Sodexho Alliance enjoys strong performance in first nine months of the year

Contract catering and services giant Sodexho Alliance has enjoyed a strong first nine months of 2007 with total sales up 3.6% to €10.2b (£6.9b).

On a like-for-like basis sales increased 7.8% in the first three-quarters if the year.

In the UK like-for-like sales in the period were 5.2% ahead of last year at €1.06b (£716m), led by healthcare.

Sodexho said the ramp-up of a number of public finance initiative contracts in the healthcare sector and the start of its contract at the Nuffield Hospitals group had all contributed to its strong performance.

Within the UK business and industry sector Sodexho has won contracts to feed staff and provide hospitality services at Munich Re, London; Hibernian Insurance, Dublin; and Helphire Group, Bath.

The company also netted the contract to feed more than a 1,000 students at the Altrincham Girls School, in Altrincham South Manchester.

Sodexho chief executive Michel Landel said: “Our performance reinforces our confidence in our objectives for the full fiscal year of organic growth exceeding 7%.”

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By Chris Druce

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