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Kum & Go to Break Ground on First LEED® Convenience Store The Johnston, Iowa store will seek LEED certification upon completion (West Des Moines, Iowa — August 29, 2008) Kum & Go, L.C., is breaking ground on a new environmentally friendly convenience store in Johnston, Iowa. The new store will be the first LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) store for Kum & Go, and the first LEED convenience store in the Midwest. The official ground breaking is at 2 p.m. on September 3, 2008 at 5800 Northglenn Drive, Johnston, Iowa 50131. "Our opinion on a LEED certified building is that it makes sense for Kum & Go on several levels," said Kyle J. Krause, Kum & Go president and CEO. "We have been supplying ethanol for over 30 years, and in 1997, we were a pioneer in introducing E85 to the marketplace. LEED is one more step we're taking as an organization to adopt more environmentally responsible practices for our customers, our business, our local community and the environment." The LEED certification process extends beyond the store construction. Once the store is constructed, Kum & Go will file for registration with the U.S. Green Building Council. The Council will rate the store on a number of categories, including water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design. “Earlier this year we realized that the stores we were building were very close to the LEED requirements, so working for LEED certification is really a natural progression of our work over the past couple of years,” said John Feldman, Vice President of Construction for Kum & Go. “Kum & Go works daily to enhance the energy efficiency of our new store construction. We believe the small changes we’re making in our construction process will help us to obtain LEED certification.” As part of Kum & Go’s commitment to developing environmentally friendly building and operating practices, most new stores integrate heavily insulated glass; LED cooler door lights; sun reflecting roofs; use of local materials; and energy-efficient heating, air condition and refrigeration systems into its energy-efficient design. Additional measures for LEED certification include providing alternative transportation options (electronic vehicle charging and carpool/van parking), construction waste management, 30% water use reduction and use of materials that do not emit solvent vapors and other harmful chemicals into the store environment. Once certified, Kum & Go would be the only convenience retailer in the Midwest with a LEED certification. While the company expects for some additional up-front costs in materials, and the construction and LEED registration processes, Krause believes the investment will quickly be returned with reduced utility and water consumption. The Kum & Go store at 5800 Northglenn Drive in Johnston, Iowa will serve as the pilot for future LEED builds. Construction is scheduled to be completed in early December. About LEED The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. About Kum & Go, L.C. Founded on exceptional customer service, Kum & Go is a pioneer in the convenience store industry. The family-owned company began in 1959 in Hampton, Iowa, and has grown to more than 430 convenience stores in 12 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin). Thanks to the efforts of its more than 3,600 associates, Kum & Go convenience stores continue to lead the industry in customer service and convenience. In addition to a wide selection of products, Kum & Go provides customers a proprietary mix of products under the well-known Hiland brand name. Other proprietary product offerings include Java Ridge Premium Coffee, Napa Creek and Sea Ridge wines, Go Fresh Market sandwiches, Nuclear energy drinks and Nutri2O nutraceutical waters. Kum & Go has maintained 49 years of dedicated community commitment, each year returning at least 10 percent of its profits to the communities it serves. Kum & Go is the 21st largest convenience store chain in the United States. For more information about Kum & Go, visit www.kumandgo.com.
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