J.C. Newman changes distributor in The Netherlands. And in a surprising move, they are back with Longfiller Company. That is the distributor they left over a decade ago after their relationship ended in court.

Longfiller Company introduced the J.C. Newman brands Cuesta Rey in The Netherlands. The import and distribution company was owned by Ilja and Sasja Van Horssen. The Longfiller Company has always been operating under the J. Van Horssen BV umbrella. J Van Horssen BV was founded by their grandfather in 1942, providing tobacco. The company still distributes millions of dry cured cigars to the Dutch retailers under the names Eenmalig, David & Goliath and more. They also distribute their own roll your own tobacco with brands like David & Goliath, Maximus, and Rancho.

Cuesta Rey Cigar Shop

Ilja Van Horssen left the company to start his own retail shop in The Hague. That shop was even called Cuesta Rey Cigar Shop and had the Cuesta Rey logo in stained glass on the ceiling of the building. After Ilja’s unfortunate early death, at age 36, his widow Yvonne turned the shop into the first La Casa del Habano in The Hague, before moving into a new building. Sasja Van Horssen went into retail too, next to running Longfiller Company. He now owns Van Dalen Cigars Den Bosch, Van Dalen Cigars Rotterdam and his flagship store Cigaragua in Amsterdam. In the summer his new retail store, Van Dalen Cigars Dordrecht, will be opened.

The introduction of Cuesta Rey was very successful. After a few years, Longfiller Company and J.C. Newman had different opinions on how to proceed. That put a huge strain on the relationship. They even ended up taking the fight to court. But that is all water under the bridge. After being distributed by Swedish Match (now STG) and Davidoff in The Netherlands, Newman realized that they had never had better sales in the lowlands as they had with Longfiller Company. Van Horssen reacted in an e-mail to us that old love never dies, and that he’s very happy to represent the Newman brands in The Netherlands again.

J.C. Newman brands

J.C. Newman owns the brands Diamond Crown, Maximus, Julius Caesar, Black Diamond, Cuesta Rey, and La Unica. Those brands are produced in the Dominican Republic. From Nicaragua, Newman hails Alcazar, Brick House, Don Jose, Don Seville, El Baton, Perla del Mar, and Quorum. The company still produces cigars in the United States as well, in their factory in Tampa. That factory produces The American, Decision, Mexican segundos, Factory throwouts, El Reloj, Tampa Trolleys and Trader Jacks.

Then Longfiller Company will start distributing the cigars, and which lines and vitolas they will start with has yet to be revealed. We will update the article as soon as that is revealed by the Dutch importer and distributor. The American made cigars won’t be distributed in The Netherlands for sure. That has to do with a steep tobacco tax for American made products. Third world countries as Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic have a 0% tariff on tobacco. For the USA that tariff is 26% on the value. Cuban cigars are hit with that same tariff in the E.U. as well.