SODEXHO USA NAMED AMONG THE TOP TEN COMPANIES FOR SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

GAITHERSBURG, MD, May 5, 2005- Sodexho USA, the nation's leading provider of food and facilities management services, announced today it has been named one of DiversityInc's Top Ten Companies for Supplier Diversity for 2005. Sodexho joins such prestigious companies as Hewlett Packard, Pepsico and Xerox on the list.

“We are proud to be among DiversityInc's top companies for supplier diversity,” said Ann Oka, senior vice president of supply management at Sodexho. “We are fully committed to continuing to build a strong supplier diversity program by expanding and maximizing our partnerships with minority and women-owned businesses, and taking a vested interest in their success.”

According to DiversityInc, Sodexho was recognized for having a comprehensive methodology for tracking and communicating supplier-diversity metrics and successes, for requiring third-party vendor certification for major vendors and for linking management compensation to supplier-diversity results. In seeking to expand its current base of over 2,000 minority- and woman-owned suppliers and providers, Sodexho requires all major vendors and manufacturers to track expenditures with minority and women-owned businesses and in 2004, increased spending with minority and women business enterprises by more than 14 percent.

Sodexho USA has been widely recognized for creating a corporate culture that embraces diversity and was recently named one of the Top Ten Companies for People with Disabilities and a Notable Company for Diversity by DiversityInc. Sodexho was also named one of the Top 50 Companies for Latinas by Latina Style Magazine and was on HISPANIC Magazine's Corporate 100 List of companies that provide the most opportunities for Hispanics. Sodexho also ranked among the Top 100 Employers for the Class of 2005 by Black Collegian Magazine.

Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States, with $6 billion in annual revenue and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho USA offers innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho USA proudly serves as the official food service provider for the US Marine Corps.