Lipsey Water Launches FEMA Water Network

B2B Technologies Helps Lipsey Maintain Nation’s Emergency Water Supply

ATLANTA (Sept 3, 2003) – Lipsey Mountain Spring Water recently launched the FEMA Water Network, a Web-based supply chain management system built by B2B Technologies. Lipsey was selected by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be the sole supplier of bottled water during any federally declared disaster in the United States over the next five years. Lipsey contracted with B2B Technologies, an IT consulting and application development firm specializing in supply chain integration solutions, to build an on-line system to manage the sourcing and delivery of water through a nation-wide network of water suppliers during these emergencies.

“We needed to very rapidly develop a proof of concept and then immediately follow that with a production-ready system. B2B jumped right in and delivered on-time and on-budget and well beyond our expectations,” said Joe Lipsey II, CEO of Lipsey Mountain Water. “The system is essential to me for managing purchasing, logistics and delivery. It considers both product costs and transportation costs, so that I can quickly make the most profitable sourcing decisions. Nothing else like it exists in our industry.”

The FEMA Water Network system is a secure extranet that helps Lipsey collaborate on plans and schedules with its supplier network, which consists of 50 different bottling plants around the US. The system also includes tools to communicate logistics and delivery information to emergency management officials during a disaster. In an upcoming release the system will be integrated with the Flex Global View system from UPS Supply Chain Solutions, which is responsible for transportation management.

“Lipsey has the tremendous responsibility of ensuring the supply of water to any community anywhere in the United States during a disaster,” said Frank Fuerst, President of B2B Technologies. “This creates a significant supply chain challenge. The supply network needs to go from zero to full capacity in just a few hours. The FEMA Water Network system is the core tool to help make this happen.”

About the Companies

Lipsey Mountain Spring Water is the leading supplier of premium bottled water for residential and commercial use in the Southeast. Founded in 1990 by Joe Lipsey III, Lipsey Mountain Spring Water controls its complete supply chain, from its source in the North Carolina Mountains through bottling and delivery. Lipsey uses only glass containers, ensuring the highest quality and purity of its premium product.

B2B Technologies specializes in delivering software and Web applications that connect businesses to their customers, suppliers, and employees. Clients have improved communication, streamlined business processes and increased efficiency by deploying systems designed and built by B2B Technologies. Building award-winning e-commerce applications since 1995, the B2B Technologies team focuses on delivering innovative software solutions that leverage the latest advances in Microsoft technology. B2B Technologies is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for E-Commerce and a Gold Level UPS Service Provider. You will find their Web site at www.b2btech.com.