If you take a stroll in Ybor City, on the northeast side of Tampa, within the vicinity of North 16th Street and East Columbus Drive, the first thing you’ll notice is the rustic, sweet aroma of tobacco. The scent comes from a red brick building which houses the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. It is the last cigar factory in Tampa.
The cigar industry has gone through several obstacles over the years, which caused many makers to go out of business. But, J.C. Newman Cigar Co. managed to stay afloat.
“This is our 124th year in business,” said Eric Newman, president of J.C. Newman Cigar Co. “We’ve been through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cuban Embargo, increasing excise taxes and smoking bans.”
These days, cigar companies are dealing with regulations set by the Food and Drug Administration.
“We’re kicking and fighting to make sure the FDA doesn’t close down Tampa’s last cigar factory,” Newman explained.
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