Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. was originally established in Chicago in 1890 initially as Gonzalez Mora & Co. In 1894 the company moved to Tampa and in 1901 built a factory at this location on at 2311 18th St. on the southeast corner of 18th St. & 13th Ave. The Sanborn Fire Map of 1903 shows the building at this site as owned by Gonzalez, Mora & Co. Then operating as Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. whose principals were Benito Gonzalez Quintana, his brother José Gonzalez Quintana and William E. Fisher, they built this 51,569 sq. ft. cigar factory building in 1908 to replace one built in 1901 that was severely damaged in the Great Ybor City Fire of 1908.  The 1915 Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. maps show this building occupied by Gonzalez Fisher & Co. shared with Berriman Bros. Over the years, Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. and Berriman Bros., who occupied this building in whole or in part from 1910 to 1929, shared this factory building with several different cigar manufacturing companies:  

• In 1908 Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. was sole occupant.

• In 1910 the Berriman Bros. Cigar Co. moved from West Tampa to the western half of this facility, while Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. moved into the eastern half. 

• In 1916 Gonzalez, Fisher & Co. relocated to West Tampa and from 1916 to 1921 the Berriman Bros. was listed as the sole occupant.

• In 1922 Marcelino Perez & Co. moved in to the eastern portion of the building and shared the facility with Berriman Bros Cigar Co. who occupied the western portion until 1929 when Wengler & Mandell Cigar Co. acquired Berriman Bros. Cigar Co. .

• In 1930 Villazón & Co. temporarily occupied the eastern portion vacated by Marcelino Perez & Co.

• From 1931 to 1942 Sanchez & Haya Cigar Co. occupied the eastern portion of the building vacated by Villazón & Co.

• Diaz-Havana Co. occupied the eastern portion from 1946 to 1964. 

According to information in the J. C. Newman Cigar Co. website, Julius B. “Bunny” Annis (1890-1964), was a Hungarian immigrant who in the early 1900s became affiliated with Sanchez & Haya Cigar Co. in New York City beginning as a drummer or cigar salesman who traveled from coast to coast selling to tobacconists and cigar merchants. He started Gradiaz, Annis & Co. in 1917 and in 1920 moved its operations from New York to the Balbin Bros. cigar factory building in West Tampa where they remained fourteen years.  

In 1928 Gradiaz, Annis & Co. bought the Sanchez & Haya Cigar Co. and continued to produce the Gold Label and Shakespeare cigars under the Sanchez & Haya brand here. In 1931 Sanchez & Haya Cigar Co. then owned by Gradiaz, Annis & Co. occupied this factory building until the Sanchez & Haya Cigar Co. was dissolved in 1950. In 1933 Gradiaz, Annis & Co. acquired Wengler & Mandell and in January 1934 Gradiaz, Annis & Co. moved its operations here from the Balbin Bros. building in West Tampa they had co-occupied from 1920 to 1933.

On December 31, 1935 Gradiaz, Annis & Co. merged with the Schwab-Davis Co. with the new company retaining the Gradiaz, Annis name.  In 1961 Gradiaz, Annis & Co. purchased the Morgan Cigar Co., and continued to occupy the western portion of this building until 1963 when it was acquired by the General Cigar Co.  The General Cigar Co. stayed at this facility until 1976 when it relocated to Kingston, PA.  Julius B. “Bunny” Annis (1890-1964) son Morton Annis (1917-1979) was President of Gradiaz, Annis & Co. when General Cigar acquired it in 1963.  Morton Annis revolutionized the packaging of cigars with innovations in wood, leather and ceramic containers.  He also created colorful holiday packaging for Gold Label and other General Cigar brands.

​In 1976 the factory building was purchased by the U-Haul Co. of Florida 905 LLC who currently occupies the facilities for rental and storage.  This cigar factory building is more commonly known as the Gradiaz, Annis & Co. factory building as they were their longest tenant while used as a cigar factory.