Sparked by the launch of the Fabrica de Oveja Negra cigar factory in Nicaragua, James Brown blends and crafts edgy and urban cigars for his Black Works Studio brand. By Tobacco Business -April 5, 2017
James and Angela Brown are not your ordinary boutique cigar brand owners. Known mostly for the dark and edgy Black Label Trading Company brand, James Brown entered into the cigar industry more like a lion than a lamb. When launching the Black Label Trading Company cigar brand back in 2013, James decided to make a statement and debuted not one but six different cigars. In the first year, Black Label Trading Company grew slowly and organically but Brown did more business than he originally anticipated. Since that launch year, Black Label Trading Company has steadily increased every year since.
Many would stop at that and focus on what they have–but not Brown. He’s always had an entrepreneurial spirit, having owned several businesses prior to entering into the cigar industry. As Black Label Trading Company grew over the years, so did Brown’s dedication to the cigar industry. He didn’t want to be another guy with a brand–much like the debut of his brand, he wanted to make a statement and wanted to do it ambitiously. Unlike many other boutique cigar brands, Brown didn’t want to rely on other factories to make his cigars. He wanted to be able to see his out-of-the-box ideas and attention to detail carried out in all steps of the production process. He, along with his wife Angela, knew there was only one way to achieve this goal–they needed to manufacture their own products. To do that, they up-routed their family of three and moved to Nicaragua to start their own factory, Fabrica de Oveja Negra based in Estelí, Nicaragua.