Since Harry Hitchcock founded it in 1941, Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co. has built its identity around quietly connecting tobacco growers with manufacturers from its Lancaster, Pennsylvania, base. The company is known for sourcing and processing dark air-cured leaf for cigar and chewing-tobacco makers, serving virtually every major U.S. cigar manufacturer while supplying customers internationally. Today, Lancaster Leaf operates as a subsidiary of Universal Corporation and employs about 165 people.
John Middleton, IncJohn Middleton traces its tobacco roots to a Philadelphia tobacco shop founded in 1856 and today manufactures and markets cigars and pipe tobacco. A subsidiary of Altria since 2007, it makes premium tobacco products in Richmond, Virginia, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is known for the Black & Mild brand.KING OF PRUSSIA, PA
Avanti Cigar CompanyFrom roots in Calabria and a 1901 start, Avanti Cigar Company makes Italian-style dry-cured cigars in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Its signature character comes from 100% dark fire-cured tobacco, including Kentucky-grown leaf, aged and fermented before each cigar is rolled and hand-finished. Avanti says it remains the only producer of dry-cured cigars in the United States.DUNMORE, PA
Black Cat Cigar CompanySince 1983, family-owned Black Cat Cigar Company has sold premium cigars at discount prices through its East Norriton store, cigar lounge, wholesale division, mail-order catalog and online business. The company is also known for exclusive house cigars, including Black Cat Cuban Coronas made by the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami and Black Cat Prive Rouge, introduced in 2001. Its staff’s personal, cigar-smoking expertise remains central to how Black Cat serves customers across the country.EAST NORRITON, PA