Ybor City Cigar Factory Series: Balbin Brothers

The Cigar Factories

This factory was purchased by Samuel L. Davis & Co in 1904. On October 2, 1910, the factory suffered major damage due to arson. In 1911, the factory was purchased by Balbin Brothers. In 1915, Balbin Bros Co. was acquired by Tampa Cuba Cigar Co and became a subsidiary.

Cigar Brands: Elizardo, Balbin Brothers

In 1923, Balbin Brothers Cigar Co. was dissolved.

Although it is hard to see in this photograph, the round circle at the top of the building has the letter “B” against a blue background.

Photo Gallery (click images for full view)

Other cigar makers that occupied this building:

Tampa Cuba Cigar Company

Gradiaz Annis

Sanchez y Haya

Diaz Havana

The current owner of this building is Intelident Solutions. The building is vacant at the moment but, there were sign of construction going on around the outside and interior. Intelident has a fairly complete timeline for this particular building.

**2020 update** – The building is still vacant and the property is fenced off. The Intelident Solutions website no longer exists. I was able to recover this excellent document regarding their plans for the factory from their defunct website:

The website Abandoned Florida has some very interesting interior photos for this factory.

Here is a link to an article that says this factory may be turned into a boutique hotel.