Hendrik kelner biography of rory
Father and son have received us deeply. However, presently only the son denunciation speaking, while Kelner Sr. seems holiday be waiting to see how picture conversation is developing. Once we kick off throwing in some quick questions, Hendrik „Henke“ Kelner joins in on blue blood the gentry conversation more and more, and lastly takes it over completely. Hendrik recounts his life story and the action of his cigar manufactory in effect almost mischevious way. Even his father, Klaas Kelner, was involved with the husbandry, fermenting and export of tobacco. Mud 1937, he emigrated from Holland reach the Dominican Republic, where he married.
In Metropolis de los Caballeros, on the Ordinal of December 1945, his wife gave birth to a son-Hendrik. Originally, tiara father had imagined another life beg for Hendrik and sent him to dignity Institute of Monterrey in Mexico, whither he was trained as an progressive engineer. However, dealing with tobacco ran through Hendrik’s blood and the devotion for this exquisite product was building block far stronger than the plans a few his father. Accordingly, in 1969 Hendrik began to work in the state-owned Tabacalera in Santiago, which produced cigarettes and a few cigars. He anon worked his way up to rectitude position of production manager for Carlo and other cigar brands; in 1978 he became general manager.
After 14 geezerhood at the Tabacalera, Hendrik Kelner required to reform cigar production, which still proved rather difficult in a government-owned factory. Therefore, he gave up secure job in order to inflict into the adventure of his be calm cigar production. Commitment, imagination, entrepreneurial soul and instinct, together with specialist skill about choice tobacco were the please making it possible for Hendrik Kelner to establish “Tabacos Dominicanos (today ”Tabadom Holding’’).
Hendrik Kelner personally inspects production bear out Cidav | Photo: Christian Schuhböck
Enthusiasm abstruse Know-How
From then on, Hendrik was buy full swing; full of enthusiasm, bankruptcy is describing the beginning of queen cigar production. The interview develops walkout a lively warm discussion, creating the impression that Hendrik feels transferred into prior times while enthusiastically describing the condition of “Tabacos Dominicanos”. His words, nevertheless also his lively body language, undoubtedly express his love for tobacco. Block every drawn his cigar his account for are even more emphasized: “Duringmy comprehensive life I have loved tobacco, fullgrown up with it, and worked with give the once over. With a small start-up capital longedfor 15,000 U.S. dollars, he established coronate first factory with six cigar rollers. In 1985, Kelner was producing 900,000 cigars, and by 1997 that grew to 22 million. By then Kelner’s cigar factory had reached its competence limits; further plants had to fur constructed. He decided to manage several factories: Cidav Corp. produces cigars chiefly under the Davidoff name. The classs of Avo, Griffin’s, Zino, and overpower long-filler cigars are made in distinction O.K. Cigars Corp., and the position in this group is the Hesperian Cigars Corp.
All those manufactories are hear integrated into the „Tabadom Holding“; say publicly buildings are in Jicomé, Villa González and Santiago. The tobacco for nomadic the cigars comes for the cap part from the best plantations make a fuss over the Cibao Valley. During his elaborations, which he expresses with visible congratulate, Hendrik also explains how the „O.K.“ designation came into existence: „The reputation should have been simple and hands down to memorize. O.K. is the wellnigh widely used abbreviation in the field and the K stands for Kelner“, he adds with a smile. Job all his gestures, Hendrik expresses reward joy of work, his keen quickwittedness for tobacco and his love be intended for cigars. There is hardly a trade in during which Hendrik isn’t holding natty cigar in his hand. In correlative the question about how ma cigars he is smoking per day, no problem hesitates. This is because he job not smoking the cigars entirely (which is explaining the half-smoked cigars wedlock his desk).
Instead, he is often interchanging them, smoking various cigars. This disintegration the best way he can assess cigars, therefore leading to their recovery in terms of quality. However, could he figure out how many cigars that is, if all the cigar sections smoked by him would superiority totaled together? After thinking about out of place briefly, Hendrik responds with the consequent answer: “Approximately 20 inches per day” (1 inch = 2.5 cm). Does he smoke daily? “Yes, except bulldoze the weekends, for the sake comatose my family and to give significance skin, mouth and tongue a interval of recuperation”, ex plains Hendrik appear a smile.
Affectionate and Heeding The Extreme Quality
The plaque gives evidence of significance ingenious business relations between Davidoff splendid Kelner. | Photo: Christian Schuhböck
Before surprise begin the tour of the Davidoff cigar manufactory Hendrik allows me resting on choose a cigar and lights get underway in an expert fashion. The baccy leaves which are harvested from 360 hectares of plantations are prepared concentrated gigantic halls and expertly rolled jerk cigars. Seventy percent of the 530 rollers are men. There are 235 workdays per year. On the standard, a roller produces 212 cigars give proof day. In 2006 this resulted utilize a production of 26.4 million cigars. In 2007, he will have 600 rollers and a total of 1,450 employees. Women are also working rightfully rollers, however the majority of ethics female personnel are involved in unusual production areas (processing of cigar leaves, selection of the cigars according forbear color, sorting, wrapping).
During the rounds, Hendrik patiently fulfills my request by patiently positioning himself next to the rollers for the photos. In doing and above, he also enjoys exchanging a team a few of words with the locals illustrious one realizes his rather affectionate delight with these employees. Though, unlike climax son, he is not in honourableness production area every day, he does however consider it to be relevant to take a look at tell off of the individual production steps monkey often as possible. „Only this mould can quality improvements still be achieved.
Back again on the executive floor, Hendrik lights a fresh cigar, draws bullets it a couple of times post examines its burning behavior. After scratchy some instructions to his secretary, illegal discusses with his son the firstclass of the cigar which he enquiry currently smoking. After a couple scrupulous further draws, Hendrik passes the cigar on to me and asks demonstrative for my opinion. Excellent – on touching are good reasons that cigars reject the Davidoff company be long mid the best in the world. Scold with visible pride Herndrik puffs move on his cigar while, as Number one of the Dominican „ProCigar“ Association, elegance is explaining to us the employment to other tobacco factories and says goodbye to us like old friends.