Diageo N.A. to Move Headquarters to Norwalk, CT

    NORWALK, Conn., April 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo North America
 President and CEO Ivan Menezes announced today that Diageo, the world's
 leading premium drinks company, will move its North American corporate
 headquarters, currently occupying seven buildings in Stamford, CT and White
 Plains, NY, to a facility located in Norwalk, CT.
     "Our company is more than the products it sells or our stock symbol - it
 is the aspirations, energy and intelligence of our employees that makes us
 proud of who we are and what we do," Menezes said.  "Today, we thank our
 employees for growing with us and moving to this new facility, where we can
 unleash their potential."
     In welcoming Diageo to the Norwalk business community, Alex Knopp, Mayor
 of Norwalk, said, "Today, we officially welcome Diageo to Norwalk and look
 forward to creating a relationship that will enable this company and community
 to flourish."
     Today's event at Norwalk City Hall showcased Diageo's industry leading
 social responsibility initiatives as both the Crown Royal International Race
 of Champions (IROC) car and the Captain Morgan Hummer were parked in front of
 City Hall.  Both cars contain "drink responsibly" messages that thousands of
 race fans and consumers see at high profile events.
     In addition, Diageo has contributed over $100 million dollars promoting
 social responsibility including helping to fund The Century Council, a not-
 for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage
 drinking.  Diageo, furthermore, has the strictest marketing code in the
 industry and only advertises on TV shows and in magazines where 70% or more of
 the audience is above legal drinking age.  Said Menezes, "From our corporate
 headquarters to our offices and facilities across the country, Diageo's
 employees believe that in order to celebrate life, every day, everywhere, we
 must celebrate it responsibly."
     Diageo's new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters will be located at
 the Towers at Merritt River, 801 Main Avenue.  The new glass-enclosed
 seven-story facility, situated on the northeast corner of the Merritt Parkway
 and Route 7, will offer more than 270,000 square feet of office space and
 covered parking for all employees.  The building will include many amenities
 to enhance the employees' work experience including a fitness center,
 cafeteria, ATM and train shuttle.
     "Our new headquarters will provide a motivational, high performance
 workplace that will better accommodate the needs of our dynamic organization,"
 Menezes added.
     Said Menezes, "I would like to thank Carl and Paul Kuehner of Building &
 Land Technologies, O & G Industries, Inc., CPG Architects and Turner
 Construction Company for all their work in getting us to Norwalk.  Carl and
 his team are developing a truly world class, state-of-the-art workplace
 environment for our people and we are all looking forward to moving into this
 awesome building.  Carl and Paul, thank you."
     The new building was recently topped-out and is scheduled to be completed
 in early 2005.  Besides its new corporate headquarters in Norwalk, Diageo
 enjoys a strong presence across North America with facilities and offices in
 Chicago, Dallas, Plainfield, Napa Valley, New York City, Miami, San Francisco,
 Toronto and the Lehigh Valley.
 
     About Diageo
     Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with
 an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and
 beer categories.  These brands include: Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff,
 J&B, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, and Beaulieu Vineyard
 and Sterling Vineyards wines.
     Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 200 countries around the
 world.  The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and
 the London Stock Exchange (DGE).
 
 

SOURCE  Diageo North America