FORTUNE BRANDS SETS OUT TO GLOBALIZE WINE AND SPIRITS

"Reflecting the consistency of Fortune Brands' performance, the company finished another excellent year with another strong quarter," said Norm Wesley, chairman and chief executive officer of Fortune Brands. The 4th-quarter profit fell 30% on costs to acquire spirits brands from Allied Domecq, a $5.2 billion purchase that included Sauza tequila and Canadian Club whiskey. However, Norm said that the premium spirits experienced “strong international demand.”

“The development of our spirits and wine business into a new global leader with the acquisition of more than 25 global and national premium brands” has greatly helped Fortune become a stronger company. Furthermore, Norm assured investors that “the integration of the spirits and wine acquisition is on track.” For the 4th quarter ending December 31, Fortune’s spirits and wine sales rose 77.9% from 2004 and increased 40.4% for the entire 2005 fiscal year.