As an exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in Italy, Diadema s.p.a. President Andrea Vincenzi is one of those faithful Habano advocates –both by trade and personal liking- who recognizes the supreme quality these top-of-the-line cigars really have.

After graduating from the Venice School of Architecture and after a fleeting experience in the field of urban housing, this man followed his passion for wines and the good cuisine. This love got a hold on him through journalism –reporting for newspaper’s food & wine sections. In 1997, he and a few colleagues of his –all lovers of the ultimate smoke- founded Torpedo, Italy’s first cigar magazine. The publication eventually wound up in the hands of Diadema, the partnership that imports and distributes Habanos all across Italy. “It’s funny because I was part of the birth of Diadema S.p.a. from the word go and I played a role in its foundation back in 1999,” he smirks.

At the beginning, he acted as Marketing Manager and then was elected President and CEO in 2003. He’s still both the company’s President and CEO. Diadema has been the exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in Italy since June 2000, even though the company had been founded the year before.

Since December 2004, the Genoa-based dealer has opened as many offices as warehouses in the city, with a total payroll of 14 employees. In addition, distribution to the country’s 1,800 customers is carried out by a dozen agents. For Vincenzi, the 40th birthday of the Cohiba brand is a special occasion to underscore the Habano as a one-and-only and coveted product. And the best way to do so is by celebrating the anniversary of its best-known and most glamorous trademarked stogie. Now the Habano Festival is featuring a new event –the Dealer’s Night- that this time around will be devoted to Italy. This is what Mr. Vincenzi had to say about this issue:

“On the one hand, it gives us a great opportunity to convey, within the framework of the Habano Festival, all the passion that many Italians feel for cigars, and it’s also a chance to celebrate with all of them their linkage with this particular world.”

He remembers that during last year’s festival, nearly a hundred Italian cigar aficionados came to Cuba. “I’m very proud and it’s a tremendous encouragement for us that Habanos S.A. recognized the great evolution that Cuban cigars have had in my country over the past six years. Now they’re giving Italy a full night at the Festival.”

And how are Habano sales faring in the Italian market? “Today, Habanos take up a pretty good slice off the market pie at the Premium level that absorbs 50 percent of the value and over 40 percent of all quantities, including national products (the so-called Toscanos), a share that has never dwindled over the past six years since Diadema popped up.”

“In terms of preference, Romeo & Juliet, Partagas and Montecristo lead the pack. That trio, together with Cohiba, Hoyo de Monterrey and Jose L. Piedra account for 80 percent of our market share,” he beams. What about Diadema’s plans for the future? How good was the end of 2005 for the company? “Regardless of that, the sales of Habanos remained strong and even increased from 2004. That made us be pleased amid a year marked by such a difficult situation.”

“The company’s strategy continues to be based on service improvement for our customers and cigar buffs. That’s why in 2005 we started making direct imports from Cuba, and we began to apply stricter delivery controls and raise demand by importing exclusive items, such as the Habano Collection Series. There are other actions that are supposed to have a follow-up in coming years.” “2005 was a tough year because in January Italy passed new legislation against tobacco consumption that virtually slashed to only one out of twenty the number of public places where smoking is not banned by law.”