Davidoff Walks Away From ProCigar After 34 Years

Davidoff has ended its membership in ProCigar, the Dominican Republic's manufacturers' association, after 34 years as a founding member. The company says the exit is about focusing resources on its own regulatory battles across the roughly 130 markets where it operates, and it was careful to leave on polite terms. Still, the symbolism is hard to miss: ProCigar was long synonymous with Henke Kelner, the legendary blender who led Davidoff's Dominican operation and the association itself before departing in 2021, and the group has been visibly reorganizing since. Davidoff already scaled back its presence at the 2026 ProCigar Festival. The association drops to 11 full members, with Drew Estate widely expected to fill a chair once its new Dominican factory opens. Registration for the 2027 ProCigar Festival is now open, and the post-Davidoff era begins.