VCF acquires Les Fines Lames

In the spring of 2025, the Vandermarliere Cigar Family group (VCF), known for the Oliva brand and owner of La Aurora among others, completed the purchase of the French house Les Fines Lames. The operation follows a first investment by VCF announced at the PCA trade show in July 2023: at the time, VCF had acquired 30% of the capital through its Luxembourg subsidiary Fumoir de Luxe SARL. On 30 April 2025, VCF “bought all the remaining shares in Les Fines Lames” still held by the founders Pierre Jourdan and Pablo Rodet. The context illustrates the determination of the Oliva/VCF group to strengthen its presence in the world of cigar accessories, in a growing market where luxury craftsmanship holds an increasing place. As Cigars Connect notes, the acquisition should allow Les Fines Lames “to continue its international expansion and to benefit from synergies with VCF”, setting out from the start the shared strategic objectives of global development.

The VCF group

VCF (Vandermarliere Cigar Family) is a Belgian cigar group that became known worldwide in 2016 when it bought the prestigious Nicaraguan brand Oliva Cigar Company. Previously known as J. Cortès, the family firm founded in Belgium at the start of the twentieth century is run by Frederik Vandermarliere, grandson of the founder. Under his leadership, VCF has considerably widened its portfolio: alongside Oliva it owns brands such as J. Cortès and La Aurora, and it has substantial international production and distribution capacity. Oliva, for instance, now makes several tens of millions of cigars a year in Nicaragua, in an ultra-modern factory opened in 2021.

Strategically, VCF has taken a diversification route within the premium cigar world. Having revived Oliva, the group is investing in related businesses. Taking a stake in Les Fines Lames in 2023 fits that logic: VCF is not content to sell its own cigars, but wants to bring high-end accessories into the fold. The move is supported by the strength of its subsidiary Oliva Cigar Company in the United States, which has an extensive distribution network among retailers. In the group’s own account, the full purchase of Les Fines Lames adds to the VCF catalogue a prestige accessory brand made in France, in keeping with the image of quality it cultivates. As Olivier de Villiers, a cigar specialist, explains, “the Oliva group is thus pursuing its strategy of becoming an essential player in the premium cigar, from tobacco through to accessories” (interview published in Cigars Connect).

Les Fines Lames, a French accessory brand

Founded in 2015 in Marseille by Pierre Jourdan and Pablo Rodet, Les Fines Lames has established itself as a brand of high-end accessories for cigar smokers. The brand’s original idea is to offer elegant, technical objects inspired by the French cutlery tradition. The founders come from the world of gastronomy, and they wanted to carry that craft heritage over into the cigar world. Success came above all from the quality of manufacture: their cigar-cutting knives, such as Le Petit Cigar Knife, are made entirely in France from fine materials. The specialist press notes that Les Fines Lames “became famous thanks to its cigar knives made in France”, which embody both modern design and the cutlery tradition.

The range then widened to other accessories: there is a punch bracelet incorporating a cigar punch, and more recently lighters with an unusual design. The young brand has stayed true to its niche identity: it targets connoisseurs, with careful and often humorous communication, each new product being given an offbeat name in the spirit of the French pocket knife. In a few years, Les Fines Lames has positioned itself as a reference for enthusiasts looking for accessories that combine luxury and originality.

Strategic reasons for the acquisition

Several reasons explain why VCF chose to take full control of Les Fines Lames. On the one hand, the distribution synergy was obvious: since September 2023, Oliva Cigar Company has already been distributing Les Fines Lames products on the American market. That commercial partnership having proved itself, VCF probably judged that full integration would make it easier to coordinate international sales. By building on its worldwide network, VCF would allow Les Fines Lames to increase its visibility outside Europe and to grow in markets such as the United States, Asia and Latin America. As Cigars Connect pointed out, the takeover is meant to “continue the brand’s international expansion and benefit from synergies with VCF”.

On the other hand, this is a financial and organisational strengthening. Moving from 30% to 100% of the capital gives the founders the “strategic support” and the “solid financial base” needed to develop new projects. In the cigar and accessory industry, continued investment in research, development and production is crucial. Les Fines Lames will now be able to count on the logistical resources of the Vandermarliere group, such as access to more efficient supply channels through the Belgian group and to larger storage and sales facilities. From a marketing point of view, the association with Oliva strengthens the brand image. Full ownership also removes the risk of divergent objectives between shareholders and ensures a unified vision. The founders stress, moreover, that despite this closer relationship the brand will remain “neutral”, that is not tied exclusively to Oliva, and that the whole business will stay in Marseille, run by the original team. That last point is intended to reassure purists: day-to-day management and manufacturing will not change radically, which will avoid upsetting loyal customers.

For VCF, the motives also include broadening the range. By acquiring an accessory brand, the Oliva group enriches its portfolio beyond the cigar itself. Accessories are a buoyant segment: buyers of high-end cigars are willing to invest in quality cutters, lighters and cases. Bringing in Les Fines Lames makes it possible to offer a high value-added one-stop shop, which can strengthen Oliva’s position in the premium market. In his growth strategy, Frederik Vandermarliere had previously explained that it is important to support young innovative companies in this traditional industry: the purchase thus marks the logical outcome of a relationship begun in 2023, which values innovation and the breath of fresh air that Les Fines Lames brings to the sector.

Strategic consequences for VCF and Les Fines Lames

On the VCF (Oliva) side, the acquisition widens the group’s field of action. Its portfolio of cigar-related products is strengthened with high-margin items that carry a strong brand image. In time, VCF will be able to fold these accessories into its global operations, with combined packaging, cross-promotions, membership clubs and the like. The group now has a significant new revenue line: every knife, lighter or case sold reinforces the customer relationship with smokers of Oliva and of the group’s other brands. Industrially, Oliva may use its own capacity, and that of the J. Cortès NV entity in Belgium, to optimise parts of the production or the sourcing of the fine materials Les Fines Lames requires. Finally, by acquiring 100% of the shares, VCF removes any uncertainty over governance: strategy, whether commercial or creative, can be pursued coherently across the group. Vandermarliere states that the purchase is “a major and fully intended step”, strengthening its overall financial stability.

For Les Fines Lames, the main effect is to consolidate its stability and its ambitions. Support from the VCF group offers “a solid financial base and decisive strategic support”, as the official documents put it. The founders can carry on concentrating on design and creation, while the new resources open the way to larger projects, such as developing new products, expanding into new accessory categories or organising international events. Benefiting from the VCF network is not limited to distribution either: it also includes marketing and logistical support that makes it easier to enter markets that were hard to reach until now. Oliva’s commercial expertise and the strength of its dealer network, made up of specialists, merchants and smoking clubs, will speed up recognition of the Les Fines Lames brand beyond Europe. Another positive consequence: the founders stress that they will keep their creative independence. The acquisition does not amount to bureaucratic integration. As Vandermarliere, Jourdan and Rodet say in unison, the brand will remain “neutral” in the accessory landscape, meaning it will continue to be sold to retailers of every kind, not only through the Oliva network. In summary, Les Fines Lames emerges stronger, solidly financed and free of cash constraints, while benefiting from the concrete assets of its new partner.

Prospects for the cigar accessory sector

The operation reflects a broader trend in the premium cigar industry: links between cigar makers and accessory designers are growing stronger. Alliances of this kind, whether distribution, investment or acquisition, open new prospects for the accessory market. On the one hand, this benefits consumers by offering more complete and better coordinated ranges: it will be easier, for example, for a retailer to recommend an elegant French Les Fines Lames cutter alongside an Oliva cigar. On the other hand, it stimulates innovation: funded by cigar groups, accessory designers have the means to look for new materials or designs, as seen recently with the distinctive new lighter models from Les Fines Lames.

Over the longer term, stronger growth can be expected in the luxury accessory segment. The world market for premium cigars is rising, and accessories are following that movement. With regulatory and economic conditions often pushing companies to innovate in order to appeal to enthusiasts, bringing craft brands such as Les Fines Lames into large groups may act as a catalyst. In practical terms, other cigar makers in Europe or Latin America may well seek similar partnerships with accessory designers. The example of this purchase also shows that provenance, here a “made in France”, and a luxury character can justify investor attention. That is likely to encourage start-ups in the sector: they know there are solid outlets if their accessory niche finds success. Lastly, the transaction confirms that the modern cigar is seen as a whole ecosystem, from the cigar itself to the accessories that go with it, rather than as an isolated purchase. The sector should therefore continue to see synergies multiply between cigar brands and accessory brands, in favour of an ever more consistent and higher-quality offer for enthusiasts.