Ybor Chamber honors Newman family business

TAMPA — The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce's highest award is being given to the J.C. Newman Cigar Co., a company with Tampa roots dating back to 1953.

The family business, which moved to Tampa from Cleveland, will receive the Adela and Cesar Gonzmart Award Sept. 21 at the chamber's 48th annual gala.

J.C. Newman, which contends it is America's oldest family-owned premium cigar maker, owns Ybor City's last operating cigar factory at 2701 N. 16th St. The business also has overseas operations in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras.