FEMSA

Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: FEMSA / NYSE: FMX), doing business as FEMSA, is the largest beverage company in Mexico and in Latin America and as of September 2011 also the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the world. FEMSA originated as the Cuauhtémoc Brewery in 1890, which, through debt management, was restructured as FEMSA in 1988. It is based in Monterrey, Mexico.

FEMSA purchased the Kaiser Brewery in 2006, renaming it FEMSA Cerveja Brasil. FEMSA is the parent company of the world's second largest bottler of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A. de C.V., and operates OXXO, the largest and most profitable convenience store chain in Latin America. The company is also the owner of C.F. Monterrey, a Mexican football team in the Mexican Primera División.

In January 2010, Heineken International announced it will acquire the beer operations of FEMSA. This transaction will not involve cash, Heineken will pay FEMSA with shares. FEMSA will be one of the major shareholders of Heineken (after the Heineken Holding N.V.) with 20% of the shares. Advising FEMSA on the deal was international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.