Coca-Cola Foods becomes The Minute Maid Co.: flagship of The Coca-Cola Co.'s worldwide fruit juice business.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 1996--The most trusted brand of fruit juices and drinks is now the name of the leading company in the worldwide fruit juice category.

The Coca-Cola Company today demonstrated its commitment to the Minute Maid brand by announcing that its former Coca-Cola Foods division has become The Minute Maid Company.

"The rebirth of The Minute Maid Company is a culmination of the substantial changes that we have been making during the past year," said Ralph H. Cooper, president and chief executive officer, The Minute Maid Company. "We are engaged in nothing less than the complete reinvention of this business. Our objective is to be The Coca-Cola Company of juices, worldwide, and we are creating a company that will do that."

During the past year, The Minute Maid Company has undertaken a series of dramatic actions intended to revitalize its business in the U.S. and create a business system that will capture the worldwide opportunity for refrigerated fruit juices. A summary of those actions is attached. Mr. Cooper said the company's new name is symbolic of a vigorous commitment to leadership.

"We're taking the name of our flagship brand. Just as The Coca-Cola Company is recognized for the best-known soft drink brand in the world, The Minute Maid Company will be recognized for the best-known fruit juice brand in the world," he said.

One thing that will not change is The Minute Maid Company's role as an integral part of The Coca-Cola Company. "In fact, we'll become increasingly important to The Coca-Cola Company as we strengthen our global leadership in fruit juices," Mr. Cooper said.

"This business has earned the right to wear the Minute Maid name on its sleeve," said M. Douglas Ivester, president and chief operating officer, The Coca-Cola Company. "Today's creation of The Minute Maid Company recognizes not only what this business is today, but what it will become in the future, as it creates value worldwide for The Coca-Cola Company."

The Minute Maid Company is a Division of The Coca-Cola Company and the world's leading marketer of fruit juices and drinks. Currently, the Coca-Cola Company's juice products are sold in over 50 countries under a variety of trademarks, including Minute Maid, Hi-C, Five Alive, Bright & Early, Andifruit and Cappy.

"Minute Maid", "Hi-C", "Five Alive", "Bright & Early" and "Cappy" are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

Business Summary -- 1996 -- The Minute Maid Company

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-- January...The Minute Maid Company announces the results of a national taste test, in which Minute Maid Premium frozen concentrated orange juice was preferred by U.S. consumers over Tropicana Pure Premium not-from-concentrate chilled orange juice by nearly a two-to-one margin.

-- February...The Minute Maid Company introduces a revolutionary new juice dispensing system for U.S. foodservice customers, which provides consumers a colder, faster, better juice product than ever before.

-- April...The Minute Maid Company celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Minute Maid trademark.

-- May...The Minute Maid Company announces the re-entry of the Minute Maid brand into South Africa after a ten-year absence.

-- May...The Minute Maid Company launches the Minute Maid Dairy Business System, involving strategic partnerships with over 80 premier dairies across the U.S. for the production and/or distribution of Minute Maid Premium fruit juices and drinks.

-- May...The Minute Maid Company introduces Minute Maid Chilled Singles, 16-ounce plastic bottles of chilled single-serve premium fruit juices and drinks, as the first product of the Minute Maid Dairy Business System.

-- July...The Minute Maid Company and a Brazilian company, Sucocitrico Cutrale Ltda., announce the formation of a long-term, global strategic supply alliance to provide The Minute Maid Company with superior-quality fruit juice concentrate for expansion into Europe and Latin America.

-- August...The Minute Maid Company introduces Chilled Multi-Packs, shrink-wrapped six-packs and eight-packs of single-serve premium fruit juices and drinks in eight-ounce plastic bottles, for U.S. supermarket shelves.

-- August...The Minute Maid Company announces the national foodservice rollout of Minute Maid Soft Frozen Lemonade in the U.S. following its successful introduction at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

-- September...The Minute Maid Company and the Danone Group form a joint venture, Minute Maid Danone, to produce and market premium fruit juices and drinks worldwide, with an initial focus in Europe and Latin America.

-- October...The Minute Maid Company completes the sale of orange processing and packaging plants in Auburndale and Leesburg, Florida to Cutrale Citrus Juices U.S.A., Inc., as part of a strategy to reconfigure its manufacturing operations to produce the highest quality products at the lowest possible cost.

-- October...The Coca-Cola Company demonstrates its commitment to the Minute Maid brand worldwide by announcing that its former Coca-Cola Foods division has become The Minute Maid Company.

CONTACT: The Minute Maid Company

Chris Bozman, 713/888-5020

or

Edelman Worldwide, Chicago

Stacey Brown, 312/240-2719