Silvio Loaisiga and José Antonio Ortega are prime examples of success. Both, with over 26 years of experience in the agricultural and industrial sectors of the tobacco industry, are the founders of Loaisiga Cigars, S.A., a Nicaraguan company that, in a relatively short time, has successfully expanded into several countries across America and Europe –highly competitive international markets. The key is that, for them, quality is non-negotiable.
Under this directive, from the very beginning both partners have been committed to being involved in every step of the tobacco process, from planting to the production of raw materials (which supply various local companies), as well as in the manufacturing of cigars for different private brands. They recently launched their own brand, Infiel, which, based on rigorous standards, is steadily gaining ground in different regions of the world.
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Accumulated Experience
Silvio Loaisiga has over 24 years of experience in the tobacco industry… He was born and raised in Estelí, Nicaragua, where he began working in the sector at the age of 18 –just after graduating from high school– while studying Systems Engineering. However, as his career progressed toward a more administrative role focused on process control, he decided to further his education with a second degree in Business Administration.
Throughout his professional development, he became deeply involved in product storage, inventory control, and raw materials. He also worked in equipment and new technologies, gaining ground within the company he worked for. He had the opportunity to rise through the ranks and eventually become the company’s Operations Manager, but when he found he was unfamiliar with some processes, he decided to get involved in the field and production to refine his knowledge.
On the other hand, José Antonio Ortega, originally from Managua –the country’s capital– is an agricultural engineer who began his professional career at the age of 20 in a company selling agrochemicals, where he built his career over 26 years. After moving to Estelí in 2005, he developed a passion for tobacco cultivation. Eager to learn, he began growing it with the support and financing of Don Gilberto Olivas (RIP), “who was a great man,” he says.
It was at that time that he met Silvio, who was already working for a tobacco company, and they soon became friends and clients. Over the next 18 years, they developed a deep, sincere, and transparent friendship, both personally and professionally.
In 2012, with his list of top business contacts, José Ortega founded his own agrochemical company in Nicaragua, which led him to become a market leader for several years. After expanding to countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, in 2017 he sold the business to a U.S. multinational listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Birth of a Company
Loaisiga Cigars was conceived during a family gathering in a conversation between friends –something that could have easily been forgotten. Silvio was dissatisfied with his work situation and was looking for a new project that would fulfill his professional expectations. José proposed that they form a partnership and create something of their own.
Silvio’s biggest concern was that starting a business required large amounts of money, but José replied, “Whatever you need, the hen lays it. I’m a crazy person… Every time I’ve jumped into the water, it’s gone well, and when it hasn’t, I’ve learned,” he recalls –more or less– during their video call interview.
It took just a few days for Silvio to quit his job and, “jumping into the water,” as they put it, everything began. José was loyal, firm in his commitment, and immediately began looking for resources and exploring tobacco purchasing options. Silvio, of course, took care of the infrastructure for planting and processing the leaves, among other needs.
Thus, the economic factors, Silvio’s experience in production infrastructure, and José’s creativity came together to create a business that could compete in a country with well-established brands.
By doing this, Silvio put a definitive “period” on the past, opening a new chapter in his life to build a company from scratch. The process has not been easy, but they’ve overcome various challenges.
In 2021, Loaisiga Cigars began operations in Estelí with the processing of tobacco leaves, planting in the regions of Jalapa, Condega, and Estelí. One hundred percent of the raw material is fermented and prepared in their own pre-industrial and manufacturing facilities.
Infiel, by Loaisiga Cigars
The brand is called Infiel (unfaithful), and José and Silvio clarify, somewhat playfully, that it has nothing to do with “a women issue.” Its meaning is simple, yet profound, as it refers to the essential requirement for any improvement in life. In other words, being unfaithful to customs, to tradition, to the comfort zone –they both agree– and daring to push boundaries to explore something new.
In this sense, just as they left their previous professional lives behind to step outside the conventional and do everything differently to start their business, some labeled them as “unfaithful”… And since this happened just when they were thinking of a brand name, they didn’t need to search any further. “It came to us… and yes, now we are proudly Infiel.”
Cigar manufacturing began in mid-2023, while they awaited the appropriate aging process for the batch of raw material reserved for the new project. The first boxes were shipped to the United States in early 2024.
These are premium cigars with a medium to medium-full strength; a bet on the flavor of the tobacco, through a pleasant blend that invites you to keep smoking. Their lines include an excellent Ecuador Connecticut, a medium-strength Ecuador Habano Sungrown with flavor, and a Maduro San Andrés from Mexico: “A Maduro that’s well-behaved because it doesn’t overwhelm the palate and allows for an extraordinary experience.” All of them feature a 100% Nicaraguan tobacco blend.
As for their vitolas, to cater to different tastes, they offer six sizes: Corona, 5.5 inches, ring gauge 42; Robusto, 5 inches, ring gauge 54; Toro, 6 inches, ring gauge 54; Churchill, 7 inches, ring gauge 54; Torpedo, 6.5 inches, ring gauge 54, and Toro Gordo, 6 inches, ring gauge 60.
These cigars are sold at competitive prices in different markets, such as Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Spain, Chile, and the U.S., primarily in Florida. Their strategy is to move the product in the brand’s most consumed average price range, but with superior quality. “We will soon be in Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and the UAE,” they add.
The Expected Re-purchase
As part of their marketing plan and professional development, Silvio and José met in Dortmund, Germany, to attend the InterTabac trade fair. Upon their return, they decided to visit their distributor in Madrid, Spain, where a blind tasting was organized with their Sungrown for a group of 15 smokers.
“We didn’t tell the participants what they would be smoking, and we weren’t introduced as the owners or anything… We were simply invited into the room to listen to their impressions of the cigar, and in the end, all the feedback was positive,” they state.
But receiving compliments, beyond personal satisfaction, doesn’t mean much for the company itself, and they know this. So, they decided to add a Maduro Infiel cigar as a gift for the distributor, who immediately added it to their order.
“Generally, the first impression of a new brand is that it will just be another one, but we focus on grabbing attention with our branding to break the ice and get people to try us. With this strategy, the only response we expect is the re-purchase.”
Breaking Borders
To conquer the international market, Loaisiga Cigars combined the expertise of both partners, both in the factory and the business side. Therefore, in 2024, José decided to leave everything behind and focus full-time on the company.
Initially, they found a distributor in the United States, where they now sell a significant volume of cigars, and they are exploring new possibilities in Texas and California.
They also expanded into Spain, which marked their first export to Europe, and from there they plan to reach other countries on the continent while meeting the necessary requirements to enter Qatar, Dubai, and Africa.
They also have distribution in Guatemala, a distributor in Honduras, and another in Nicaragua, where they increased their sales volume thanks to a contract with Duty-Free at the airport, where they became the best-selling cigars in just five months.
These advances are complemented by negotiations with potential distributors in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico… “In just three months of work,” they emphasize.
Regarding Traceability, one of the new requirements in Europe, Loaisiga Cigars is highly committed. They comply with production standards and quality controls that allow them to trace, even, who made a particular cigar and which harvest or pile the tobacco came from.
Similarly, each cigar is made with 35% to 40% raw material treated in the field with low-impact environmental bioproducts, meaning significant control over cultivation and subsequent processes, guaranteeing a major reduction in the chemical load of the leaves, “to pass any residue tests, such as those conducted in European countries.”
Future Goals
Loaisiga Cigars is open to any possibility. Therefore, they also produce long and short-filler cigars for private brands, offering premium and semi-premium quality options for all tastes and budgets. They are also developing two more brands of their own, which will soon be on the market –variations of their commercial proposal– and they are considering Limited Editions under the Infiel label.
Their mission is simple: not to change much of their working schemes and to remain as producers of raw materials and manufacturers. “Initially, these activities were meant to be temporary, but now we see them differently, and we feel comfortable with them,” they say.
“We thank all the people who have made the growth and development of Loaisiga Cigars possible. Especially, each one of our collaborators –from the field to the industry– as well as our customers, for placing their trust in this project. All of this commits us to be better every day and to take Nicaragua’s name to the highest level through our products.”
