Two American start-up foodservice industry Internet sites, eFS Network and Maverick Xchange, announced on May 22nd they will merge to form a business-to-business network designed to help suppliers, distributors and operators reduce some US$14 bn in supply chain inefficiencies. Based in Chicago, eFS Network was formed in August 2000, and is supported by companies such as fast-food giant McDonald's Corp., the number 1 poultry producer Tyson Foods Inc., and the agribusiness group Cargill. It said that both sites were in the final stages of launching independent networks prior to the decision to merge. Maverick, based in New York, was created in April 2000 by 10 foodservice distributors, including Ben E. Keith Co., BiRite Foodservice, Dot Foods, Harker's Distribution Inc., Martin Brothers Distributing Co., Mattingly Foods Inc., Performance Food Group, Quality Foods Inc., Ritz Foodservice and Thomas Proestler Co. The new exchange, which will temporarily go by the name eFS Network, did not disclose the amount of its financial commitments. It joins a host of other yet-unproven corporate-backed B2B exchanges, such as food manufacturing's Transora, automotive's Covisint and aerospace's Exostar. eFS plans to go live by the third quarter of this year and to be profitable within three years, said a spokesman, Eric Lamar Davis. Source: Reuters
