Categorical Coup for Compass, U.S. Foodservice

Two years ago, the North American division of international foodservice giant Compass Group commenced a three-year, $360-million contract with broadline distribution leader U.S. Foodservice. Today, the companies broadened the agreement with a five-year, $40-million-a-year contract extension that covers all product categories and adds 50 new North American Compass restaurant and institutional locations.

U.S. Foodservice is Compass' single largest supplier and the contract, according to Jim Everett, purchasing veep for North America, said the contract "is the first step in significantly consolidating our food distribution business."

Jim Miller, CEO and president of U.S. Foodservice is "pleased that we are able to expand our long standing relationship with Compass Group with this new business."

Compass Group, North American Division reported more than $2.3 billion in annual revenue in 1998 and employs 58,000 people. Worldwide, the U.K. food-server is reportedly the world's largest, operating in 50 countries with more than 170,000 employees.

Columbia, MD, U.S. Foodservice is one of the nation's largest broadline foodservice distributors in the U.S., employs 12,000 and distributes more than 40,000 national, private label and signature brand items to over 130,000 customers in all foodservice segments.