Kurt Van Keppel - Founder of XIKAR

Kurt Van Keppel, founder of XIKAR (originally Zykar), shares the entrepreneurial story behind creating the world’s leading cigar accessory brand. In 1995, while balancing a corporate job and a cigar club in Kansas City, Van Keppel grew frustrated with poor-quality cigar cutters. With his friend and partner, Scott Almsberger, he designed a single-handed cutter—what began as a $5,000 garage-built experiment that evolved into an iconic brand. The turning point came when a friend pointed out the need to “hone” the blades, leading Van Keppel to establish XIKAR’s lifetime guarantee—an act of integrity that fueled trust, loyalty, and exponential growth.

Despite early years with no profit and personal sacrifice—including living in his mother-in-law’s basement—Van Keppel emphasized customer satisfaction over short-term gain. His philosophy, influenced by Harvard’s Ted Levitt, reframed business purpose as serving consumer needs, not just generating profit. XIKAR’s dedication to quality and guarantees propelled decade-long 20–25% annual growth.

Van Keppel’s biggest mistake came from misunderstanding his business identity—expanding into cigar manufacturing (the Havana Collection) diluted focus and failed commercially. He learned to stay within his brand lane of accessories. Likewise, he rejected the worst advice he’d received: to prioritize gross margins over brand and service quality, noting that XIKAR’s long-term value lay in its reputation, not spreadsheets.

The company name derives from the indigenous “Sikar,” altered to “XIKAR” to symbolize crossing blades. Van Keppel’s ultimate life lesson: surround yourself with people who share your values, both in business and life.

👉 Host: Jeff Hopeck. To learn more about my work and the conversations I care about, find me at @HeyDadCanWe