Ownership change ahead for local Noon's stores

The Daily Inter Lake

Two Noon's convenience stores in Kalispell are among the seven stores in Montana being sold by Hi-Noon Petroleum Inc. to CHS Inc.

The sale should be complete by Feb. 4.

The Kalispell stores, one located on East Idaho Street and the other at the intersection of First Avenue East and U.S. 93, will carry the Cenex energy brand and be operated by Kum & Go.

CHS Inc. is a diversified Fortune 500 company in energy, grains and foods that markets and distributes Cenex products. The transaction marked the expansion of CHS and Kum & Go in Montana. The two companies formed a management relationship in 2003 involving more than 30 Cenex convenience stores in five states.

Noon's employees will be able to apply for jobs at other Noon's locations or may apply with Kum & Go, according to a press release.

Cenex is the 13th-largest convenience store chain in the United States, according to the current Convenience Store News Top 100 List. The brand is one of the fastest-growing convenience store groups in North America, adding more than 100 locations in 2004.

Kum & Go, headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, began in 1959 in Hampton, Iowa, and has grown to more than 420 convenience stories in 13 states. In addition to a wide selection of products, Kum & Go provides customers a proprietary mix of products under the Hiland brand name - gourmet coffee, water, beef jerky, potato chips, sandwiches and snack nuts.

Chris Goodman, president of Missoula-based Hi-Noon Petroleum, said the sale of the selected stores will allow Hi-Noon Petroleum to expand its core businesses and pursue opportunities to diversify holdings.

Hi-Noon Petroleum will continue to operate 11 Noon's Food Stores across Montana.