European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Cartabianca the Beer that made Monterrey famous by Cam ross1e associated press bustling Monterrey Iho largest richest and most industrialized cily in Northern Mexico Rode into a 20lh Century on a wave or suds irom Carlo Blanca. The Beer that made Monterrey famous. H s the Granddaddy of All mexican Beers a Golden brew that helped turn a Small brewery into a major corporation and a sleepy town into an Industrial giant. Monterrey has come a Long Way since the la editing Cuauhtemoc brewery firs Pul a Cap on a bottle of Carla Blanca nearly a Century ago. A sprawling City of 28 million people today Monterrey had just 40,000 inhabitants and a Lew Small factories in 1890 when a group of local investors slatted the brewery named Tor the last Aztec emperor Cuauhtemoc pronounced wow Lay Moc. It was contagious said the historian and author Israel Cavazos. The enthusiasm to create other industries caught the brewery needs were Large at the turn at the Century and it was t easy to gel raw materials from Mexico cily 600 Miles to the South or irom he United St lest so Miles North. Cuauhtemoc s directors crested departments to manufacture the raw materials mall Glass to make bottles Lin Lor Caps paper Lor labels cardboard Lor cases. Those departments spawned seven incorporated industries that later became catalysts Lor the major Industrial conglomerates visa Alia and Vitro. The brewery was the Cornerstone of Monterrey s Industrial said Jorge Montemayor Cuauhtemoc s planning director. The brewery now a division of visa started operations with 72 workers in a House in whal is now downtown Monterrey. It produced 1.500 bottles of Carta Blanca the first year by 1987, Cuauhtemoc s seven breweries throughout Mexico had 4,409 employees producing about 1 billion quarts of Beer each year. In addition to Carta Blanca still one of Mexico s most popular Beers Cuauhtemoc makes Tecate and Chihuahua Beers. Its Best Selling Export products its Premium Bohemia Brand won first prize among 35 Domestic and foreign lager Beers in a los Angeles times Magazine Beer tasting contest last summer. If Cuauhtemoc launched what is known As the Monterrey phenomenon the unique Industrial development of a City so far from the nation s capital it also led the Way in social and educational development programs for employees. Before the government created a Federal medical program families of Cuauhtemoc employees were receiving free medical care at company clinics. Before the Federal government started housing programs the company was helping its employees build their Homes. In 1912 the brewery founded Monterrey s Cuauhtemoc polytechnic school which altered primary level classes to employees children during the Day and to workers at night. The Monterrey technological Institute now one of Mexico s leading universities developed from the school. Today the brewery also provides free dental cae. Low interest Loans savings programs and University scholarships. Its sports and cultural Center sponsors soccer teams and olfers classes in swimming karate singing dancing and guitar. Erik Eduardo Larsen whose Grandfather came to Monterrey irom Denmark in the Early 1930s to take a Job at the Cuauhtemoc brewery is the third generation of Larsen to work Here. The company does t i hint just about production. It s concerned with people said the 22-year-old systems analyst whose lather was Cuauhtemoc s production Chiet. It s like a family he said. And the pay is better than at other salaries Lor labourers Start 30 percent higher than Monterrey s daily minimum wage of 7,405 pesos about $3.20. The current economic crisis however has been Tough on Iho local Beer Industry and the brewery is operating at a loss. In 1983. The year after the crisis began Cuauhtemoc s Domestic sales dropped by nearly t.3 million cases a Consumers watched their salaries eaten up by soaring in Lallon. Last year however the brewery achieved pro crisis production Levels and is negotiating with foreign creditors to restructure debts while pushing exports to generate . Dollars. Although the immense popularity of Corona extra Beer in the United states has made Cuauhtemoc s main competitor the Modelo brewery even stronger planning director Montemayor said his company is reaping some benefits from ii. Corona s Success has helped us too. It s made the american consumer More aware of mexican Beer he said. An aggressive sales and distribution Campaign coupled with a new american thirst for mexican Beer has helped Cuauhtemoc More than double its exports sales since 1he economic crisis began. In 1987 Cuauhtemoc exported 4.7 million cases of Beer generating $29,2 million. Cuauhtemoc. With 33 percent of the Domestic Beer Market is the second largest of Mexico s three Beer manufacturers after the Modelo brewery. In 1935, the financially troubled Moctezuma brewery was acquired by visa s holding company of Mono Proa in an Exchange of Stock that prevented Modelo acquiring it and becoming a area too Large to Deal with in the mexican Boer Industry said Montemayor. San Jose promotes new image by Robert Linnsey new York times residents of san Jose 50 Miles South of san Francisco Are turning on their radio these Days and being reassured that san Jose is a Nice place to live. We Vegol it All right proclaims a radio commercial. We be got it All right Here in san another commercial one of in like it being broadcast by local stations praises a reborn downtown Welcome 10 the leading Edge. Mope you like the View. Everywhere you look you see the future breaking the messages represent an Effort by some civic leaders in san Jose to diminish a sense of civic inferiority rooted in the City s proximity to san Francisco. While the City by the Bay s population of 740,000 is not much Mare than san Jose s estimated 715,000, its Scenic Beauty and Charm have Long overshadowed its neighbor a farm town turned High Lechno Togy Center. La i not that san Jose has a bad image said Steven Snell a Naigran of the san Jose convention and visitors Bureau which is sponsoring Iho radio Campaign. It s that it does t have any image. We re trying to emphasize Trie Good things Here and create an while boosters work to make san Jose ans prouder of their town the City itself and private investors Are gambling almost $1 billion in an Effort to restore san Jose s deteriorated downtown. A Forest of new office towers and a Glass and Marble luxury hotel have risen in the last year in the heart of san Jose until recently a Refuge for derelicts. A huge retail shopping Complex is under construction As is a convention Center and $500 million trolley system that will link san Jose s Southern suburbs and the Industrial area to the North with the downtown retail area part of which will be off limits to private automobiles. In june voters will be asked to approve a $100 million sports Arena in the Hope of luring a professional basketball franchise and there Are also plans Tor a museum about the High technology industries of the area. The burst of activity prompted he Santa Clara county supervisor Ron Diridoni to say nothing can Slop us to rival ultimately Paris London Zurich All the great for decades san Jose and the surrounding Santa Clara Valley had no difficulty defining its image ii was California s Best known producer of prunes and apricots. Bui in the 1960s, a flood of immigrants from around the country moved in to work at aerospace and electronics plants in Palo Alto Sunnyvale and other nearby towns. San Jose s prune and Apricot Trees fell to make Way for new Homes and before Long the area that the chamber of Commerce had dubbed the Valley of heart s Delight became known As Silicon Valley a tribute to the raw material of microchips. Many residents Are sceptical that the current construction and plans Tor residential complexes in the downtown area can revive a neighbourhood Long abandoned by Middle class residents and a cily policy that stressed a style of living entered on far Flung housing developments the automobile and some of the country s largest shopping malls. At motor Loti commute across the Valley they produced chronic iral fic ii that Are among California s worst sceptics doubt san Jose ans will Brave still More traffic jams to reach a rebuilt downtown. At Best a difficult transition appears Likely for downtown the new hotel that opened last year the Fairmont is operating Well below capacity and the vacancy tale in downtown office buildings 27 percent is among the nation s highest still As he travels around downtown and Points out improvements. Mayor Tom Mcenery a 42-Yearold native and driving Force behind the redevelopment expounds on it with the Zeal of a preacher reporting a miraculous resuscitation of the dead. White the City and developers have not had much Success so far attracting High technology companies from the suburbs Feenery Saya he is confident. As More office workers arrive he said the moribund business District win become vigorous. We should t be compared to Sari Francisco which is a great City that should be compared with London or Peris he said Noling san Jose s real growth Only started 30 years san Jose ought to be compared with other cities of rapid growth in the Sunbelt like san Diego san Antonio and Dallas Mcenery said. San Jose has set itself up to take off in the nineties saturday May 14, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17
