The French institutional catering group SODEXHO ALLIANCE has bought the French company SOGERES (sales of EUR 284.4 million in the year 2000) and the US company WOOD DINING SERVICES (sales of US$ 454 million in 2000, active in a number of countries) for a total of EUR 526 million. SODEXHO has acquired 100% of WOOD DINING SERVICES and 60% of SOGERES from the company ALBERT ABELA CORPORATION, with the remaining 40% having been bought from PAI MANAGEMENT..