Being a family-owned company makes it easier to act in an environmentally responsible manner, says manager of sustainability for Kum & Go.
Kum & Go LLC was recently recognized by Metro Waste Authority as the large business winner of its annual Environmental Impact Awards, Business Record Online reported.
The c-store chain is among an increasing number of Central Iowa companies that are working toward making their operations greener. Kum & Go 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. From green store designs to smaller green projects, increasing efficiency is key, and those presenting initiatives for consideration must prove the cost effectiveness before projects are launched, Adam Hammes, Kum & Go’s manager of sustainability—a position started in 2010—told the Business Record Online.
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.”