Food-Service Companies Blend To Connect Suppliers And Distributors

Compiled ByDeborah Austin Amphire Solutions Inc., which provides business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce solutions for the food-service industry, has announced alliances totaling more than $20 billion with ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Heinz Foodservice, and Rich Products Corp. The manufacturers -- whose annual sales range from $1.6 billion to $27 billion -- have signed Supplier Council Founding Member agreements with Amphire to participate in developing its supplier-distributor exchange and accelerate adoption of an integrated B2B e-commerce solution connecting food-service suppliers with distributors. Previously announced Amphire distributor agreements include Gordon Food Service, The IJ Co., Reinhart Food Service, Shamrock Foods Co., and MBM Foodservice, and industry buying groups Foresight Partners, Premier Foodservice, and Golbon. Amphire was formed by Ventro Corp. -- which builds and services B2B marketplaces -- headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.