Bye Bye Nat Sherman

[TommyBB]

David Savona, from cigar Aficionado reported yesterday that Altria is divesting itself of the Nat Sherman cigar operation.

Nat Sherman International Closing
Manhattan Townhouse and wholesale cigar operations to shutter by end of September, ending 90-year history in New York City
Aug 3, 2020 | By David Savona

Ninety years after it opened its doors for the first time, Nat Sherman is closing down. Nat Sherman International Inc., which has been owned by cigarette giant Altria Group Inc. since 2017, will cease operations by the end of September, shutting down not only its midtown Manhattan cigar store but also its entire wholesale business.

The decision comes several months after Altria began looking for a potential buyer for the cigar subsidiary; the company announced it was considering the sale of Nat Sherman International Inc. in October.

***SNIP***
Premium cigars were never a part of the Altria story. While the company had cigars in its portfolio prior to the acquisition of Nat Sherman, it is a machine-made cigar operation (Black & Mild) that is far closer to its core cigarette business than to handmade cigars. Back in October, Pierucki told Cigar Aficionado: “While we recognize the strength and value of the premium cigar business, it’s not core to Altria’s tobacco portfolio.”

The Nat Sherman story dates back to 1930, when the first version of the store opened in Manhattan at 1400 Broadway. The current location, at 12 East 42nd Street, marks the fourth location of the shop.

Nat Sherman International has 24 employees. The cigar store (now known as the Townhouse) is not owned by the company, and is leased. All of the company’s cigars (such as Timeless) are made under contract, so the company does not own a cigar factory.

Before the sale to Altria, Nat Sherman had embarked on an ambitious rebranding of its cigar line, spearheaded by Michael Herklots, who is now vice president of Nat Sherman International. The new cigars earned several 90-point-and-higher scores, and made appearances on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25.

“Leading what has become Nat Sherman International’s final chapter these last nine years has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Herklots. “Hopefully, our premium cigars will live on in the humidors of our greatest fans and be appreciated with fond memories for many years to come.”

This is sad for the cigar world.

[bigw]

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/arti...473c7b9fa19141

[BigJohn]

Sad.
Hope the brand is saved, they have a bunch of predicate bands... But ny taxes were not releaved for covid so yeah, the last 5 months have been a suck for them...

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[KatDad]

Very sad! One of the traditional brands twisting in the wind.

[TommyBB]

Famous Smoke Shop has now put all of their Nat Sherman on sale, up to 68% off.

[Ringo]

The end of an era. So sad.

[Lew]

The company was run by the Sherman Family, some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. One of the last great tobacco shops in NY..... in fact, it was the last great one.
Increasing taxes, rents, and smoking prohibitions have seen the number of places that can be reasonably called a cigar shop dwindle from literally thousands to virtually none.

[Rob G]

Originally Posted by Lew

The company was run by the Sherman Family, some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. One of the last great tobacco shops in NY..... in fact, it was the last great one.
Increasing taxes, rents, and smoking prohibitions have seen the number of places that can be reasonably called a cigar shop dwindle from literally thousands to virtually none.

Exactly. I place the blame squarely on the People's Republic of NY.

[SmoKerch]

A side note - I've had several friends, and at least one family member, tell me about some great cigars they got on clearance at their local B&M.

"Metropolitans" they called them.

One look at the band told me they were indeed Nat Sherman cigars.


Sad end to a great marque.

[TommyBB]

Multiple cigar media outlets are reporting that CWer Michael Herklots and a partner have formed a new company and they have bought Nat Sherman's brand portfolio.

Michael Herklots and Brendon Scott Announce Ferio Tego Featuring many Former Nat Sherman Brands

This from Cigar Dojo

Michael Herklots, former Vice President of Nat Sherman International, LLC and Brendon Scott, former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Nat Sherman, LLC have established Ferio Tego, LLC a premium cigar and accessories distribution company.

Ferio Tego will also be the company’s flagship brand of premium cigars to be initially offered in limited productions. Additionally, Ferio Tego, LLC has acquired the brands formerly owned and distributed by Nat Sherman International, LLC and their respective intellectual property. The brands include Timeless, Metropolitan, Epoca and Ancora among others.

“Having spent the last nine years developing and building these iconic brands, I am excited to be able to continue that work with Brendon.” said Michael Herklots. “I’m proud of the way we were able to balance the need to maintain consistency with core products, while continuing to innovate with new offerings. Ferio Tego will continue that commitment far into the future.”

“We are grateful to Altria for working with us to find a path forward for these brands. I am extremely excited to work with Michael and our manufacturing partners to continue the legacy of these brands built by so many people over many decades. We are eager to bring our products back into the humidors of retailers and consumers.”, added Brendon Scott.

LINK
The article states that the Metroplitan and Timeless lines will be the first re-introduced and should be available before summer of 2021.