Having achieved everything he set out to do, José Seijas stepped down in 2012 as Vice-President and General Manager of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturer – Tabacalera de García. Instead of retiring to a well-deserved life of leisure, he started all over again. Together with his son, he founded the Matilde brand and fulfilled a lifelong dream. With over 40 years’ experience in the tobacco trade, José Seijas possesses invaluable knowledge and skill in the selection of premium tobacco. Matilde is nothing less than a small masterpiece.
The name ‘Matilde’ pays homage to traditional Dominican cigar-making. Seijas drew inspiration for this name from books and came across ‘La Matilde’, a former 19th-century cigar factory in Santiago. However, the cigar factory closed when its founder, Simeon Mencia, died in 1910. Despite its short existence, the factory was significant. The original factory building still stands today.
