LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Corporate Express, Inc., a Buhrmann company (NYSE:BUH), the world's largest business-to-business supplier of essential office and computer products and services, and PurchasePro (Nasdaq:PPRO), today announced a broad strategic alliance that includes the purchase of a PurchasePro e-marketplace software license, a preferred supplier product listing throughout the PurchasePro Commerce Network and joint sales and marketing activities between the corporations.
"Corporate Express' relationship with PurchasePro offers our customers another avenue to do business with us and positions us to continue to grow revenue in business sectors above and beyond our traditional model," said Mark Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of Corporate Express. "PurchasePro's procurement solution and marketing approach, combined with Corporate Express' B2B expertise, extensive distribution network and global capabilities, will be of great value to our combined customer base."
PurchasePro's e-MarketMaker software enables Corporate Express to aggregate its business customers into an e-procurement application, while simultaneously providing its clients with a vehicle to buy and sell its products and services nationwide. The new Corporate Express marketplace, which is expected to be operational later this year, provides the international company with an immediate and strengthened presence in the e-commerce industry, supplementing Corporate Express' own proprietary e-commerce site, E-Way.
With more than $290 million flowing over the PurchasePro network in the third quarter alone, Corporate Express expects the PurchasePro Commerce Network to add a significant distribution channel for the company. Corporate Express generated $466 million in online revenue for 2000, a 395 percent increase over 1999, and 2001 online sales are expected to be approximately $750 million and more than $1 billion in 2002.
"Corporate Express' preferred status further validates the strength of the companies on our network," said Chris Benyo, senior vice president for PurchasePro. "Virtually every company in our commerce network has a need for office and computer products. Corporate Express' experience in the B2B industry will prove invaluable to PurchasePro and this strategic alliance. We believe that Corporate Express is the preeminent corporation in its space and that our marketplace members will benefit from their products."
In addition to its marketplace license, Corporate Express has signed an agreement to become the preferred supplier of office products to hundreds of thousands of businesses throughout the PurchasePro Commerce Network. Under the terms of the contract, the companies will also participate in joint sales and marketing activities and expect to reach an additional 2.6 million customers a month through interactive and educational newsletters and e-mail and Internet advertising campaigns. Corporate Express will also provide companies throughout the PurchasePro network with "Hot Deals" and other promotional initiatives.
About Corporate Express
Corporate Express, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Buhrmann, NV (AEX:BUHR) (NYSE:BUH), an international business services and distribution group. Buhrmann is the world's major supplier of office products, paper and graphic systems for the business market. Corporate Express' product offering includes office and computer supplies, imaging and computer graphics supplies, office furniture, document and print management, desktop software, promotional products, and other similar products. Corporate Express has operations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Corporate Express' North American operations have over 300 facilities, including 54 distribution centers, and employs 15,000 people. The company's Web site address is www.corporateexpress.com.
About PurchasePro
PurchasePro(r), www.purchasepro.com, is a B2B e-commerce leader with the stated goal of providing software to enable enterprises of all sizes to gain universal access to the world's largest commerce network. The PurchasePro commerce network comprises more than 300,000 businesses, authorized to buy and sell, and powers hundreds of private-label marketplaces. PurchasePro provides the following B2B e-commerce solutions: e-Procurement for enterprise-wide procurement; e-Source for strategic sourcing, v-Distributor for online distributors; and e-MarketMaker for Internet market makers.
This news release may include forward-looking statements, which are subject to the "Safe Harbor" created by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that can cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent only the views of certain members of management and are based on limited information available to us now, which is subject to change. We have no current plan to update these statements. Actual results may differ substantially from what we say today and no one should assume at a later date that the forward-looking statements provided herein are still valid. They speak only as of today.
For more information about these risks and uncertainties, see the SEC filings of PurchasePro.com, Inc., including the section titled "Factors That May Affect Results" in its 10-K filing for the period ended December 31, 2000, and its 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001, which are available from the company on request and on the Internet at the SEC's Website, www.sec.gov. Note: PurchasePro is a service mark of PurchasePro.com Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.