Early Monday morning, around 6:00 a.m., a fire broke out at Inetab-Kaubeck S.R.L., Universal Corp.’s leaf sorting and sales facility located in Moca, Dominican Republic.
Universal Corp. is not a cigar manufacturer but a global tobacco supplier that engages in tobacco cultivation, processing, and sorting for many clients, including nearly all major cigar companies worldwide.

In a letter to clients, Philipp Schumacher, managing director of Inetab-Kaubeck, confirmed that the fire caused “a material loss of tobacco and affected a portion of the warehouse.” Fortunately, no staff were on-site at the time, and there were no casualties. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Video footage of the incident showed a large warehouse that still contained some tobacco, but images revealed a mostly empty space with remnants of tobacco on the floor, charred walls, and standing water. Henderson Ventura of Tabacalera William Ventura and ADV & McKay Cigars Co. later confirmed that the building was one of eight at Inetab-Kaubeck and primarily handled Connecticut broadleaf and Pennsylvania tobaccos.

Schumacher expressed gratitude to the emergency services, especially the fire departments from Moca and surrounding areas in the Cibao region, for their swift response in controlling the fire.

Universal Corp. (NYSE: UVV) is a publicly traded company with operations in over 30 countries, serving as a leading tobacco supplier to both the premium cigar industry and other tobacco segments. Inetab-Kaubeck, Universal’s Dominican branch, plays a significant role in supporting the country’s premium and mass-market cigar industries, many of which are based in Santiago, just 10 miles from Moca.

“Inetab-Kaubeck has always been committed to the integrity of our people, and we approach our work with dedication, passion, and effort,” Schumacher stated in his letter. “Despite this challenging time, our primary focus remains the well-being of our employees, and we are determined to emerge from this stronger than ever.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Henderson Ventura (@venturahenderson)