Swisher International Group

Swisher International Group, with executive offices located in Darien, Connecticut, and operational headquarters located in Jacksonville, Florida, is the world's largest cigar company as measured by units sold^[1] and is America’s largest cigar exporter, shipping to nearly 90 countries. Brands include Swisher Sweets, King Edward, and Optimo.^[2]

History

• 1861

David Swisher, a merchant out of Newark Ohio, received a small cigar business as part of a debt settlement.

• 1870

Hundreds of cigars are rolled by hand every day in a one room Manufactury

• 1888

David sells the company to his sons, Harry and John H. Swisher. The two rename the company Swisher Brothers.

• 1895

Swisher Brothers grows to three factories, employing over 1,000 people, and producing as many as 300,000 cigars daily.

• 1913

John buys out his brother Harry's half of the company and brings on his own son Carl. Jno. H. Swisher & Son is established.

• 1924

After an exhaustive search, Carl selects Jacksonville FL, as the new site of the headquarters. The country's first "fresh work" rolling machines turn on at the Jacksonville headquarters, mass-producing cigars that are superior in uniformity, appearance, and quality. Swisher then became the first to wrap individual cigars in cellophane, and the first to come up with a simple device for removing the cellophane by pulling the cigar band.

• 1927

The Jacksonville plant is doing so well that the Ohio facilities are closed and consolidate into the Florida plant.

• 1930

During the darkest days of the depression, at a time when most companies are letting people go, Swisher hired hundreds. Swisher's hiring record earned the company Forbes magazines certificate of merit for having had "the vision, courage, and faith in America's future to make large investments in the face of depression problems."

• 1939

Swisher builds the nations first industrial children's nursery on the top floor of the Jacksonville headquarters. The King Edward Nursery won nationwide acclaim, with professionally trained nurses and attendants on staff around the clock.

• 1940

swisher's King Edward becomes the worlds number one, best selling cigar.

• 1941

The Jacksonville plant is now the largest cigar factory in the world under one roof.

• 1942

Swisher expands by opening numerous other facilities in the nearby tobacco-growing areas for handling, processing, storing, and shipping the huge quantities of tobacco needed.

• 1958

Jno. H Swisher & Sons introduces the Swisher Sweets brand cigar.

• 1964

The company makes a total of four million cigars per day and ships to all fifty states and forty seven countries.

• 1964

Jno. H Swisher & Sons is acquired by American Maize Products, a corn processor.^[3]

• 1985

Swisher Sweets Little Cigars begin to land on store shelves. Swisher products are now sold in more than sixty countries around the world.

• 1986

Swisher grew through several acquisitions including the purchase of Helme Tobacco Company, manufacturers of smokeless tobacco products.

• 1992

Swisher changes its name from Jno. H. Swisher & Sons, to Swisher International, Inc. With Swishers quality cigars making their way around the globe to more than seventy different countries, the name seemed like a perfect fit.

• 1995

American Maize Products is acquired by Eridania Béghin-Say, a French company; Swisher is sold to William Ziegler III, former CEO of American Maize^[4]

• TODAY

Swisher Continues to prosper through aggressive and innovative marketing and continually adding new products to its lineup. Swisher also invests millions of dollars in cost effective automation and process improvements.

Product Lines

Swisher International has a wide range of product offerings, from little cigars, to premium cigars, to smokeless tobacco.

References

External links

• Official site