Kum & Go LC

In 1959, W.A. “Bill” Krause and T.S. Gentle formed a partnership and created the beginnings of the now large convenience-store chain Kum & Go. The two, a father-in-law and son-in-law, created Hampton Oil Co. in Hampton, Iowa, which soon became the Krause Gentle Corp., and later Kum & Go LC.

Most recently, the chain announced its fourth-generation successor in Tanner Krause, who will be the company’s new president as of June 1, 2018. He replaces his father, Kyle Krause, who will take on the role of chairman and CEO. Riding on the wave of transition, the company is scheduled to move into its new Des Moines, Iowa, headquarters in October 2018.

In terms of its daily operations, Kum & Go is a fast-growing convenience chain with plans for ongoing expansion. It recently debuted a store prototype that underscores its new brand tagline, “Where & means more,” prominently featuring the ampersand symbol. The “&” and the word “more” represent a food-forward, eco-friendly store with nods to the community, the company said.

The chain has offered biofuel to customers since 1997 to meet customer demand. Kum & Go is the largest E85 retailer in the state of Iowa, and it sells E85 in seven other states. The chain also provides B2 biodiesel, a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources; and a 10% ethanol blend.

Source: Convenience Digital Resource Library, Technomic. For benchmarking purposes, store counts are year-end 2017.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Hoherd.