Honduras has always been famous for its tobacco plantations and cigar factories. Tobacco cultivation was one of the mainstays of the country's economy. There are still a large number of factories that produce tobacco products. And one of the oldest factories is the Plasencia cigar factory. It is a family business that has existed for more than 100 years.

The history of this production began at the end of the 19th century not in Honduras but in Cuba, where Don Eduardo Plasencia, who left the Canary Islands in search of a new, more successful life, arrived.

He opened a small tobacco factory. Two years later, in 1898, he was joined by his nephew, who expanded the business and opened a farm to grow premium Corojal tobacco.

The company developed, the business boomed. In the 1920s, the Plasencia family exported its product outside the country including major European and American manufacturers.

Unfortunately, everything collapsed in 1963, when the Plasencia family farms were confiscated under the Fidel Castro regime.  All of them, as well as wealthy citizens, were forced to leave in a hurry to Mexico to avoid persecution. Then they moved to Nicaragua, where the tight-knit family started their business again in 1965.  But in 1978, political unrest covered the country and the planters suffered again as their farms were burned. 

The complete collapse of the business forced Plasencia to move again, this time to Honduras.

In 1980, the first small production facility was opened near Dunley. And in six years, the company has achieved incredible results: more than 1 million high-quality cigars a year. These are very impressive figures, since tobacco leaves do not tolerate fuss, and require a measured and long-term processing. Besides, each cigar is assembled manually, machine assembly does not provide such high quality.

Today Plasencia is the largest tobacco producer in the world. The production employs more than 6 thousand employees. The company owns 4 factories and 8 plantations in Honduras and Nicaragua, where part of the Plasencia family returned to revive the tradition of cigar production.