CAO

CAO was founded by Cano Aret Ozgener, a Turkish-American mechanical engineer who came to the United States in 1961 to study at Columbia University. Ozgener had grown up smoking pipes — particularly meerschaum pipes — and discovered cigars after arriving in the U.S. He began importing meerschaum pipes from Turkey as a side business, and over time the company evolved into a cigar venture.

CAO was established with headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, an unusual location for a cigar company that puzzled industry observers for decades. Initial sources differ on the exact founding year (some cite 1968, others 1977), but the company's transition from importer to manufacturer accelerated through the 1990s cigar boom. CAO became known for innovative blends and bold marketing, building one of the most recognizable mid-tier brands in the U.S. market. CAO operates manufacturing in Nicaragua and Honduras.

In 2007, CAO was acquired by Scandinavian Tobacco Group, which later merged the operation with General Cigar Co. (also part of STG). Cano Ozgener passed away in June 2018 after a long battle with cancer. The brand continues to release new lines under General Cigar/STG ownership, with operations producing cigars across multiple Central American facilities.