El Laguito, that factory that makes the Cohiba cigars, is some sort of legend for smokers. This place used to be a myth from the past that remained out of reach for just about everybody. This plant perched on the Siboney neighborhood in Havana, the island nation’s capital, is by far the most emblematic and mysterious cigar factory of the country.

Right now, Osmar Hernandez, 40, runs this factory. He’s been working here for eight years, first serving as production chief. In his new tenure, Mr. Hernandez is an executive eager to get down to the job every step of the way. The young exec explains that this factory –with a payroll of 230 employees and teaching courses for more than half a dozen apprentices year in and year out- is planning to expand. However, love for the job is the name of the game there.

At El Laguito, the classic Cohiba line is whipped into shape, alongside the 1492 trademark with its Centuries 1st to 4th brands. The latter, as a matter of fact, is only made in this factory. The plant also churns out Trinidad, a brand that hit the market half a dozen years ago that only boasted the Fundadores band at the beginning before branching out.

Mr. Hernandez stresses that quality has many faces in his factory, let alone the so-called third fermentation and the skills of its employees whose dedication, hard work, concentration and quality control are worth stealing a long look at.

The new cigar hand-rollers –the youngsters who take classes in his small school- stem from these families and are trained next to their parents. Even their offspring visit the factory during their off-school summer vacations and take a firsthand look at what their parents do at the factory.

To him, a key player in the factory’s success is concern over the needs of the workers and their families, based on an alluring wage that can actually stir up production.

Mr. Hernandez adds there are, of course, other stimuli to make people feel good and at ease in their workplaces, such as access to recreational centers, tours and other perks. “However,” he says, “they aren’t enough yet.” For this executive, the sense of owning the factory is paramount at El Laguito. There are several generations of family members who have worked there and that tradition is honored and respected.

Two other new elements wielded by Mr. Hernandez are the use of a cold store and a huge humidifying chamber. The former allows treatment of cigars as it eliminates the use of the vacuumed spraying chamber –a potential harmer of the planet’s ozone layer.

“I believe we should see this industry as something real. This is a very traditional, crafty industry, but we should not turn our backs on science and technology. That’s why we apply these breakthroughs,” Mr. Hernandez goes on to explain

On the other hand, the humidifying chambers or humidifiers, were thought up by Cuban researcher Jose Maria Guardiola, a man with three decades of experience in the business who suggested the making of these gizmos from an Italian provider.

Cohiba & El Laguito:

Stories The Cohiba brand, whose marketing binge started out in 1982, was founded in 1966 in a factory that's still standing -El Laguito- in the residential neighborhood of Siboney, on the west side of Havana. It varies greatly from the rest of the cigar brands, thanks to a third fermentation process endured by the tobacco leaves, thus making the cigar burn delightfully evenly.

There's a Classic Line (Esplendido, Robusto, Corona Especial and Lancero) and the 1492 Line, made up of the Cohiba Centuries (I-II-III-IV-V-VI). The latter showed up in 1992 to mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in America and tobacco's five centuries of existence.

This new chamber allows operators to set the necessary humidity and further improve working conditions in a bid to cut down on mistakes, save leaves that would have been disposed of, and, in the same breath, save water and power supply. The Cohiba brand was created in 1966 at El Laguito factory, home to the island nation’s top protocol area in the residential neighborhood of Siboney, in the west-side suburbs of Havana.

Its chief difference to the rest of cigar brands lies in the third fermentation process the tobacco leaves endure to make these fancy stogies burn evenly and taste like heaven. In 1982, the Cohiba got its big break in the market. During the brand’s 30th anniversary, planners of the Habano Festival pieced together a big bash at the Tropicana Cabaret in Havana.

In a word, El Laguito is a top-quality center for the making of cigars that was born four decades ago and is still home to one of the world’s finest Habano brands, the leading symbol of all the Habanos that have seen the light of day after the 1959 Revolution.