Smoke Inn Blog
Cigar Culture Interview #2
Michael Herklots is a well-known name in the cigar universe. The current principal managing member of Ferio Tego LLC began his cigar career at Davidoff in 2002. He moved to Nat Sherman in 2011. When Altria decided the retail cigar part of the business wasn’t for them, a opportunity of sorts presented itself. From the ashes of the storied Nat Sherman house arose a new brand, Ferio Tego, with Michael Herklots at the helm. Smoke Inn sat down with Herklots for a brief interview when he generously lent us some of his time. Here is that interview, in two parts.
An Interview with Michael Herklots, Principal of Ferio Tego Cigars – Part 1
SMOKE INN: “Thanks for agreeing to talk with us, we know you’re a busy man, so we’ll cut to the chase. You began your career at Davidoff, right? But it sounds like Nat Sherman International is where you really put all the pieces together in terms of understanding the cigar business, systemically speaking. What were a few of the most important lessons you learned from your time at Nat Sherman?”
HERKLOTS: “Yes, I did retail for four years in Boston. Then Davidoff for nine years, from a retail sales associate to General Manager of NYC Flagship Stores. Then Nat Sherman International for nine years which was rebuilding the non-cigarette side of the company, the premium cigar business and the flagship retail store.
I think the most important thing I learned was not to assume that opinions and perspectives are finite. Everyday a new consumer discovers your brand without any bias of history. Those are the consumers that can drive growth and momentum because they’re completely open minded and are excited by new discoveries. And through that process, even some of the most discerning consumers can’t help but feel the energy and excitement of discovery.
SMOKE INN: “That’s a pretty insightful take, especially now when it seems like we have more people than ever discovering premium cigars for the first time. Can you tell us a little about how Ferio Tego emerged after Nat Sherman closed down?
HERKLOTS: “So, Ferio Tego is not an evolution of Nat Sherman. Nat Sherman International closed in 2020. Ferio Tego was announced in January of 2021. Ferio Tego is a completely new book. It isn’t a continuation or evolution of Nat Sherman. Once we created and established Ferio Tego, and began work on the Ferio Tego brand, we had the opportunity to acquire the brands formerly owned by and sold by Nat Sherman International.
These were brands and blends that I either created during my time at Nat Sherman International or that were created prior to joining in 2011, but then I helped maintain and preserve. So, the Ferio Tego Portfolio consists of the Ferio Tego brand, the Timeless Collection and the Metropolitan Selection. After we acquired the brands, we reengaged the same manufacturers I had worked with for the prior nine years, and began restoring those blends, remastering them to be as familiar as they had always been, but also better than ever.
SMOKE INN: “What are you most proud of when it comes to Ferio Tego? Can you tell us a bit about the charitable work you do?”
HERKLOTS: “I’m most proud of owning a premium cigar company. Having spent over half my life working in this tremendous industry that was built by small family businesses, it is quite an honor to be one of those small family businesses.
Regarding the charitable work I do… it’s hard to tie it up and put a bow on it and explain it. We support countless charities… over the years we’ve helped raise tens of millions of dollars for charities all over the world. When you have a grateful heart, it is hard not to be compelled to help others. I’ve never been able to draw a direct line from all of the charity work to growth and success in business.
But, I can conclude that every day, month year… my life continues to be better, and richer… and I feel more and more fortunate for the blessings in my life, and many of those who I feel closest to I’ve met through charitable work, and supporting each other’s causes… and it’s easy to be generous, and I’m grateful that I’m in a position to continue to be generous, to enjoy time with great friends, and to help others who need it.”
SMOKE INN: “What do you see as the “next chapter” in the Ferio Tego story? Where would you like to see the brand in say…10 years?”
HERKLOTS: “That’s a good question. From a strictly premium cigar perspective Ferio Tego will continue to grow in distribution, both domestically and internationally, but it will also grow in reputation, and gain that necessary social permission from consumers to brag about it. And outside of the premium cigar perspective, Ferio Tego will be an “experience” in adjacent categories as well.”
SMOKE INN: “What do you see as the most important emerging trends in premium cigars in 2023?”
HERKLOTS: “I don’t know if I see emerging trends necessarily. If you’ve been around long enough you begin to see the cycles of popularity, not much different than fashion trends of skinny jeans to wide leg jeans to boot cut jeans and around we go again. I think we are seeing a restoration of the appreciation of nuance and complexity… which I certainly appreciate as that’s squarely within my personal style of blending and production.”
SMOKE INN: “What would you say makes the cigar industry unlike any other business?”
HERKLOTS: “There is the obvious answer that is often applied that it’s the biggest “equalizer”… that it brings people from all walks of life together. And I agree with that, but drilling deeper, it’s the why that makes it unlike any other business… and it’s like I said earlier. It’s because handmade premium cigars are so misunderstood by the masses.
For those of us who truly love to enjoy handmade premium cigars… whether once a year or once a day… we have this profound understanding and appreciation for this incredible thing… and that shared love and affection for premium cigars truly transcends race, religion, creed, social status or any other group or ideology.
Being a part of that… especially as a manufacturer and brand owner… delivering joy and experience… and sharing it with folks who appreciate it, is a feeling that difficult to explain… and it is closest to the feeling of performing music you’ve created for people who have come to hear and see the performance. It’s magical.”
Don’t miss PART TWO of the Michael Herklots interview next week
Smoke Inn is Your Cigar Shop
We hope you enjoyed this first segment of our conversation with Michael Herklots. In Part Two, we discuss inspiration, tradition and the cigar business as a whole. As always, if you’re local or happen to be visiting South Florida, be sure to reward yourself with a visit to one of the country’s best cigar shops in person. We’d love to see you.
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