"WaterSavers...recognizes those that put in a great effort to save and conserve water. By joining this program, we've demonstrated we're a good steward of the land," said John Crowe, carwash category executive [image-nocss] at Cary, N.C.-based The Pantry, which has more than 50 locations in the program. "The Pantry falls in line with some of the biggest carwash organizations around. It's a competitive disadvantage not to be involved in this program."
Launched at Car Care World Expo 2009, WaterSavers was developed to help professional car washes educate consumers on the environmental benefits of professional car washing, and to promote their location as an environmentally friendly business. To become a participant of WaterSavers, car wash locations must prove that they reclaim or recycle treated water for future wash cycles and discharge effluent to a sanitary sewer or leech field. Each car wash location must be able to verify that they meet these requirements and maintain verification records on each car wash site.
The program is open to all members of the International Carwash Association, a nonprofit trade association serving 3,000 businesses in the United States, Canada and overseas. Membership includes car wash operators, equipment manufacturers, distributors and related suppliers. Members represent approximately 25,000 car wash and car care locations in North America.
Headquartered in Cary, N.C., The Pantry is the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated c-store chains in the country. As of Dec. 2, 2009, the company operated 1,663 stores in 11 states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express, its primary operating banner.
Circle K is owned by Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates a network of 5,904 c-stores, 4,128 of which include motor fuel dispensing, located in 11 large geographic markets, including eight in the United States covering 43 states and the District of Columbia, and three in Canada covering all 10 provinces.
O'Hara, Pa.-based Giant Eagle Inc. is one of the nation's largest food retailers and food distributors with approximately $8 billion in annual sales. It has 160 corporate and 60 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 153 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.
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