In 2006, the Lifetime Achievement award went posthumously to Stanford J. Newman, who died suddenly on 15 August this year, shortly after his 90th birthday.
Stanford J. Newman was one of the most significant cigar personalities of the world, playing a major role in the definition of the cigar culture for seven decades.
Under his management, the small factory founded by his father in 1895 rose to become a family enterprise with a world-wide business. Newman, who began working in the factory in 1934, while he was still a student, was the pioneer for many trends in the cigar trade. His most famous brands are Cuesta Rey, Diamond Crown and La Unica.
Just as Stanford will have wanted, the business remains firmly in the family’s hands – not only his two sons Eric and Robert, but also his grandson Drew (the fourth generation) are involved in the business.
