WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Kum & Go LLC was recently recognized by Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, Iowa, as the large business winner of its annual Environmental Impact Award, reported a cover story in The Business Record.
The retailer is among an increasing number of central Iowa companies that are making significant strides in greening their operations, the agency said. The company has made top-to-bottom changes both within its 11-state chain of convenience stores as well as at its corporate offices in West Des Moines.
Whether a big idea like a green store design or a small green project, increasing efficiency is an important part of each project. Proponents of each initiative must present a business case proving its cost effectiveness before it is launched, according to Adam Hammes, Kum & Go's 2010 as its manager of sustainability.
In most cases, upfront investment in well-conceived green design, though more costly in the short term, makes sense over time, Hammes said.
"It's more expensive to do that kind of store design, so we budget for that and just know that it's an investment in our environmental/sustainability effort," he said. "A lot of times, convenience stores dabble in environmental stewardship and sustainability, but after they see what the cost is, they scale right back. We're in it for the long haul."
It's not just the new stores that benefit. Green innovations made in the newest locations later become retrofit changes to the older stores, said the report.
Companies have a wide variety of environmentally responsible initiatives available to them, many of which require only minimal expenditures of time or resources, Michael Andresen, an architect with RDG Planning & Design, told the publication.
For Kum & Go, being a family-owned company makes it easier to act in an environmentally responsible manner, Hammes said. "We have a lot of investment not only in the company but in Des Moines and the communities we're in, so we can think a little long-term versus with public companies, [where] there's a tendency to do quarterly reporting and that's what drives things," he said.
More executives believe that greater corporate sustainability leads to increased profits, studies by global consulting firm KPMG LLP indicate, the Business Record added. In a report released earlier this year, 48% of executives surveyed said that implementing sustainability strategies would boost the bottom line, compared with 31% in 2008.
"The benefits often flow to the bottom line, as the search for new efficiencies cuts costs," KPMG researchers said in the report. "But they can also boost revenues by creating markets for new products and services. In both cases, sustainability strategies are triggering promising innovations."
Another national research study, this one by the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation, found that 68% of companies were engaged in some form of sustainable workplace practices. Respondents said the top five positive outcomes from sustainability initiatives were improved employee morale, more efficient business processes, stronger public image, increased employee loyalty and better brand recognition.
On the flip side, 28% of respondents said they were not engaged in any type of sustainability initiatives. The top obstacles preventing organizations from launching sustainable workplace practices were costs of launching, difficulty measuring return on investment, lack of support from organization's leaders, costs of maintaining programs and lack of internal capacity or knowledge.
West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go has more than 400 convenience 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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