Scandinavian Tobacco Group regrets to announce that Hector Vanegas, age 50, passed away after a brief illness.
Hector was the manufacturing manager at the STG Estelí cigar factory and joined General Cigar on November 1, 2005 as plant manager of the HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras. He was known for being as smart as he was humble, and was well-respected throughout the premium cigar industry.
Born in Leon, Nicaragua, Hector graduated first in his class as an Agricultural Engineer from Zamorano, the Pan-American School of Agriculture in Honduras. He later graduated from Purdue University with a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics, where he was awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship.
“Hector was a true gentleman. He was smart and kind and delighted people with his warm personality and soft spoken voice. A man of confidence, he was incredibly talented in his job and earned the respect of people throughout the cigar industry. We are better for having had the experience of knowing him and we will always remember him fondly,” said Régis Broersma, president of General Cigar.
Hector is survived by his wife Xiomara Torrez, his daughter Mariel and his son Gabriel.
“Our thoughts are with his family and as a company, we will support Hector’s family through these tough times,” added Régis.