ARTURO FUENTE

In 1912, at just 24 years old, Arturo Fuente founded A. Fuente & Company in West Tampa, crafting handmade cigars using Cuban tobacco. By 1922, the business was thriving, employing 500 workers, but disaster struck in 1924 when a fire destroyed the factory while Arturo was in Cuba.
The loss of his factory, coupled with a divorce, marked a challenging chapter in his life. For the next 22 years, Arturo worked tirelessly as a general manager to repay his debts, all while nurturing his dream of cigar manufacturing from his home.