DHL Wins New Agreement With North American Volunteer Blood Program Network

Plantation, Fla. -- July 19, 2006
Group Services for America’s Blood Centers Signs with DHL for Urgent, Same Day Blood Orders

DHL, the world’s leading global express delivery and logistics company, today announced a new agreement with Group Services for America’s Blood Centers as the ’Preferred Carrier’ for America’s Blood Centers (ABC), North America’s largest network of community-based blood programs. Under the new three-year agreement, DHL will provide its Same Day services for the transportation of time-sensitive blood and blood components to ABC’s network of members.

America’s Blood Centers provides half of the United States volunteer blood supply, in association with 77 blood centers that operate at more than 600 collection sites in the U.S. and Canada. These blood centers serve more than 180 million people and provide blood products and services to more than 4,200 hospitals and health care facilities across North America. Over the past five years, DHL has provided its expedited, Same Day delivery service for several ABC member blood centers. Under the new agreement, DHL will have the potential to provide the entire ABC network same day services for delivery of blood and blood components to hospitals and transfusion therapists for both scheduled and emergency orders.

DHL Same Day service provides same-day delivery for time-sensitive domestic shipments via ground transportation and next-flight-out service, and on chartered flights for special needs. For members of America’s Blood Centers, DHL will expedite these time sensitive shipments through next available commercial flights and the DHL courier network. Complete shipment visibility and history will enable both the blood centers and receiving hospitals to monitor the progress of each shipment, as well as the next available flights directly from a desktop.

“We have found that DHL’s network, flexibility, global coverage and use of commercial airlines provides us with very reliable service to preserve the integrity of these blood shipments,” said Jerry Haarmann, President of Group Services for America’s Blood Centers. “DHL gives our member network the visibility we need to anticipate the delivery of each blood shipment, so that when the shipment arrives at the proper location it can be used immediately or stored.” DHL will also ship platelets that have a three-to-five day shelf life and require the greatest care and urgency. In incidences of inclement weather, DHL Same Day has contingency operations to reroute shipments to the next closest city.

“When the next day is too late, organizations like America’s Blood Centers can rely on DHL for its expansive courier network, relationships with commercial carriers, and technology solutions to ensure time-critical, sensitive shipments are handled with the utmost care and urgency,” said Chip Ponton, Vice President and General Manager of DHL Same Day. “We view our work with ABC as a close partnership for distributing this precious, life saving and life giving product to the institutions and people who need it the most.”

About GSABC
Group Services for America’s Blood Centers is a cooperative wholly owned by ABC, providing group purchasing enterprise expertise and resource sharing services to ABC members.

About DHL
At DHL, Customer Service is back in shipping. Our mission is to provide the most flexible, personable and enjoyable experience in the shipping industry for our customers.

DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in same day, express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, and contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL’s international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide with over 285,000 employees dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers’ expectations.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. For more information on DHL, please visit www.dhl.com

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