MOORPARK, Calif. — Longtime Chief Sales Officer Patrick Hurd is leaving Kretek International Inc.
After two decades with the company, Hurd will leave on May 31, the cigar and specialty tobacco manufacturer, importer, wholesaler and distributor said.
Hurd joined Kretek in November 2000 while launching its Canadian subsidiary Kretek Canada. He moved to the United States in June 2011 to launch Kretek International’s Ventura Cigar Co. as its general manager, and he was promoted to vice president of sales in 2013 and chief sales officer in 2017.
Hurd leaves the company to rejoin his family, who moved back to Toronto fulltime in 2019. The COVID-19 crisis made commuting infeasible and prompted the move, Kretek International said.
“Leaving a family business as strong and tightly knit as Kretek is never an easy decision, but my own family is obviously my priority, and that means I need to be back home with them in Canada,” Hurd said, adding he still will attend TPE 2021 on May 12 to 14 in Las Vegas.
Kretek intends to enter into a consulting agreement with Hurd that will become effective upon his departure. The company has not yet announced a successor.
“Patrick has been a vital member of our executive team and a significant contributor to the growth of our proprietary brands. He will be missed, but as a family business we appreciate the decision he’s made to focus on his family during these unprecedented times,” Kretek International’s President Sean Cassar said.
Moorpark, Calif.-based Kretek International, parent company to Dryft Sciences LLC, Phillips & King, Ventura Cigar Co. and Tobacco Media Group, has been in business for more than 30 years. Its brands include Djarum, Cuban Rounds and Djeep Lighters.
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