Aramark, an American food service, facilities, and uniform services provider, acquired Avendra, the leading North American hospitality procurement services provider, from Marriott International, Hyatt, Accor, ClubCorp and IHG for $1.3bn. Wolfram Schaefer, Avendra’s President and CEO, said: “We are very enthusiastic about this evolution for Avendra. We think the combination of Avendra and Aramark, a company admired and respected around the world, will bring additional value to both our customers and supplier partners. Our process for creating valuable contracts and providing hospitality expertise will only get stronger and our commitment to world-class customer service will continue to be the foundation for all we do.”