On July 25, 2025, Heinrich Villiger passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 95. With his death, the tobacco community has lost one of its last true pioneers. An entrepreneur who worked well into old age, always with a keen eye, a model of diligence, championing a vision for cigars. However, the VILLIGER team and the entire cigar industry will remember a man who was much more than an entrepreneur. Heinrich Villiger was the heart, soul and beat of our company, and in a way, he always will be.
From roots in Wynental to a glimpse of the world
Born in 1930 in Wynental, Aargau, Heinrich Villiger grew up during a time when the cigar industry left a lasting mark on the valley. His grandfather, Jean Villiger, and grandmother, Louise, had already firmly established the company in the region when young Heinrich set out to explore the world. After completing his commercial training, he found himself drawn to work rather than study. Brimming with curiosity, he traveled to Cuba, the USA, Puerto Rico, and later to Brazil, the Netherlands, and Turkey. He wanted to understand how tobacco grows, ferments, and is enjoyed in different cultures. These journeys shaped him and instilled in him an in-depth knowledge of the product that would characterize him throughout his life.
Heinrich Villiger joined the family business in 1950 at the age of twenty. When his father died in 1966, he took over the reins, along with his brother Kaspar, until the latter was elected to the Federal Council in 1989. From then on, Heinrich was the sole head of the company, a title he would never have claimed for himself, but which suited him perfectly. Many employees remember small acts of kindness that went far beyond the scope of his role. For example, one time, he allowed an employee in a personal crisis to spend the night in the first-aid room and instructed the night watchman to look after her throughout the night.
Growth with heart
Under his leadership, VILLIGER evolved from a robust family-run business into an international company. More production sites were established in Europe, Asia, and South America, with our cigars and cigarillos now being shipped to around 80 countries. Our factories produce over one billion cigars annually. Nevertheless, Heinrich Villiger always firmly believed in quality over quantity. A cigar, he used to say, was not just a consumer product, but a part of our culture.
A characteristic feature of his life was his diligence. While others had long since retired, he worked every day, often from the afternoon until late at night. His tool of choice was a typewriter – he resolutely avoided computers. “If they stop making carbon paper, I will probably retire,” he joked in his old age. It remained a joke: He never retired.
He was also a man of strong convictions. He described e-cigarettes as “electronic waste”. As far as he was concerned, there was no substitute for real tobacco. At the same time, he was curious and ready to try something new if it fitted the bill. Back in 1961, he reintroduced the iconic “VILLIGER KIEL” with the small mouthpiece, which had been discontinued – an invention by his grandmother to prevent tobacco from crumbling. To this day, the VILLIGER KIEL is considered a cult product.
Three milestones deserve special mention: In 1989, Heinrich Villiger founded 5th AVENUE PRODUCTS TRADING GmbH in Germany together with the state-owned Cuban company “cubatabaco” (now “Habanos S.A.”), a joint venture that is still the sole importer and exclusive distributor of Havana cigars in Germany and, since 2012, also in Austria and Poland. Only a few years later, in 1995, another significant milestone was reached with the founding of INTERTABAK AG in Switzerland. Once again, Heinrich Villiger entered into a partnership with Cuba to secure the official import and exclusive distribution of Havanas in Switzerland. These partnerships exemplify his ability to successfully unite tradition and cosmopolitanism, always in the service of the cigar. In 2008, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary, the VILLIGER 1888, the first hand-rolled VILLIGER long-filler cigar, was launched, a highly symbolic step that brought together tradition and modern innovation.
Heinrich Villiger did much more than just run a business, however. He was closely involved in international associations for decades, fighting for the reputation of cigars, engaging in all discussions with professional expertise and passion. He received several awards for his efforts, including the “Habanos Man of the Year” award in Cuba and the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the specialist magazine Cigar Journal. He accepted all these awards with gratitude, but always made sure to point out that they truly belonged to his employees. “I would be nowhere without them,” he used to say, an attitude that earned him everyone’s love and respect.
Tradition lives on
In his private life, family came first. He had four children with his wife, Martina, whom he married in 1958. Today, his daughter, Corina, and grandson, Lucien, are on the Board of Directors, and Jvo Grundler, a longstanding partner, has taken over as Chairman. This ensures that the legacy of VILLIGER SÖHNE HOLDING AG will continue, following the family tradition and with the same kind of down-to-earth attitude and vision that Heinrich embodied.
A lasting legacy
Heinrich Villiger will always be a role model for our company and for all those who knew him and worked with him. His sense of discipline, integrity, humor, and passion have made VILLIGER what it is today. We are forever grateful to him for his trust, care, and unwavering loyalty to the trade.
Heinrich Villiger was one of the last pioneers of the cigar industry. He leaves behind not only a strong company, but above all an attitude: embrace responsibility, love the product, and respect the people. We will proudly carry on his legacy. This way, he will live on for all of us in every factory, in every cigar we produce.