New roller announced at LCDH Melia Habana

[El Presidente]

With the retirement of Yolanda,  Arnaldo Ovalle has been appointed as roller at the LCDH Melia Habana. 

Arnaldo commenced as a QC technician at Romeo y Julieta factory before being promoted to Head of Production in 2004.  Post that he spent some time as the head of El Laguito and most recently I have seen him working as an specialist instructor at festivals. I am not sure what his official role was. 

We wish him every success and look forward to visiting him soon 

 

 

[NSXCIGAR]

2 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Arnaldo commenced as a QC technician at Romeo y Julieta factory before being promoted to Head of Production in 2004.

I'm not sure anyone who was a QC technician in the early 2000s should get promoted to anything. 

[El Presidente]

Just now, NSXCIGAR said:

I'm not sure anyone who was a QC technician in the early 2000s should get promoted to anything. 

Very unfair. 

Hamlet started as a QC technician. 

In his words. 

" listen, motherf*****. You pay the workers $4 a week and see what you get" 

[NSXCIGAR]

2 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Very unfair. 

Hamlet started as a QC technician. 

I know. Obviously the problem was not at a lower management level. I suppose it would have been worse without people like Hamlet (or Arnaldo) supervising. 

[Ryan]

Nice guy Arnaldo. I've never smoked a cigar he rolled but I remember him well as director of El Laguito. He played baseball with us in 2012/2013. He was director of ICT for a short time after he was at El Laguito.

[Habana Mike]

So LCDH roller is a more prime position than head of El Laguito?

Certainly less pressure and probably a better income! Cuba, SMH.....

[nickg999]

I have just a single custom left from my 2018 trip that she rolled. One of my favorite cigars ever. Just wonderful. 

[BrightonCorgi]

28 minutes ago, Habana Mike said:

So LCDH roller is a more prime position than head of El Laguito?

Certainly less pressure and probably a better income! Cuba, SMH.....

Probably more access to tips and side cash.

[Corylax18]

With a Resume like his, you would assume he could get his hands on some pretty good tobacco. 

I'll have to remember to grab a few different sizes next time I'm down there. 

58 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Probably more access to tips and side cash.

Definitely, Definitely not. But there is certainly a lot less pressure and risk. 

 

[Monterey]

Just had a Yolanda churchill  today.  Butter cream cigar.  It was heavenly.  I have one last box of hers.  I have since walked the 100 yards over to Alex anyhow   Piles of his boxes left.

[Nino]

13 hours ago, Ryan said:

Nice guy Arnaldo. I've never smoked a cigar he rolled but I remember him well as director of El Laguito. He played baseball with us in 2012/2013. He was director of ICT for a short time after he was at El Laguito.

Yes, a very nice, humble, dedicated guy and good fun. Happy to read the news and a good reason to re-visit the Melia Habana just to meet up with him again.

PS : Here is a picture of the man with his son at lunch with us all at El Aljibe after the Cigar Bowl 2 baseball match @Ryan mentions.

 

12 hours ago, Habana Mike said:

So LCDH roller is a more prime position than head of El Laguito?

Certainly less pressure and probably a better income! Cuba, SMH.....

I remember a former director of El Laguito going from there to supervise local elections and from there to become director of Colon cemetery - I visited him there to have a tour of the cemetery and a bottle of rum with him, he was quite happy to manage the ashes ... 🙂

PS : Miguel Brown, longtime director of El laguito in his new post as cemetery director at Colon in the spring of 2013. I skipped the "Funeral Art Hall" and just toured open air graves, tombs and memorials.... 🙂