Tempe, AZ July 23, 2001 Alliant Foodservice, a subsidiary of Alliant Exchange and one of the largest broad line foodservice distributors in the United States, has agreed to participate in Novation's e-commerce solution, Marketplace@Novation, under an agreement announced today.
Alliant Foodservice will participate via AlliantLink.com, Alliant's Web-based ordering solution.
Under the agreement, Alliant will accept and process orders for food and related items from healthcare organizations that are conducting transactions through Marketplace@Novation. As the supply company of two national healthcare alliances, VHA and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), Novation offers its healthcare supply chain e-commerce solution exclusively to VHA and UHC members and their suppliers. Members that participate in Marketplace@Novation will be able to seamlessly link to AlliantLink.com.
The agreement represents the first major distributor of food products and related services to join Marketplace@Novation. Alliant Foodservice, with total sales of more than $6 billion, is one of the largest privately held enterprises in the United States and is the leading supplier of food products and services to VHA and UHC member hospitals.
"This agreement enhances a long-standing healthcare and foodservice relationship and expands upon the value Alliant brings to VHA and UHC members," said George Holm, president and CEO of Alliant Foodservice.
Marketplace@Novation is powered by technology from Neoforma.com.
With Alliant, a total of 91 manufacturers and distributors including major healthcare companies Owens & Minor, Abbott Laboratories, Allegiance Healthcare and McKessonHBOC are contracted to participate in Marketplace@Novation, representing a combined total of more than $8 billion in annual contract and non-contract purchases to VHA and UHC member hospitals. Marketplace@Novation has a total of 253 hospitals currently connected.
