Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) announces that Rick Rodriguez, blender\/ambassador of CAO is retiring from the company on April 29, 2022.<\/p>\n
Rick joined General Cigar in January 2000 as a sales representative in Florida. In 2005, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime by Edgar Cullman, Sr., to participate in a rigorous cigar master training program. Rick became immersed in cigar making, learning the art of blending from titans of the handmade cigar category including Benji Menendez, Daniel Nu\u00f1ez and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo.<\/p>\n
After years of studying, most notably with Benji Menendez from 2005-2008, Rick went to join the blending team of La Gloria Cubana in 2008 when Ernesto Perez-Carrillo left General Cigar to start his own company.<\/p>\n
With STG\u2019s acquisition of CAO in 2009, Rick\u2019s role would expand again, this time earning him the coveted position of blender and ambassador of CAO. For the past 13 years, Rick has spearheaded blend development for CAO, working alongside CAO\u2019s Nicaraguan team. Together, they amassed a slew of high ratings and accolades for their innovation-forward releases including: Pil\u00f3n, Flathead, the Amazon Basin Series, Session, Bones and others. The new offerings created by Rick and the CAO team have made waves in the competitive premium cigar landscape, thanks to a winning combination of unique tobaccos, processing methods and arresting packaging.<\/p>\n
When not working on blends or consulting on new products, Rick has spent countless hours on the road, spreading the gospel of CAO to devoted cigar enthusiasts across the world. Whether at cigar shops or special events, he has captivated CAO fans with his tobacco knowledge, which he often peppered with a travelogue of his adventures from the road.<\/p>\n
Rick Rodriguez said, \u201cThis job has been a dream come true for me and so much of it seems like fate. From the moment Edgar Cullman, Sr., offered me the job to study under the company\u2019s cigar masters, I knew how lucky I was. When I write my life story, and maybe now I will, my time in the cigar business will be a huge part of that story. Looking back, I still to this day ask, \u2018why me?\u2019 Now, as I get ready to step down, I\u2019m able to answer my own question. Thank God it was me.\u201d<\/p>\n
R\u00e9gis Broersma, Senior Vice President of Scandinavian Tobacco Group\u2019s North America Branded and Rest of World Division and President of General Cigar said, \u201cRick brought a lot to the party; he was a terrific blender with a great palate. The word \u2018passion\u2019 gets overused in this category yet with Rick, it fits. He loved his work. He loved being around people, sharing his passion for CAO and he loved to tell a story. While we\u2019ll miss working with Rick, he\u2019ll always be part of the STG family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rick concluded, \u201cTwenty-two years is a long time. It would be too hard for me to list every person by name that has supported me in my career, but what I can do is say thank you to Niels Frederiksen, R\u00e9gis Broersma, Benji Menendez, Daniel Nu\u00f1ez, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, every CAO fan, every shop owner and store employee, and everybody I\u2019ve had the honor to work with throughout my time at General Cigar and STG. Thank you so much. For everything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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