Elior wins £3m FM and catering contract for Norfolk police

27 March 2008

Elior UK’s Integrated Services division has announced a new contract with Norfolk Constabulary to provide an integrated service including both soft FM and an element of contract catering to the forces’ employees at three main locations and 60 police stations across the county.

Over 90 employees will be TUPE’d to Elior in the deal valued at over £3m. The contract will provide an integrated service including both soft FM and an element of contract catering to the forces’ employees at three main locations and some 60 additional police stations across the county.

The contract signals the latest step in the development of Elior UK’s Integrated Services (EIS) facilities management offer. Under the leadership of Divisional Director, John McEwen, since its launch in 2006 Elior’s Defence Contracts Division (DCD) has grown to a £30m business employing 1800 people. The deal cements the Company’s new strategy to broaden its focus outside the defence market, targeting largely self-delivered Facilities Management contracts in the commercial/private sector. The move builds on the exponential growth achieved within DCD since launch in 2006.

John McEwen explained the move; “The time is right for us to build on the exponential success we’ve enjoyed in the defence sector, and take our expertise and innovations to a broader market. This step reflects the significant changes in client needs which has driven a boom in the requirement for, in particular, soft FM services delivered in an innovative way, complimenting existing catering offers. Our offer focuses on efficient, competitive, quality self delivery which many competitors cannot achieve.”

The move is being supported by the appointment of Demitri Maldonado whose role of Sales & Outsourcing Director brings 25 years experience from the property, technology and FM industries. He has the responsibility of heading up the private sector expansion plans; leveraging from existing internal expertise by combining Elior’s customer services with technology and understanding of the built environment. He has spent 25 years both in the US and UK in property related roles at Fortis Bank, Rentokil and Alfred McAlpine. Demitri will drive the business and its plan to achieve a significant proportion of Elior UK turnover from Integrated Services by 2010.

Elior UK Chief Executive Michael Audis commented on the news; “This is a key strategic win for us, building on the team’s success over the last two years in establishing a £30m integrated services business in the defence sector. This success has given us the credibility to expand, in particular, our soft services offering and opens many new doors for us. This contract recognises our core skills and crucially, our ability to self deliver, which places us apart from our competitors.”

Currently the DCD manages three key contracts spread across over 25 sites and offering a broad range of services from traditional catering to facilities management. These include ‘soft services’ such as laundry and cleaning, retail convenience stores, leisure facilities and a Pay-As-You-Dine [PAYD] system.

The EIS division also incorporates Elior vending services, providing over 4000 quality vending machines and technical support services to around 65% of Elior’s UK clients. The service, soon to be rebranded as Mocha Plus, reflects both the increasing demand from customers and clients for whole-day refreshment solutions; drinks and snacks when you want them, and in many locations, premium coffee products from trained baristas.

With an annual turnover of £262m, Elior UK owns and operates leading contract and concession catering providers in the UK. Elior UK is backed by its parent company, Groupe Elior, number three in the European Contracted Foodservice market, with a turnover in excess of €3bn. In France, Elior is the number one operator in the Concession Catering market, and number two in Contract Catering. Elior UK employs 10,000 people and owns a number of subsidiary companies including Avenance (the UK's fourth largest contract catering company which focuses on the business and industry, education and healthcare sectors) and Eliance Restaurants, specialists in concession catering in the travel and leisure sectors. Under the umbrella of Eliance Restaurants, Elior UK also owns digby trout Restaurants (the number one provider of food services to UK visitor attractions), Azure Support Services Ltd (specialists in providing catering facilities at sports venues), and has a unique partnership with Group Holder, allowing the company to operate the PAUL brand in the concession market (PAUL is a high class French style baker and confectioner found in airports and railway stations).

Founded in 1991, Elior is a European leader in Contracted Foodservice and related services. The Group enjoys major positions in Contract Catering, Facilities Management, Concession Catering and Travel Retail. Its 60,500 employees serve 2.6 million customers daily at over 13,000 restaurants and points of sale in 15 countries.