FROM ROUGH DIAMOND TO BUSINESS LEADER

Sean Hardiman was a rough diamond when he was hired by Scandinavian Tobacco Group in 2016.

Five years after joining the company, he has harnessed the right skills to take charge of The Forged Cigar Company, a stand-alone US distribution company with its own dedicated sales force developed to deepen support for the brick and mortar business through investment in brands with strong potential.

“I was just rough around the edges. I spoke my mind with no filter. Now it’s more refined. When I talk it is much more calculated and it comes from actually understanding what I’m talking about,” Hardiman says.

“Now I’ve learned more about our customers - how to work with them and our team to achieve the best results. And when I look back, I’m proud that this personal journey has made me a stronger contributor, with new skills that are helping to build the business of The Forged Cigar Company and deliver results for Scandinavian Tobacco Group.”

Face of a boutique, body of a machine

Largely funded from within General Cigar Company, The Forged Cigar Company was created to fulfill a need in the marketplace by providing increased value to retailers and greater support in helping them grow their business. This is accomplished through a deeper investment in its brands and in enabling the team to be nimble in responding to the needs of retailers in meeting marketplace demands.

“From the moment we decided to do this, it took just four to five months to have everything up and running with sales people on the street,” says Regis Broersma, President and SVP North America Branded and Rest of World. “Marketing need to do two times the work because we have split the brands into two businesses and instead of one launch a year, now there’s two. Finance teams and invoicing were set up, warehouse people have to ship more cigars, the factory has to scale up – it’s truly a team effort.”

The Forged Cigar Company has taken brands from General Cigar Company – including Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, El Rey Del Mundo, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin’ Moose – and put more focus on them, with a dedicated sales force. The business has achieved net sales growth of 34% in its first year with 189 new accounts and 16,299 new distribution points.

“The success is based on collaboration and speed,” Broersma says. “The Forged Cigar Company is unique because the face is boutique but the body is machine, with the resources of a big company. And it’s a basket of legendary brands, whereas other companies might just have one.”

Brand success and consumer pull
Hardiman has more than 11 years in the premium cigar category, both as a retailer and as a sales manager. He has a deep passion for the industry, a firsthand knowledge of what makes brands a success at the retail level and knows how to drive consumer pull. The Forged Cigar Company has leveraged on Hardiman’s experience and connections to recruit sales professionals with a diverse range of backgrounds, from dyed-in-the-wool cigar industry experts to those with deep experience in large corporates, to provide a diverse range of views and skills.

In addition to supporting brick and mortar retailers in growing their businesses, The Forged Cigar Company will leverage relationships with its proprietary network of cigar factories to meet the changing demands of retailers and consumers. Under the guidance of Hardiman, the sales team can move fast, adapting and pivoting as needed to deliver valuable support to the retailer, and will provide product innovations that meet the needs and wants of consumers.

“The company management have given me every tool to be successful and to improve as a sales rep and as a person,” Hardiman says. “I’m grateful for this support and so pleased that I’m able to pay it back with this success.”