Hi there,
Below, a media release for your attention.
This is especially interesting due to:
- The current economic climate will drive companies to streamline business – Plusto.com will allow companies to significantly cut down on marketing and administration spend.

- It is the only company of its kind.

- It is a business-to-business solution – and the global b2b market is set to increase from $1.2 trillion to $16 trillion by 2010.

In comparison, the business-to-consumer (eBay, etc) market is expected to grow from $164 billion to $320 billion by 2010.
PLEASE NOTE: A separate release is attached, it is titled: South African companies losing ZAR300 million a week from excess inventories.


ALSO: I have a complete media kit which I will send if you would like extra information, including management bios and a view of the workings of the website.


The CEO is in Johannesburg today, and is available for interviews.

Please let me know and I will set it up for you.
South Africa News release 20 October 2008
NEW ONLINE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL TRADING PLATFORM TO REVOLUTIONISE GLOBAL TRADE
Plusto.com, a global commercial and industrial trading platform that will introduce revolutionary new trading methods in areas of B2B e-commerce, was launched today.

The site will create opportunities for companies to manage their inventories more effectively, reduce costs, open new markets and find new suppliers.
Plusto.com is the brainchild of Adriaan Gie, the founding member of South Africa’s second biggest property portal SAHometraders.co.za, who says
“The E-commerce sector has seen a boom over the last decade but B2B commerce has not yet taken off in the way that B2C commerce has done.

This has been because most B2B sites fail to provide the scale of information, levels of security and functionality required to operate at a global level.

We believe that Plusto achieves this and will provide companies with significant cost and growth benefits particularly in the current economic environment.”
The key features of plusto.com are as follows:
1. The ‘+’ Factor.

A unique system where users are automatically networked with companies that supply or consume relevant products or services (‘Inputs & Outputs’), across 7500 company types. 2. Monthly Industry Auctions 3. A unique cataloguing system covering 30 different industries and 49,000 product categories 4. Industry Partnerships across all 30 sectors to ensure that functionality matches the needs of users 5. State of the art technology and security 6. The ability for users to create individual storefronts 7. CargoKey™, the world’s first global freighting calculator which allows companies to obtain complete cross border freight quotations, including all relevant duties 8. MyPlusto allows individual companies to manage their trading activities in one place 9. Ability to obtain samples from potential trading partners 10. A wide variety of ways to transact, including Auctions, ‘Buy it Now’ listings, classified ads and requests for quotes. 11. Plusto can operate on a global scale with both language and currency functionality 12. Verification and Feedback system allows users to make an informed decision about the supplier or buyer they’re dealing with.
Plusto.com will operate through regular monthly auctions across all of its subsectors which will be rolled out over the next three months.

The first of these auctions, in the textiles, chemicals, electronics, agriculture and office equipment industries will commence on 10 November 2008.

Companies wishing to participate in the auctions, either as a buyer or a seller, need only to register on the site in advance of the auction (registration and item listings are free).

As with traditional auctions, Plusto will charge a commission on final transactions.

Companies that register and list products and/or services before the end of 2008, will receive a €1000.00 on their accounts to offset any transaction fees as a special introductory offer.
Adriaan Gie added, “In the long term, Plusto has a great role to play in the growth of world commerce.

In the short term, as the credit crunch evolves into a cash crunch, there is a specific benefit for companies looking to minimize their working capital requirements.

Our research shows that in 2007 the top 150 companies on the JSE carried daily excess inventories totalling ZAR 119 billion rand costing them a potential ZAR 280 million a week or ZAR 14.6 billion a year in interest payments.

Those sort of levels might be viable in an environment of strong economic growth and easy access to capital, but with most forecasts now pointing to a significant global economic slowdown combined with tight credit conditions, companies are going to have to find ways to extract as much cash as possible from their operations.”
Plusto offers users access to new markets and the means to liquidate this surplus stock.
For further information:
For further information, please contact
Plusto
Adriaan Gie, CEO of Plusto.com 082 331 6689 FD Beachhead Jean Dennis 083 500 5302 or 021 487 9000 / Dani Cohen 082 897 0443 or 021 487 9000 /
Regards, Sandra
Sandra Sampayo Account Director Cape Town FD 6th Floor 125 Buitengracht Street Cape Town, 8001 T +27 21 487 9016 F +27 21 4260582 M +27 79 167 6863 www.fd.com