DALLAS, June 20, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- SureQuest Systems, Inc. (OTCBB:SUQU), a leading provider of dietary software solutions for the healthcare industry, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Quik-to-Fix Foods, Inc., a Smithfield Foods Company (NYSE:SFD), to provide nutritional analysis and dietary consulting services with respect to Quik-to-Fix's products and how they can be reformulated for the healthcare industry.
Quik-to-Fix, of Garland, Texas, realizes the significant demand on the healthcare industry from the aging "baby boom" generation and wants to be prepared with nutritionally balanced foods to better serve this industry segment. Quik-to-Fix selected SureQuest for its dietary management expertise and knowledge. SureQuest has 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
The healthcare market has always been a leader in recognizing the importance of nutritional content in the foods they serve. The two companies will work closely to monitor trends and quickly adapt them to Quik-to-Fix's growing line of prepared food products for the healthcare market. The dietary experience and access to the latest research on nutrition from SureQuest Systems will translate into real benefits for Quik-to-Fix's healthcare customers.
According to C. Scott Sykes, Jr., SureQuest's Chairman and President, "This is a significant development for our Company. Quick-to-Fix is a leading manufacturer in the prepared foods industry. We will help position them to meet the growing needs of the healthcare industry. Our cooperation should translate into significant growth opportunities for SureQuest."
Rock Moen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Quik-to-Fix added, "We are confident that the enhanced nutritional analysis and innovation that will result from our work with SureQuest will have both immediate and longer term application well beyond the healthcare market for our customers. The increasing emphasis on child nutrition in school foodservice is just one example of another market segment where the combination of SureQuest's expertise and Quik-to-Fix's innovation can help support our customer base. This agreement with SureQuest is going to provide a major advantage for every Quik-to-Fix customer in the healthcare field."
About Quik-to-Fix Foods:
With annual sales well over $100 million, Quik-to-Fix offers a wide range of value added, center-of-the-plate products. Quik-to-Fix's product portfolio currently includes entrees, appetizers and other protein products, all designed to help customers cope with the skilled labor shortage in both commercial and on-sight operations. The Quik-to-Fix market basket includes fully cooked and ready-to-cook breakfast sausages, its market leading country fried steak products and the popular Pub Burger(tm) family, Original Pub Chili, as well as other fully-prepared beef, chicken and pork products. The Quik-to-Fix brand is a part of the growing line of premium quality Smithfield brand names that includes Smithfield, Patrick Cudahy, John Morrell and a number of private label products for major chains and food distributors.
About SureQuest Systems, Inc.:
SureQuest Systems, Inc., founded in 1984, provides software solutions and menu management services to a variety of institutional food service clients in North America. Today, SureQuest leads the healthcare and food services industry as a total solutions provider, offering a suite of Windows(r) and DOS software products, menu services and other dietary management solutions. SureQuest products and services enhance efficiencies, productivity and profitability while dramatically increasing levels of dietary care. The company's dietary solutions are currently being used by over 1,000 healthcare organizations in the United States and Canada, and are rapidly growing private label solutions for some of the largest food distributors in North America.
SureQuest's Three Squares(r) Nutrition and Food Service Management Software allows hospitals and long-term care facilities to create facility and resident menus, track resident specific information as well as monitor and analyze over 50 nutrients and caloric content in the foods that people are served. Three Squares is able to use branded food items and precisely forecast food purchases for an entire menu cycle. Facilities using the software know exactly how much they will spend during a specific time period and what foods to buy. Facilities can choose menu items that meet each resident's specific dietary needs, all within budgetary constraints. The software reduces both labor and food costs translating into more efficient operations and increased customer satisfaction.
The statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be statements regarding the Company's future that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. For example, statements that describe the Company's hopes, plans, objectives, goals, intentions or expectations are all forward looking statements. Any such statements made herein about the Company's future are only made as of the date of this news release. Numerous factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, may affect actual results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
For further information regarding SureQuest, please contact: Focus Partners LLC David Zazoff 212-752-9445 suqu@focuspartners.com For more information on Quik-to-Fix contact: Rock Moen or Don Petersen Quik-to-Fix Foods Esrock Partners Phone: (972) 487-3805 Phone: (708) 349-8400 Fax: (972) 487-3897 Fax: (708) 349-8471 rmoen@qtffoods.com dpeter@esrock.com