Nat Sherman Ceases Operation

Nat Sherman International Inc. has been a formidable name in the cigar industry for 90 years, but now they are shuttering their business. Sales seem to be up across the cigar industry, but by the end of September, Nat Sherman is closing down not only their shop in Manhattan, but their entire wholesale business. It is nothing short of a devestating loss to the world of quality cigars.

Since 2017, Nat Sherman has been owned by the tobacco giant Altria Group Inc., which announced in October of 2019 that they were considering selling the brand. Although Altria does have some cigar brands in their portfolio, they are mostly known for machine-made stogies like Black & Mild rather than the hand-rolled premium cigars offered by Nat Sherman.

On top of this awkward fit, the unique difficulties of 2020 haven’t helped at all. According to the general manager of Nat Sherman, Jessica Pierucki, “The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges that were unfortunately too big to overcome.” After Altria expressed interest in selling Nat Sherman, there were some promising buyers. However, the virus ultimately stymied any interest that potential buyers of the company once had.

Despite this defeat, Nat Sherman appears to be doing right by their employees. Workers have remained employed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and according to VP Michael Herklots, employees will be given a severance package to serve as a “soft landing” once the company closes.

The cigar industry can often feel like one big family, and it’s tough to see a business that has survived for generations shut its doors for good. Best Cigar Prices has been happy to carry Nat Sherman’s exceptional products over the years, and urges those who have never tried a Nat Sherman cigar to get their hands on a box while they still can.