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Behind the Box
More than just a pretty face, great cigar boxes offer an extension of the cigarmaker's art
David Savona
From the Print Edition:
Bo Derek, Jul/Aug 00
(continued from page 2)
"We tell companies you can make good cigars. Let us make good boxes," says Peter M. A. Pot, general manager of Picus Dominican Inc. in the Dominican Republic.
Drop in unexpectedly on just about any cigarmaker in the Dominican Republic and a few box samples from Picus are likely to be sitting on the desk. Picus is the 500-pound gorilla of the cigar box business, and everyone who has seen its wares speaks admirably about the company...while grousing about its high prices.
Figuring out why Picus boxes are expensive isn't exactly as difficult as cracking the Enigma code. The factory has so much high-tech equipment sitting on its floor (the machines seem to outnumber the people), it's hard to believe that Picus is only making cigar boxes. Ever-present vacuum systems suck up the dust before it can hit the ground, creating an extremely clean atmosphere.
Last year 700,000 boxes were hammered together at the Picus factory; the goal this year is for 1.3 million, according to Pot. If all the screws were turned out and the demand was there, it could make 2 million a year. The company, which makes boxes for Davidoff, Aurora, La Gloria Cubana and many other brands, is energetically pursuing other business. It's battling a small image problem due to its location within Davidoff's free-trade zone. "People thought we were only working for Davidoff," shrugs Pot.
Picus may be a newcomer to the Dominican Republic, but it's been making boxes for more than 100 years. The company, which is based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has been in the business since 1883. Back at European headquarters, only about half the business is cigar-oriented. The rest of the boxes are used to hold cutlery, perfume, tea and coffee.
Making anything by machine has its quirks in the Third World. No one blinks when the power fails at midday, even when it kicks off again 30 minutes later. The boys at Picus are ready. They proudly show off a monstrous generator in a back room that keeps the saws humming. "It's crazy," says Pot. "Sometimes we work half the day on generator power." One thing missing from the Picus plant is a big inventory. The factory doesn't sell cigars, so it makes boxes only when customers order them.
Back at the Fuente factory, there's plenty of inventory. But it's not always ready to go.
"Look at these," says Fuente, handing a visitor a cigar box designed to hold the new Arturo Fuente Añejo (Spanish for "aged"). The cigar, made with Connecticut broadleaf wrapper was destined to be on the market in the spring. The visitor looks it over and remarks on the quality, which brings a raised eyebrow from Fuente. He points out a slim, unsanded band near the bottom of the box. He's rejected the entire lot because of the small flaw, delaying the release of the new cigar.
Expect to the see the aptly named Añejos on the market ... just not so soon.
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