Swisher Sweets

In 1861, a cigar business was handed over to David Swisher to settle a debt. By 1895, the renamed Swisher Brothers had expanded to three factories, employing over 1,000 workers and producing over 300,000 cigars daily. The company was relocated to Jacksonville, FL and renamed John H. Swisher & Son. The Swishers were innovators, purchasing the first cigar rolling machines and inventing a means for easily removing cellophane. During the Great Depression, they created the world’s first children’s nursery on the top floor of their Jacksonville headquarters. The nursery employed a staff of professional nurses and assistants who worked around the clock. The company’s flagship cigar brand, King Edward, became the world’s bestselling cigars, and by 1941, the Swishers owned the world’s largest single cigar factory.