Tobacco plays an important role in the lives of Anke den Besten and Marc van Soest. The love for this product brought them together.
Marc van Soest started his career in tobacco at Turmac/Rothmans, first in sales and later in international marketing research. At Biggelaar Tabak he managed production and learned more about the basic product itself by purchasing tobacco together with the owner.
During a tour with his cigar club at the cigar factory PP Rubens / De Hertogh Cigaren in Arendonk, Marc met Anke den Besten there. Anke worked with tobacco manufacturer Ton Buenen for 17 years at De Hertogh Cigaren.
When Ton Buenen announced in 2017 that he would be finishing construction and closing the PP Rubens cigar factory, the curtain seemed to fall on the last active Arendonk cigar factory. The old, indestructible cigar machines moved to the Dominican Republic and when a trading partner was found there who could supply high-quality cigars, Anke den Besten and Marc van Soest decided to combine their expertise with that of the cigar makers in the Dominican Republic.
