PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Fanjul family has concluded discussions with CBS about its new Fall series, "Cane," following media speculation about the possibility of similarities between the family and the characters of the fictional series.

"CBS has given us assurances that it will be clear from watching early and subsequent episodes that 'Cane' is not about the Fanjuls, and that the fictional Duque family will not reflect the Fanjul family members or its businesses," said Joseph P. Klock, Jr., General Counsel for the Fanjuls' family-controlled Flo-Sun, Incorporated.

The series is about a fictional Cuban refugee rum and sugar farming family, which relocated to South Florida and re-built its fortune after Castro came to power. Because the Fanjuls' Palm Beach-based operations are family-run and the largest and most successful Cuban American sugar operations in the country, news commentaries and other print sources had suggested the Duques may have been patterned after the Fanjuls. CBS has made it clear that is not the case.

"CBS has told us that none of the characters depict Fanjul family members or company executives, and that none of the story lines will be based upon activities, operations, or profiles of the family or its companies, nor will they be located in places where the family businesses are located," said Klock.

"The Fanjul family has worked very hard to rebuild their family business in this country," said Gaston Cantens, spokesman for the family's Florida Crystals Corporation. "They are proud of what they have accomplished, and proud of what the Cuban American community has accomplished here in the United States. They are equally proud of their family's good reputation."

The Fanjul family's privately-owned Flo-Sun, Incorporated, is headed by Alfonso Fanjul, Chairman and CEO, and J. Pepe Fanjul, Vice Chairman, President and COO. Flo-Sun and its subsidiaries have operations in South Florida, the Dominican Republic, Belgium, Canada, California, New York, Maryland, and Louisiana. Its consolidated operations own 400,000 acres, harvest 10 million tons of sugar cane and refine 4 million tons of sugar each year, own and operate the largest renewable energy biomass power plant in the United States, and farm and market organic sugars and rice. They also have extensive real estate development operations, and own and operate the Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic. The companies have combined revenues of approximately $3 billion. Their sugar brands include Florida Crystals(R), Domino(R), C&H(R), Redpath(R) and Jack Frost(R). None of their businesses manufacture alcoholic beverages of any kind. 

SOURCE Fanjul family

-0- 08/13/2007

 

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