Elior Group Acquires ABL Management, a US Corrections and Higher Education Dining Provider

Regulatory News:

Today, Elior Group (Paris:ELIOR) announced the acquisition of ABL Management, a Louisiana-based provider of dining services to the correctional and higher education markets. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, ABL Management brings a unique dining expertise to public and private sector markets with customized services dedicated to inmate populations and students.

This acquisition will provide TrustHouse Services, the US contract catering subsidiary of Elior Group, with an additional portfolio of nearly 200 corrections and higher education clients and will grant ABL Management access to the expertise, resources and economic strength of a global organization. ABL Management generated revenues of around $60m in 2014 and has 800 employees.

Philippe Salle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Elior Group, stated: "I am pleased to welcome ABL Management to the Group. Its strong client portfolio and its remarkable expertise are reinforcing our group’s capabilities to better cater to both educational environments. This acquisition is perfectly in line with the Group’s 2016-2020 strategic plan and Elior Group will continue to seize opportunities of such quality in the United States to achieve its ambitions to expand in the region in specific niche markets.”

"We pride ourselves on the touchpoints we have with our clients, many of whom we have worked with for decades,” said John Appleton, ABL President and founder. "In our markets, delivering high quality, nutritional options plays a crucial role in ensuring overall security and safety as it is often the primary area of interest for the clients we serve; and in the higher education market, culinary innovation remains the focal point. We look forward to sharing the TrustHouse Services culinary expertise with our clients.”

"ABL’s reputation for having a customer-centric focus aligns well with TrustHouse Services’ market-leading offerings in these segments,” said Brian Poplin, CEO of TrustHouse Services. "We welcome the 800 ABL employees and nearly 200 client accounts to the TrustHouse family; we plan to enhance the employee and customer experience through innovation and a commitment to exemplary service.”

Elior Group has been present in the US contract catering market since 2013, when it acquired TrustHouse Services Group. It currently employs 10,000 employees in the USA, in 47 states.

About Elior Group

Founded in 1991, Elior Group, one of the world's leading operators in the contracted food and support services industry, is the caterer of choice in the domains of business, education and health, as well as in the world of travel.

In 2014, the Group generated revenue of €5,341 million in 13 countries. Its 106,000 employees serve 3.8 million customers every day in 18,000 restaurants and points of sale. Their mission is to welcome and take care of each individual through personalized catering and service solutions which create an innovative consumer experience.

Elior Group pays particularly close attention to its corporate social responsibility and has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2004. The professional excellence of its teams, their daily commitment to quality and innovation, and their dedication to providing special moments is expressed through its motto: "Time savored."

More information : www.eliorgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @Elior_France / @Elior_Group

This press release is published in French and English. The English-language version of this document is a free translation from the original, which was prepared in French. All possible care has been taken to ensure that the translation is an accurate representation of the original. However, in all matters of interpretation of information, views or opinions expressed therein, the original language version of the document in French takes precedence over this translation.

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