SODEXHO USA WINS FIVE-YEAR, $200 MILLION CONTRACT FOR MEMORIAL HERMANN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN HOUSTON

GAITHERSBURG, MD-April 12, 2005-Sodexho USA announced today that its Health Care Services Division was awarded the contract to provide all food and nutrition services for the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas. Under the new contract, Sodexho will provide services to the 3,155-bed system, valued at $200 million in managed volume over the next five years.

“As the nation's leading provider of healthcare foodservice, Sodexho is very pleased to be partnering with Memorial Hermann to provide patients, staff and the local community with the latest in innovative patient menu systems and nutrition as well as improved retail programs,” said Deborah Schloss, senior vice president of operations for Sodexho USA's Health Care Services Division. “This system is a recognized leader in healthcare in the greater Houston and southeast Texas communities and we look forward to bringing our own form of expertise to the partnership.”

Sodexho USA and Memorial Hermann have agreed to a unique co-sourcing operating model designed to drive satisfaction, standardization, support and cost savings throughout the Memorial Hermann system.

“We are excited to partner with an industry leader like Sodexho USA to enhance the satisfaction of our employees, visitors and most importantly our patients, said Dan Wolterman, president and CEO, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.

An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is a vital healthcare resource known for world-class clinical expertise, exceptional patient care, and innovation. The system, with its medical staff and 17,000 employee partners, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann's 12 acute-care hospitals include a university-affiliated teaching hospital in the Texas Medical Center, seven suburban hospitals, a children's hospital and two long term specialty care hospitals. The system also operates numerous outpatient imaging facilities, a Wellness Center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713-222-CARE.

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.