Sep 3, 2026
Davidoff & ProCigar
Davidoff has ended its longtime membership with ProCigar, marking a significant change within the Dominican Republic’s premier cigar manufacturers association.
The Swiss cigar company participated in ProCigar through Tabadom Holding, Inc., Davidoff’s Dominican manufacturing operation, which includes its cigar factories, tobacco-processing operations and farms.
Tabadom was a founding member of ProCigar and had been part of the organization for 34 years before the company decided to end its membership earlier this year.
The move was confirmed publicly on September 3, 2026.
Davidoff Shifts Focus Toward Global Priorities
According to a statement provided by Davidoff, the decision comes as the company reassesses its future priorities and the regulatory challenges facing its business around the world.
Davidoff operates across approximately 130 markets, and the company indicated that it intends to focus more directly on addressing those global priorities within individual markets.
While its membership in ProCigar has ended, Davidoff stressed that it plans to remain active in defending the interests of the premium cigar industry and working with governmental authorities in the countries where it operates.
The company also said it would continue working with government officials in the Dominican Republic to support the sustainable growth of the country’s cigar industry.
A Major Piece of ProCigar History
Davidoff’s relationship with ProCigar goes well beyond simply being one of its member companies.
For decades, Hendrik “Henke” Kelner, the longtime leader of Davidoff’s Dominican operations, was closely associated with ProCigar and played a major leadership role within the organization.
Kelner later served as a global brand ambassador for Davidoff before leaving the company in 2021.
ProCigar itself has undergone a number of leadership changes in recent years. In May 2026, Ciro Cascella of Arturo Fuente was named president of the organization, succeeding Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana.
It remains unclear whether those organizational changes played any role in Davidoff’s decision to leave.
Neither Davidoff nor ProCigar has publicly identified a specific disagreement or incident that prompted the departure.
Davidoff’s Presence Was Reduced at the 2026 ProCigar Festival
There may have been an early sign of the changing relationship during the 2026 ProCigar Festival, held in the Dominican Republic in February.
Davidoff’s participation in the festival was reportedly noticeably smaller than in previous years.
The ProCigar Festival is one of the Dominican cigar industry’s signature annual events, bringing cigar enthusiasts, retailers, manufacturers and members of the cigar media to the country for factory and tobacco farm tours, dinners and other events.
Whether Davidoff will continue participating in future ProCigar Festivals now that it is no longer a member remains an important unanswered question.
ProCigar Membership Drops to 11
Davidoff’s departure leaves ProCigar with 11 full member companies.
Those companies represent many of the most prominent cigar manufacturers operating in the Dominican Republic.
The number could eventually return to 12.
Drew Estate has announced plans to open its first cigar factory in the Dominican Republic in 2027, potentially making the company a future candidate for ProCigar membership once that operation is established.
Davidoff Expresses Appreciation for ProCigar
Despite leaving the organization, Davidoff characterized its relationship with ProCigar positively and expressed appreciation for more than three decades of collaboration.
The company thanked ProCigar and its members for the shared experiences and work done on behalf of Dominican cigars and tobacco while wishing the association continued success.
For an organization Davidoff helped establish more than three decades ago, however, the departure represents more than a routine membership change.
It marks the end of one of the longest-standing relationships inside ProCigar and raises new questions about how Davidoff intends to represent its interests within the Dominican cigar industry moving forward.
ChiTown Cigar Podcast will continue following the story, including any developments regarding Davidoff’s participation in future ProCigar Festivals and changes to the association’s membership.