The son of Cuban-American refugees, Nick Perdomo Jr. joined the Navy to become an air traffic controller and got more than he bargained for. His Navy experience led to a job with the Federal Aviation Administration and influenced him in starting Perdomo Cigars, one of the world’s largest cigar-makers. Here’s his story.
There was never any doubt about what I’d do when I finished high school. Enlisting in the Navy was what I wanted, and becoming an air traffic controller had been my goal since the age of 14. Growing up in Miami in a Cuban-American family, I looked on military service as a patriotic duty. So in August 1983, three months after graduation, I signed up. My family couldn’t have been more proud.
Achieving my goals became a habit. After finishing boot camp at the U.S. Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois, I went to air traffic controller’s A-school, then located in Millington, Tennessee. After completing my training, I was assigned to the Naval Air Station at Jacksonville, Florida, which serves the Naval Station complex at Mayport.
Life as a Navy air controller couldn’t have been better. Since the air station served all branches, not just the Navy, I got a world of experience handling all kinds of air traffic, from antisubmarine aircraft and helicopters to fighter jets and cargo planes. It was as busy as most civilian airports, and the training was fantastic. The work was intense and constant, which suited me well.
One of the benefits of working in the Navy is the cross-training and multitasking to which you must adapt. Since air traffic control is a group effort, as well as a challenge for individuals, I became adept at working as part of a team. My family had taught me a great deal about being focused so I could achieve the best results at everything I chose. My Navy career helped me continue to develop my self-discipline and leadership skills. I served with shipmates from all walks of life and from every part of the country. The exposure to this multi-cultural environment was a great experience that benefits me to this day.
After three years on active duty, I left to become a controller with the Federal Aviation Administration. Thanks to my Navy training, it was an easy transition, and a perfect fit. I got a slot at Miami International Airport, one of the world’s busiest.
In 1992 I started looking for part-time work to supplement my FAA paycheck. I’d just been married, and we were expecting our first child. My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had been cigar-makers in Cuba, and no one had carried on that tradition when the family moved to America. I felt a calling to follow in their footsteps, and it had been a dream of mine since I enlisted in the Navy. So I decided to become the fourth generation of Perdomo family members to manufacture premium cigars.
My dad wasn’t too keen on the idea. After all, I’d had job stability as an FAA air traffic controller. In my years on the job, I’d built up a lot of experience and seniority while making a handsome living in an expanding aviation industry. My dad and I spoke for hours, and then he looked into my eyes and said, “Son, you have never failed at anything you set your heart to do. I will totally support your decision.”
I started the business in our garage, rolling fewer than 10,000 cigars the first year. With the cigar renaissance gaining ground in the 1990s, the timing could not have been better. My commitment was rock-solid, so—to borrow an expression from aviation—we really took off. Today our Miami-based firm employs in excess of 4,000 workers in the United States and Nicaragua. We’re one of the largest tobacco-growers in Central America, selling tens of millions of cigars around the world.
It isn’t a stretch to say that my experience in the Navy has influenced my every step. The discipline and leadership skills that I picked up in the Navy transferred seamlessly to starting and running a corporation. I lead by example, and I use all the skills the Navy gave me. The leadership, discipline, and problem-solving expertise that built my company remain as its foundation today. Staying the course and achieving success are themes that I carried over from the Navy to my company.
Like getting the job done in a military unit, most of what we do in turning out cigars involves working in large groups, which requires real teamwork. Although nobody salutes or comes to attention when the boss walks in the room, we have a leadership structure that’s modeled on the Navy’s chain of command. I strongly believe that the chain is a blueprint for any strong organization or business.
We also have several employees with military backgrounds, and combined we represent more than 65 years of active-duty service. I find that folks who have been on active duty have just the kind of attitude and approach to the job that help us get ahead.
As my family can tell you, the habits that I acquired in the Navy have continued in my personal life as well. I still iron all my clothes. I’m a neat-freak (something else that I acquired as a whitehat). I’m always on time—more often early—and I’m committed to work until the job is done. The Navy Way has become a mindset that has influenced everything I do.
I’ve kept up my ties with the military in many ways. Each year we send thousands of cigars to active-duty troops, and we get letters of appreciation continually. I also stay in touch with many of my old shipmates. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to have served in the world’s greatest Navy, and for what it did for me.
Like many who have served in uniform, I’m strongly convinced that all of our young people would benefit from a stint in the military. It’s a great first step away from home. It helps build self-discipline and character, and it provides you with a foundation for succeeding in civilian life.