Oettinger Davidoff AG has reason to celebrate. Not only is the company celebrating 50 years of Davidoff Cigars but it recently shared the news that it’s seeing gains for the 2017 financial year. In a press release, the company revealed that total turnover for the 2017 financial year remained stable compared to the previous year. It’s own brands also showed a growth of +3.7 percent. Innovation continues to be the focus for the company’s premium cigar business and it’s gearing up for the future with the launch of its “Way Forward” program.

2017: A FOCUS ON INNOVATION
Despite the challenges presented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other global anti-tobacco movements, Davidoff was still able to have several 2017 product launches to help it meet the diverse taste and palates of cigar aficionados from around the world. For its core brand, the Davidoff 702, Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour and Davidoff Year of the Dog releases kept it competitive in the premium cigar category. For its other brands like Avo and Camacho, they served as an extension of the core brands, helping the company to expand its portfolio with the release of the Avo Syncro Nicaragua Toro, Camacho Liberty, Camacho Powerband and Camacho Check Six.

In another expression of innovation, the company launched Davidoff of Geneva Academy, a training program that tapped into the company’s focus on the shopping experiences of the future and changing customer requirements. The company’s electronic Learning Management System was also designed to help Davidoff’s employees and business partners become better retailers and cigar experts.

NEW HEADQUARTERS AND EXPANDED RETAIL PRESENCE
One of Davidoff’s biggest investments in 2017 came in the form of its new company headquarters, known as Maison Davidoff. Located at Nauenstrasse 73 in Basel in Oct. 2017, Maison Davidoff replaced the previous headquarters from 1930. It was designed by Diener & Diener and was designed to be more modern and to fit into the urban Basel landscape. Approximately 160 employees now work at Maison Davidoff which features seven floors, a reception area, communicative work spaces, contemporary cigar lounges, a cafeteria and parking deck [read more here].

The company also expanded its retail footprint with the addition of a Davidoff-themed walk-in humidor at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong and Zurich’s airport. More humidors are expected to be launched at airports located in Moscow, Geneva and Istanbul. It’s latest Davidoff of Geneva Since 1911 retail store was opened in Brooklyn this past pay.

WAY FORWARD
In looking at the future, the company wants to systematically tackle the challenges of the future. Led by Beat Hauenstein, who was appointed the new CEO in Aug. 2017, the company has restructured its management to better prepare itself to meet the new challenges presented by the FDA and the EU’s European Tobacco Products Directive TPD2. Way Forward is a new program that Oettinger Davidoff AG launched at the start of 2018 that will help the company strengthen and build on its industry-leading position in the hand-rolled premium cigar category and in wholesale trade. The company will also have a focus on keeping up with the changing purchasing habits and palates of its customers.

“As the innovation leader in the premium cigars sector, we strive not only to guarantee quality, but also to delight customers with new taste experiences and tobacco blends from all corners of the globe,” commented Hauenstein. “This also includes confronting the changing market environment in good time. Through optimization of the processes, we want to support our markets more efficiently, further build on our global position in the premium cigars sector and successfully guide our company into the future.”

50TH ANNIVERSARY
This year, Davidoff is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its white label premium cigar brand and the company’s founder, Zino Davidoff. To commemorate the occasion, Davidoff’s releasing the limited edition Diademas Finas and other anniversary-themed accessories including humidors, lighters and pipes [read more here]. The second edition of the Davidoff Chefs Edition will be released this September and continues what the first edition began–bringing together the company’s master blenders with five international gourmet chefs. 2018 will conclude with the limited edition Davidoff Year of the Pig cigar, part of the company’s annual Chinese New Year cigar line.

For all the latest news from Oettinger Davidoff AG, visit oettingerdavidoff.com.