80 countries worldwide.
The operation was started by Villiger’s grandfather in 1888 as a cigar manufacturer in Switzerland. Heinrich worked alongside his father and uncle until his uncle sold his share to his father. Eventually, Heinrich’s father died, making him the sole shareholder. He joined the company in 1950 and became very active in purchasing tobacco for his machine-made cigars, which were sold in Europe and then in the United States after World War II. Some of that tobacco was from Cuba, and Villiger was able to form an unusually strong relationship with Cuba that lasted until the day he died.
By 1989, Villiger established 5th Ave Products Trading GmbH, which became the exclusive importer of Cuban cigars for Germany, Austria and Poland. He was also a partial owner of Intertabak AG, which distributes Cuban cigars in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. But Villiger started making inroads in the U.S. market when he started Villiger Cigars North America in 2016, which manufactures and distributes brands such as Villiger Nicaragua, Villiger 1888 Gran Reserva, Villiger San D’Oro Colorado, Cuellár Caribe and La Libertad.
The company announced today that the Villiger Group will remain family-owned. Former vice president Jvo Grundler has been named chairman of the board of directors. Villiger’s eldest daughter, Corina, is an active part of the company, and a member of the board. She will continue to represent the family on the board committee, along with Villiger’s eldest grandson, Lucien, and Rolf Kaufmann.
Corina said in a statement: “It is with gratitude that we bid farewell to our father Heinrich Villiger, who has led the Villiger family business strategically and operationally with great commitment for 75 years. He loved cigars and cigarillos—and was a passionate entrepreneur and courageous visionary, setting a lasting mark on the tobacco industry in Switzerland and beyond. Our father leaves a big gap; the privilege of continuing the tradition of the family business in the fourth and fifth generations means a lot to us.”
During our 2018 interview, Villiger sat down and shot several videos at the Cigar Aficionado offices. Click here to see him discussing his love of cigars, in his own words.
