European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Border brew by James Anderson associated press ome Beer panders have brushed off As a passing fancy the popularity of Corona extra the biggest Selling mexican Beer in the United Stales. Market experts questioned whether Tho Light Lagor could compete in an import Market traditionally dominated by Darker and heavier european brews not so Val Only Diaz of Cerv Cerias Modesto. Iho makers of Corona under his guidance As Modelo s general sales director Corona has vaulted to second place among imported Beers in the United slates and the company is aiming to be no 1. In the process Gampo Modelo the brewery s Parent company is exemplifying president Miguel de la Madrid s controversial Ellor i to wean mexican Industry Oil years of subsidies and Trade Protection to create an Export driven Economy that can successfully compels abroad we want Tor a Model for All mexican businesses by giving prestige and credibility to mexican products abroad diez said Al his Mexico City Headquarters a growing number of american Beer drinkers Are convinced american continued 25 million cases of Corona extra East year More than double the 1386 Ligure and 1d times above that just six years ago. Corona captured 18 percent of the . Import Market in 19b7. Second Only to Heln Oken of Tho Netherlands Wilh 25 percent according to Impact International a new York based publication that monitors the Beer Industry. And with Corona now available in Only 36 Stales Gruppo Modelo directors have reason to believe they la achieve their goal. Die cited strict Quality control Strong advertising and bar in Veracruz Mexico with an International a Flection of Bott Val Fible. Sound marketing As reasons for Corona s Export Success. But it has been sound financial planning at Home that has steered Modelo through Mexico s economic crisis tight credit rising costs Slack consumer demand and crushing private debts have Hurt Many mexican businesses including Modelo s chief competitor Cuauhtemoc of Monterrey. Modelo avoided these Pitfalls by refusing to borrow to finance investment when borrowing frown Loreign lenders was the rage in the late 1970s and daily 1930s the company continuously slowed its earnings Back into the firm. Gruppo Modelo s policy always has been to grow using its own resources. That Means no debts diez said. We did it by reinvesting All of our dividends Over the years to construct our own breweries Matt and Glass producing firms our own warehouses and distributors. Many at the time though we were wrong. But this policy has allowed us 1o consolidate our leadership position in the mexican Beer  Modelo brands now account for nearly Hall the mexican Market and 60 percent of All mexican Beer expats diez said. Corona has been available in Western . Stales since 19g6. But sales growth was limited because a puerto rican brewery owned the u.6. Rights to the familiar Corona Blue and while Crown trademark. Cerv Cerias Modelo was Able to arrange a concurrent use agreement in 1963 and bought the trademark two years later. With Iho trademark question out of the Way this allowed us to launch ourselves into the Market diez said not quite. Modelo s governing Board insisted on introducing the lager into the . Market on a gradual basis rather than trying to flood it Oil Al once Corona showed up first in restaurants and bars before it appealed in liquor stores and supermarkets. The Beer became identified with trendy establishments and ethnic cuisine. They Don t want to just open a Market said Roberto Viejo. A sales director at Modelo. They work it. Service it. Ii in t just hey Here s a new Brand no  Corona s popularity has benefited 1rcm a stick advertising Campaign with its Cross the Border message linking the lager to mexican tourist attractions in magazines and on billboards. In Mexico Modelo has pushed its Premium Beer Al sporting events. The Beer s logo is found everywhere inside Mexico City s social Security Park Home to the City s fled devils and tigers professional baseball teams and at boxing Arenas. The sports Angle is being developed in Tho United Stales As Well. A promotional stint during the week of the Mcaa College basketball championships featured six Corona Battles two of them empty and the slogan on to the final  a . Commence department decision to revoke Trade preferences for mexican Beer in 1987 did t Hurt Corona s sales growth. Instead the company judged ii a sign that the brew could successfully compete on equal terms Wilh other american imports so has president de la Madrid s administration which filed Cerv Cerias Modelo for Export achievements. And diez s colleagues in the mexican association of sales and marketing executives designated him their distinguished executive of the year in 1987. Increased competitiveness Means facing the Prospect of More imported Beers in Mexico As Welt. A Trade agreement signed with the United states last year will allow Many american Beers in Mexico for the first time. Rma Bombeck i used to be a Pushover Iora Newborn anything. Show me a Gerbil stumbling around with its eyes closed and it had a Home. Put a Puppy in my Lap. And just iry to take it away from me. Slip moan and for pampers showing a baby and i went Light out and bought maternity underwear. I never had Iho foresight to figure out that gerbils grow up to took like something i set traps Tor under the sink or that puppies drank out of toilets or that grown children eventually emptied an entire refrigerator by inhaling. Thai s Why i blanched when i saw a Story about pigs becoming the trendy Pel of the decade according to the Short snout society they Are gaining in popularity every Day pig owners Are effusive in their Praise of pigs. They claim pigs Aie intelligent affectionate easy to House train and despite their reputation Are not smelly. Owners attest to the fact that pigs Don t bark or tied Alt Over the Page 16 the stars and stripes furniture and they make great watch hogs there was recently a whole Page in our paper devoted to a woman whose husband had gotten her a pet pig As a gift. The pig was 8 weeks old and weighed 20 pounds. There were some wonderful quotes about How the pig roiled Over on his Back so she could scratch its stomach and when she was on the phone that Rascal chewed on her toes so she d pay attention to him. He even wagged his wife Tail All the time i was leading about Lovo at first oink i kept remembering a Story i did Lor Good morning America a couple of years ago. A doctor in North Carolina had always wanted to be a pig Farmer and compromised his fantasy by collecting Little Ceramic pig Obilia. For his 4qlh birthday a group of friends presented him and his wife a real Piglet called norms Jean named after Marilyn Monroe. Norma Jean weighed 10 pounds. We caught up with the Irio 21 months later to see How saturday. May 14,1986 they wore making out. Norma Jean was everything they had hoped Tor. She had a coming out party at the local ramada inn swam every week in the Atlantic Ocean loved classical music and drank Pina Dacas out of a bowl. The bad news was that she was t crazy about strangers. I was advised to stand behind a chair until she got used to me. Norma Jean entered the room i m Here to Tell you that when Norma Jean enters a room we re talking Entrance Alt 600 pounds of her grunted and lumbered Over to a leather sofa where she arranged herself and rigged out on piece after pieced designer chocolates. The couple was genuinely attached to this pet. I tend Wilh All my heart to visualize her As a Cule 10 Pound Piglet Atwould take several Pina Cladas to bring this about. To in Una venal press stoic i