Rick Rodriguez co-founded West Tampa Tobacco Co. in 2022 after nearly three decades as a master blender and ambassador for CAO at General Cigar. His family roots run deep in Tampa's historic West Tampa cigar district—the namesake of the brand—and Rodriguez brings decades of corporate blending experience to an independent boutique operation rolled primarily at Garmendia Cigars in Estelí.
Lines such as White, Black, Red, and the Attic Series deliver the bold, well-balanced Nicaraguan character Rodriguez perfected during his CAO years, now expressed through his own vision. His career arc—from Tampa heritage to corporate blender to independent founder—mirrors how veteran talent continues to reshape the boutique landscape long after the first wave of Nicaraguan boom brands established Estelí as the world's premier non-Cuban cigar capital.