LONDON (05/05/2000) - Five U.S.-based home builders are joining forces to create a global online exchange in partnership with database vendor Oracle Corp. and venture capital fund Encore Venture Partners LP , the companies announced yesterday.
Called HomebuildersXchange, the business-to-business (B2B) exchange is scheduled to be launched in this year's third quarter. It will be designed for the procurement of labor and materials needed for home building by the founding partners, other home builders, trade contractors, distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers, the companies said in a statement.
The founding home building companies are Centex Corp., D.R. Horton Inc., Kaufman and Broad Home Corp., Lennar Corp. and Pulte Corp.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The companies are looking to streamline the supply chain in the U.S. home building industry, which although valued at US$200 billion is a highly fragmented market, the companies said.
Oracle will provide the technology, functionality and hosting platform for HomebuildersXchange, according to the statement.
Since the beginning of the year, Oracle has announced its involvement in several other B2B marketplaces, including the Global Transport eXchange (GTX) which will serve the transportation services industry, and the GlobalNetXchange, a retail marketplace.
Oracle is also partnering with Chevron Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. subsidiary McLane Co. to form an Internet purchasing exchange for convenience stores. Called the RetailersMarketXchange.com., it will target the US$200 billion convenience store and small business retailers marketplace in the U.S.
[See "Oracle, Chevron and McLane Form Internet Exchange," March 8.]All of the planned B2B online exchanges are scheduled to launch during the third quarter.
Oracle, in Redwood Shores, California, can be reached at +1-650-506-7000, or via the Web at http://www.oracle.com/.