From the ashes: Cigar maker embraces change while honoring traditions

Family feuds, supply problems and government regulations have bent but not broken the last bastion of Ybor City's cigar industry. But the firm is determined to thrive, not just survive.

  • By Brian Hartz
  • | 12:00 p.m. January 27, 2022
  • | 0 Free Articles Remaining!
Mark Wemple. Drew Newman represents the fourth generation of the Newman family, whose J.C. Newman Cigar Co., founded in 1895, has been an Ybor City institution since 1954.
Mark Wemple. Drew Newman represents the fourth generation of the Newman family, whose J.C. Newman Cigar Co., founded in 1895, has been an Ybor City institution since 1954.
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It’s been said that change is the only constant, but like any rule, a few notable exceptions can be found. One  is J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Established in 1895, the Tampa cigar maker has been continuously owned and operated by the Newman family, first in Ohio and then, starting in 1954, at the El Reloj factory in Ybor City, where it has 155 employees.

 

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