Fuels

EnergyPlus24 Rebrands as CountryMark

Coop wants to expand image beyond just agricultural services, play up energy, biofuel

INDIANAPOLIS -- Customers of EnergyPlus24 retail fuel stations will soon see a change as the facilities are rebranded with the CountryMark name and image. The look has been updated to reflect the station's identity as a CountryMark fuel station.

The 90 fuel stations across Indiana, Ohio and Michigan will continue to have fuel available 24 hours, and many also offer convenience store products and services. The stations are operated by 21 independent local cooperatives, all of which are based in Indiana.

Petroleum tank wagon delivery [image-nocss] trucks and all 90 EnergyPlus24 locations will be rebranded with the new look throughout 2007. The first station to receive the new CountryMark look is located in Noblesville, Ind. Owned and operated by Hamilton County Co-op, this station also features an E85 pump and the nation's first soy biodiesel blender pump, which allows customers to choose the blend of American-made soy biodiesel they will purchase up to a 20% blend.

"CountryMark fuel stations will still provide the high-quality products and valued services that customers have trusted for more than 20 years," said Tim Maddox, CountryMark retail manager.

The company has issued nearly 90,000 of its fuel cards to be used at the fuel stations, and Maddox estimates that more than 10,000 people fuel up at CountryMark fuel stations per day.

Also, CountryMark has announced a statewide campaign to help communicate and reinforce the company's status as an American oil company and a leader in biofuel distribution.

Reducing our nation's dependency on foreign oil is a hot topic from Indiana family kitchens to the Oval Office, said Charlie Smith, CountryMark CEO. We are proud to do our part as we refine American crude oil and invest in crop-based, alternative fuels.

For many years, CountryMark has used the familiar co-op circle logo, which many customers relate to a broader agricultural supply company; however, CountryMark said it has has evolved into an innovative company focused only on energy products. The new brand logo and look, unveiled in Noblesville, is designed to communicate to all Indiana customers, including farms, businesses and residents, that CountryMark is focused on fuel.

CountryMark fuels currently power approximately 65% to 70% of Indiana's farms and roughly half of the state's school buses, the company said.

We are renewing our commitment to fueling Indiana with high-quality energy products that help support our country's energy independence now and into the future, added Smith. Our new logo better reflects who we are today as a company.

And earlier this week at its annual meeting, CountryMark announced new investments in its refining and distribution operations, and it distributed record patronage to its cooperative members. Smith said the company plans to continue to upgrade and expand facilities, continue its dedicated commitment to alternative fuels and to explore opportunities that will ensure the continued growth of environmentally friendly and renewable resources.

Based in Indianapolis, CountryMark is Indiana's only American-owned oil refining and marketing company and it is recognized as a nationwide leader in the distribution of biofuels such as soy biodiesel and ethanol. In addition to its corporate offices in Indianapolis, it operates a refinery in Mount Vernon, Ind., and terminal locations in Mount Vernon, Switz City, Jolietville, and Peru, Ind. It also distributes fuel through leased space at a fuel terminal facility in Cincinnati, Ohio; 21 individual branded cooperatives distribute CountryMark fuel to every county in Indiana. Also, these 21 co-ops operate 90 fuel stations located primarily in Indiana, but also in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.

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