New General Manager for Casa de Montecristo Store Program Appointed

Tabacalera USA has announced the appointment of Steve Lochan as General Manager for Casa de Montecristo, its retail premium cigar stores. He will report directly to Javier Estades, head of Tabacalera USA.

“Steve, along with the Casa de Montecristo team, will lead the exciting expansion plan and development of the Casa de Montecristo retail stores,” Estades said.

Lochan has more than 18 years of broad sales and management experience. He comes to the company from his most recent position as vice president of operations, strategy and execution at Toys R Us, where he led store operations across 875 locations focusing on the strategy and tactics involving brand building, pricing, specialty retail communications and mentoring and developing managers, among other responsibilities.

A decade in the making, the Casa de Montecristo program opened its first Casa de Montecristo location in 2008. The program includes company-owned stores and licensed-based partnerships with some of the top established premium cigar retailers in the country.

Eleven stores across the U.S. feature the Casa de Montecristo name, including:

– Casa de Montecristo Chicago
– Casa de Montecristo by Smoke Inn (Boynton Beach, Fla.)
– Casa de Montecristo by Prime Cigar & Whiskey Bar (Miami)
– Casa de Montecristo by Cigar Inn at 2nd Avenue (New York City)
– Casa de Montecristo by Cigar Inn at 73rd Street (New York City)
– Casa de Montecristo Dallas
– Casa de Montecristo Austin
– Casa de Montecristo Nashville
– Casa de Montecristo by Tampa Humidor
– Casa de Montecristo Washington, D.C.
– Casa de Montecristo by JR Cigar (Mooresville, N.C.)