A few years ago I had the great pleasure of meeting and bonding with Mike Bellody – Founder & CEO of MLB Cigar Ventures. At the time, Mike was introducing his inaugural blend, the Imperia, for his new company which was met with rave reviews. That blend was followed up with additional line additions and now, going into the 2017 IPCPR, Mike has seen outstanding growth and brand recognition. MLB Cigar Venture blends have made our top cigars of the year list.
The need to expand is a great thing in this business, and today MLB Cigar Ventures has announced the hiring of Alexandria Kling as their new VP of Branding and Inside Sales. I have to applaud Mike on his choice, as I know he not only was quite familiar with Alexandria’s cigar acumen but he also realizes that the largest growing demographic in the industry is female cigar smokers. In fact, Stogie Press authored an article on just that subject after meeting with Mary Lynn Kane from the Cigar Babes of Wisconsin 2 years ago, and she shared the groups research with us. I am positive, Ms. Kling will bring a unique perspective to the MLB Cigar Ventures business.
Alexandria Kling
In today’s press release, MLB Cigar Ventures described Ms. Kling as:
Kling is an industry pioneer and has quickly become one of the most recognizable people in the cigar industry today. She was previously in charge of Inside Sales for a nationally known cigar company. Most recently, Kling created the industry’s first independent inside sales brokerage firm, Alux Cigar Brokerage. Through Alux, Alexandria represented several boutique cigar companies, including MLB Cigar Ventures.
With regards to MLB Cigar Ventures, Mike Bellody went on to state:
“My company is experiencing tremendous growth as we continue to expand our distribution channels throughout the U.S. and beyond. When we began utilizing Alex as an independent broker late last year, it became immediately clear to me just how valuable she can be to my company . I’ve worked with several people on the sales side of this and other industries. Alex stands out as an individual with exceptional talent and work ethic. She truly understands the vision I have for my company and is a perfect fit for us. I am really excited to have her on our team. Alex will be an instrumental part of our ongoing success and growth, well into the future.”
The new role for Alex is described as:
Alexandria will assume responsibility for and have input into all aspects of the company’s branding, advertising, social media and will support the efforts of our outside sales representatives while offering an unparalleled level of direct support to our retail partners. Alexandria will also be available to travel periodically for on-site cigar events
From Alex’s perspective she stated in the press release:
“I am extremely honored to join MLB Cigar Ventures as their VP of Branding & Inside Sales. Mike’s business acumen, commitment to success and ability to create incredible cigars make MLB Cigar Ventures a great fit for me. Representing MLB as an independent broker allowed me an inside view into the direction this company is going. MLB is quickly becoming a formidable player in the cigar industry and I couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds for this company. I look forward to being a significant contributor to the great things that lie ahead for MLB Cigar Ventures.”
Following the the release today, Kling took swiftly to her Facebook page further stating:
“Whoop whoop! Super excited for what the future holds with MLB Cigars. Thank you Mike Bellody for seeing my potential and for offering me this position, and thank you to Cornelius and Anthony Cigars for being the first cigar manufacture to believe in my inside sales brokerage and for giving me a chance to prove myself. I would also like to thank my other cigar lines for also believing in me.”
MLB Cigar Ventures was one of the first to sponsor, and continues to be a premier sponsor of Stogie Press. Having a quality individual like Alexandria in the front office to work with will only enhance that relationship. We commend Mike on this selection and congratulate Alexandria on her new position.
About MLB Cigar Ventures
Mike Bellody created MLB Cigar Ventures in 2013. Mike has created six cigar blends with industry legends Manuel “Manolo” Quesada and Ernesto Perez Carrillo under the cigar brands Imperia and David P. Ehrlich. Mike has received plenty of accolades for his cigar blends with several ratings above 90, even making several “Cigar of the Year” lists. Prior to MLB, Mike was Co-Owner & President of Tiant Cigar Group from 2011-2012 where he created two cigar blends with yet another legend, Jose “Pepin” Garcia & his son, Jaime Garcia of the My Father Cigar Company.
Contact:
Mike Bellody
Founder & CEO MLB Cigar Ventures, LLC