Avanti Cigar Co. Moves Production to Dominican Republic

Aug.11.2022
Avanti Cigar Co. Moves Production to Dominican Republic
Avanti Cigar Co. is moving its production from the US to the Dominican Republic due to high labor costs and staffing issues.

According to a report from the Standard-Speaker, Avanti Cigar Co. is moving its production from the United States to the Dominican Republic due to high labor costs and difficulty in finding employees. After producing high-quality cigars in Dunmore, Pennsylvania for over 90 years, Avanti will be closing its US factory on August 31.


In a statement, the company stated that the past two years have been difficult due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it has become increasingly difficult to hire skilled workers who are able to learn and manage production activities while ensuring the sustainability of the business in the medium to long term. The company was founded in 1912 in New York City as Suraci Brothers and moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania around 1930 before relocating to Dunmore in 2013.


David Ozgo, President of the Cigar Association of America, says that Avanti's foreign operations align with a long-standing trend. "This has been a trend for several decades," Ozgo explains. "In the United States, we produce a large quantity of high-quality tobacco. There is a real issue with recruiting employees, which may make moving to the Dominican Republic more attractive.


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