ATLANTA, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuqua Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: FQE),
today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 1997.
    Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 1997 grew to $55,671,000 as
compared to $31,170,000 for the corresponding period in 1996.  Income from
continuing operations and net income for the first quarter was $1,342,000 or
$0.30 per share, compared to $1,600,000 or $0.36 per share for the similar
quarter last year.
    First quarter results were adversely impacted by rising hide prices which
hurt the performance of the leather operations at the end of 1996 and at the
beginning of the first quarter of 1997.  Lawrence P. Klamon, President of
Fuqua, commented that, "profit margins in our leather operations have
substantially improved in recent weeks and, together with the favorable
results of our medical products operations, should result in a much stronger
second quarter."
    Fuqua's medical products operations manufacture a variety of products
including beds, patient aids and mobility products for the acute, long-term
and home health care markets.  Fuqua's leather operations produce a broad line
of leathers that are sold to manufacturers of shoes, handbags, personal
leather goods and furniture in both the U.S. and foreign markets.

                     FUQUA ENTERPRISES, INC.
           (Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

                                             For the Three Months
                                               Ended March 31,
                                                1997      1996
       Revenues:
    Net sales                                 $55,621   $30,500
    Investment income                              50       670
    Total revenues                             55,671    31,170
       Costs and Expenses:
    Cost of sales                              44,577    25,062
    Selling, general and administrative
     expenses                                   8,373     3,148
    Interest expense                              593       333
    Total costs and
     expenses                                  53,543    28,543
    Income from continuing operations before
     income taxes                               2,128     2,627
    Income taxes                                  786     1,027
    Income from continuing operations           1,342     1,600
       Discontinued operations:
    Income from discontinued operations, net        0         0
    Net income                                $ 1,342   $ 1,600

       Per share:
    Income from continuing operations         $  0.30   $  0.36
    Net income                                $  0.30   $  0.36
    Avg. common shares and common share equivs. 4,545     4,500

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