Congar Int’l Corp. expanding Cayey plant, investing $23M in 4 yrs.
Cigar manufacturer Congar International Corp. will expand its operations in Puerto Rico and will add 85 new jobs to the more than 300 employees it already has on its payroll. The company that has been established in Cayey for 60 years plans to invest $23 million in a four-year period during the expansion process.
“Congar International Corporation has demonstrated its commitment to Puerto Rico since its establishment in the central region,” Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish) Secretary Manuel Cidre said.
“We at the DDEC want the company to continue its growth, creating new jobs for the benefit of more Puerto Rican workers and that contribute to our island’s economic development,” Cidre said.
To support the company in its expansion plans, the DDEC assigned it nearly $4.9 million of which $577,000 is to help retain existing jobs and to hire new employees. The rest of the incentives are to assist in the purchase of machinery and equipment through a reimbursement of 30% of the total invested divided in three years up to a maximum of $1.5 million per year from the Puerto Rico Incentive Code’s Economic Incentive Fund, he said.
Meanwhile, Roberto Colón, comptroller of Congar International Corp. said, “our commitment to Puerto Rico remains firm and we’re grateful to the DDEC, which through the decades has supported our operation. This expansion that we’re working on will help us to create more jobs and will serve to boost the island’s economic development.”
The cigar manufacturing operation began in 1953 under the name of Consolidated Cigars in the town of Caguas. In 2001, Consolidated Cigars was acquired by Altadis USA, and its name changed to Congar International Corporation.
In 2008, Altadis USA was acquired by Imperial Tobacco Group. Currently, the company continues to produce cigars, mostly for the United States mainland market.
