Jim Colucci Announces Retirement from Altadis U.S.A.

Man, when will the retirement announcements end? Cigar Aficionado confirmed yesterday that Jim Colucci, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Altadis U.S.A. Inc. for 34 years, will be leaving the company at the end of July. This move is not, however, a retirement from the cigar industry altogether. As Colucci put it, “I’m not retiring—I’m just ending my career here.” He added, “I still love the company. We had a great run. It will be almost 35 years [at Altadis] when I leave.”

While the non-compete clause in Colucci’s contract with Altadis U.S.A. prevents him from working on the manufacturing side of the cigar industry for one year, he’s still allowed to work on the retail side. “You might see me in the retail side real quick,” he said. Colucci currently oversees all of Altadis U.S.A.’s brands, including Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Montecristo, and Don Diego, among many others.

Colucci plans on leaving the company ten days after the conclusion of the 2011 IPCPR in Las Vegas, and may do some consulting after the fact. As with the rest of the cigar world’s recent retirees, we wish Colucci a bright future in the cigar industry and look forward to whatever projects he gets involved in next.