CHS Inc. said today it reached a deal to acquire 33 Zip Trip convenience stores in the Spokane, Wash. area, owned in part by Jopo Inc. and Jo-By Enterprises LLC. Financial terms were not disclosed.
All of the units will be rebranded under the Cenex retail brand this summer. The purchase will make Spokane the largest single metropolitan market for Cenex convenience stores in the U.S. There currently are six Cenex retail locations in Spokane operated by an independent dealer. CHS also plans to retain the existing Zip Trip store management and retail staff.
"We have a long history of serving Pacific Northwest consumers with Cenex-branded retail facilities and products and look forward to expanding in the Spokane market," said Don Olson, senior vice president of refined fuels St. Paul, Minn.-based CHS. "The proximity to our Laurel, Mont. refinery allows us to efficiently provide reliable supplies of quality gasoline and diesel fuel to these retail locations."
There currently are 1,600 Cenex-branded retail operations in the U.S., including 800 convenience stores most of which are operated by cooperatives and independent retailers.