Sodexo and La Poste Combine to Serve French Military Abroad

Regulatory News:

Sodexo (PARIS:SW) (OTCBB:SDXAY) and the French post office, La Poste, announced the creation of a consortium to provide postal services (collection, transport and distribution of mail and parcels) for the 19,000 men and women serving on French military bases abroad. Both organizations expressed great pride in having been entrusted with providing vital support to France’s soldiers and the Ministry of Defense.

The four-year contract awarded to La Poste – Sodexo consortium resulted from a competitive process launched by the Ministry in 2010 for the provision of customized postal services for the armed forces.

The contract represents a new and unique approach for both partners, based on their complementary expertise: La Poste’s mail and package handling capabilities and Sodexo’s long experience in delivering high quality on-site services to clients operating in extreme environments, including support for military bases, temporary detachments and peacekeeping missions. The consortium’s offer thus represents a customized response, covering transport to distribution of parcels and letters, training for mail clerks and Sodexo teams on postal operations and setting up post offices from scratch in hostile operating theaters.

Salvator Erba, La Poste’s Director for Public Sector Market Large Accounts, said: "La Poste is proud to confirm its role as a natural partner to the Ministry of Defense and delighted to support the French armed forces in their various theaters of operations and at French Naval facilities; we look forward to ensuring the link between French troops and their families through a totally innovative approach, leveraging the expertise of La Poste and its teams.”

Sodexo Vice President for Defense, Continental Europe, Veronika Roux, said: "It is an honor for Sodexo to help support postal service for French military bases abroad. For military service personnel, the mail and parcels they exchange with their loved ones has a major influence on the quality of their daily lives. Through its expertise and understanding of the demands of military life gained through years of experience, Sodexo is able to offer integrated services that improve quality of life for armed forces women and men around the world."

About Sodexo

Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo serves 75 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Through its more than 100 services, Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over more than 45 years of experience: from reception, safety, maintenance and cleaning, to foodservices and facilities and equipment management; from Meal Pass, Gift Pass and Mobility Pass benefits for employees to in-home assistance and concierge services. Sodexo’s success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 420,000 employees throughout the world.

Key Figures (as of August 31, 2012)

Sodexo in the world

18.2 billion euro consolidated revenue
420,000 employees
20th largest employer worldwide
80 countries
34,300 sites
75 million consumers served daily
9.5 billion euro market capitalization (as of November 7, 2012)

About La Poste

A 100% publicly funded corporation since March 1, 2010, La Poste SA is an original model of a multi-business group structured around four core business areas: Courrier (Mail), Colis/Express (Parcel/Express), La Banque Postale (banking) and Enseigne La Poste (Post branches). Every year, the 170,000 La Poste branches welcome 45 million individual clients and 3.5 million business clients. La Poste has decided to make mail its core business in the customer relationship, offering the best paper, digital and proximity to all its clients. They place an emphasis on their high-performing industrial tools, advanced technologies, innovative services and their network of postmen, readily available professionals and trusted third parties. In 2011, the La Poste Group published a turnover of 21.3 million Euros and has more than 268,000 employees. Looking to 2015, the La Poste Group aims to become the European leader in postal and financial services. Aiming constantly towards innovation, the La Poste Group puts a daily focus on developing services and products, which will make the lives of clients and employees easier. Faithful to its values and its public service missions, strengthening the relationships with the postmen, the La Poste Group strives to be the example of a modern public service.

www.sodexo.com / www.laposte.fr