At its annual general meeting, the members of Procigar elected Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana as its new president and Ciro Cascella, president of Fuente International, as its vice president.
Additionally, the organization named Hendrik “Henke” Kelner as its president ad vitam in recognition of his 32 years of service to the premium cigar industry.
Procigar was formed in 1992 by a group of the Dominican Republic’s top cigar makers with the intention of protecting the reputation and future of the country’s cigar industry by setting and maintaining the highest standards of quality and preserving the country’s heritage. Member companies often affix the organization’s logo to cigar boxes to indicate their status as a member company and commitment to the organization’s ideals.
The organization also hosts an annual festival in February that celebrates the country’s cigar heritage with visits to farms and factories, educational sessions, nightly dinners, and an auction that raises money for several charitable organizations.