WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Kum & Go LC, one of the nation's largest independent convenience store chains, is entering the Colorado Springs, Colo., and Pikes Peak region with a multi-million dollar expansion. Kum & Go president and CEO Kyle J. Krause shared that the company will be investing $70 million to $80 million and building 20 to 25 stores within the next five years, creating approximately 150 new jobs by the end of 2013 within the Pikes Peak region.
"Expanding into the Colorado Springs area made perfect sense to us," Krause said. "We could see that this community is poised for future growth and have thoroughly enjoyed our presence in the Front Range and western Colorado."
He added, "We also were impressed with the strong sense of family and core values that clearly resonates throughout this area. Whenever we visited Colorado Springs, the friendliness of local residents as well as the professionalism of the business leaders and elected officials was visible to us from day one."
Kum & Go plans to break ground early in the first quarter of 2012 on its first Colorado Springs store. Other ground-breakings will take place throughout 2012, it said.
According to Krause, Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region was selected from among a highly competitive group of 85 metropolitan statistical areas in 16 states. Kum & Go is no stranger to Colorado, said the company--it first came to the state after acquiring a handful of stores in 1998. Currently, Kum & Go has 39 locations in Colorado and employs more than 370 associates in 15 counties.
Watch for the January 2012 CSP magazine cover feature on Kum & Go, or click here.
Family-owned Kum & Go began in 1959, in Hampton, Iowa, and has grown to more than 400 c- stores in 11 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming). In addition to a wide selection of products, Kum & Go provides customers a proprietary mix of products under the Hiland brand. Other proprietary product offerings include Java Ridge Premium Coffee, Napa Creek and Sea Ridge wines, Go Fresh Market sandwiches and Nuclear energy drinks.
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