FEMSA Appoints New Strategic Planning Director

MONTERREY, Mexico--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2000--Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A. de C.V. ("FEMSA") (NYSE:FMX) (BMV:FEMSA UBD) today announced that Ricardo Gonzalez has joined FEMSA's corporate staff as strategic planning director.

Ricardo Gonzalez, 45, earned a degree in industrial and systems engineering by the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in 1977. He holds a MBA degree by the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa, in Barcelona, Spain.

From 1977 to 1978, Ricardo Gonzalez worked in FEMSA's human resources area. During the last 20 years, Gonzalez had a successful career in Grupo Vitro, where he held diverse executive positions. During the last three years, he was chairman of the board and CEO of Vidrio Plano.

Ricardo Gonzalez will report to Federico Reyes, FEMSA's executive vice president of planning and finance.

FEMSA is Mexico's largest beverage company with exports to the United States, Canada and selected countries in Latin America, Europe and the Far East. Founded in 1890, with headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSA is strategically integrated and operates through the following subsidiaries: FEMSA Cerveza, which produces and distributes name brands of beer such as Tecate, Carta Blanca, Superior, Sol, XX Lager, Dos Equis and Bohemia; Coca-Cola FEMSA, an "Anchor Bottler" for The Coca-Cola Company in Latin America, which produces and distributes soft drinks including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Sprite, Fanta and Quatro; FEMSA Empaques, which supports the beverage operations by producing beverage cans, glass bottles, crown caps, labels, commercial refrigerators, and serves third-party clients throughout the Americas; FEMSA Comercio, which operates OXXO, Mexico's most extensive chain of convenience stores; and FEMSA Logistica, which provides logistics management services to affiliate companies, and recently to third-party clients.

CONTACT:
FEMSA, Monterrey
Maria Elena Gutierrez, 011/528-328-6243
megutsan@femsa.com.mx
or
Laura E. Solano, 011/528-328-6150
lsolmar@femsa.com.mx