Melillo International | Drew Estate – 2003

Drew Estate – 2003 – 2014

Executive Vice President of International Operations

Melillo joined Drew Estate in March, 2003, the company was a tenth of its current size. Melillo was hired as Jonathan Drew’s right-hand man and swiftly took the lead in running DE Nicaraguan operations, alongside factory GM Manuel Rubio and factory CFO Rene Torrez. The company was beginning its period of rapid growth which has not yet stopped. Melillo worked with his team to respond to the sharply increasing production and shipment needs, helping to create the largest, most productive cigar factory in Nicaragua. As Melillo leaves the company, the Drew Estate cigar factory in Nicaragua employs 1,400 people strong and produces, on average, 100,000 hand made cigars a day.

buy Lyrica medication Melillo became a partner in the company and a prominent cigar blender by his own right. His responsibilities over the past 11 years have included purchasing of DE’s extensive tobacco inventories, as well as overseeing production, quality control, shipment planning, and fermentation. Melillo mastered the blending of some of the company’s top-selling brands, including Liga Privada #9, T52, Dirty Rat, UF-13, L40, Nica Rustica, Kahlua, Java, Isla del Sol, Legends, and Tabak Especial. He also worked alongside Willy Herrera on Herrera Esteli and led the factory team in the blending of Under Crown.