(West Des Moines, Iowa — December 24, 2008) On Tuesday, December 23, Kum & Go, L.C., opened the second anticipated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) convenience store in Iowa. The 3,400-square-foot store, with an adjacent 1,700-square-foot tenant space available for lease, took only 92 days to construct and is located at I-235 and Guthrie Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa.
“We’re excited to offer our second LEED store to the residents of Iowa,” said Kyle Krause, Kum & Go president and CEO. “We have a long history with businesses and patrons within the community and hope to continue that partnership. We appreciate the business Iowa has given us for almost 50 years, and we will continue to provide superior service in environmentally friendly buildings.”
Kum & Go has filed for registration with the U.S. Green Building Council and expects to obtain LEED certification within six months. 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.
The new store features 20fueling stations, offering unleaded, super unleaded, premium, diesel and E85 fuels. E85 is an alternative motor fuel mixture of about 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. It is an environmentally friendly fuel that can only be used in flex-fuel vehicles with engines modified to accept higher concentrations of ethanol. Kum & Go has offered E85 since 1997 and currently offers E85 at 39 of its stores located across nine states.
As part of Kum & Go’s commitment to developing environmentally friendly building and operating practices, the majority of new stores are constructed using local building materials, and are equipped with heavily insulated glass, LED cooler door lights, sun reflecting roofs and energy-efficient heating/air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Additional measures for LEED® certification include providing alternative transportation options such as 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 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.
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 431 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 50 years of dedicated community commitment, each year returning at least 10 percent of its profits to the communities it serves. Kum & Go is the 5th largest privately-held convenience store chain in the United States. For more information about Kum & Go, visit www.kumandgo.com.
