Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards Presented to Kwik Trip, Inc and Iowa 80 Truckstop

Northey recognizes efforts by fuel marketers to offer and promote renewable fuels

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced that Kwik Trip, Inc. the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott are the 2018 winners of the Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing Awards.  The awards were created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to recognize fuel marketers that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote and sell renewable fuels.

“Kwik Trip and the Iowa 80 Truckstop have both made marketing renewable fuels a central part of the business and it is great to recognize the commitment and investment they have made to do it successfully,” Northey said.

The Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing Awards were designed to recognize businesses that market the renewable fuels they have available through creative efforts including, but not limited to: hosting special events highlighting their renewable fuels, development of creative signage, initiation of new advertisements or marketing efforts, and dramatically increase renewable fuel availability.

The winners were announced and recognized during the Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Stores of Iowa Annual Meeting in Des Moines on Jan. 9th.  The Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa (PMCI) is a non-profit state trade association serving the needs of independent petroleum marketers and convenience store owners throughout the state of Iowa.

“Fuel marketers allow customers to access ethanol and biodiesel blends produced right here in Iowa. Our state is a national leader in renewable fuels production, and we are very fortunate that many retailers are making significant investments to provide their customers with renewable fuels,” Northey said.

Ethanol
Kwik Trip, Inc, is winner of the 2018 Secretary’s Ethanol Marketing Award.  Kwik Trip, Inc. is headquartered in Lacrosse, Wisconsin and operates 86 stores in the state of Iowa, 69 of those locations sell fuel.  Kwik Trip, Inc. currently has 25 locations in the state of Iowa selling E15 and 25 locations selling E85. 

Kwik Trip, Inc. began its commitment to marketing high ethanol blends in 2003 when they began marketing E85.  In February of 2017, Kwik Trip, Inc. began marketing E15 at 4 of their locations.  Since February of 2017, Kwik Trip has rapidly expanded its investment into E15, offering E15 at over 300 locations.

In less than one-year, Kwik Trip, Inc. has become the nation’s leading offeror for E15.

Kwik Trip, Inc. believes E15 is a standard fuel and needs a consistent name, so customers will repeatedly associate the name with the fuel.  Kwik Trip, Inc. markets E15 under the grade name Unleaded 88. This new marketing has brought the highest adoption rate for sales of their Unleaded 88 product in Iowa surpassing the sales of similar offerings in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Along with their own successful marketing of E15, Kwik Trip believes that the state of Iowa’s leadership on ethanol paired with educational outreach directed at consumers has contributed greatly to the success of E15 sales in the state of Iowa.

Kwik Trip’s commitment to offer renewable fuels to Iowans is not limited to ethanol.  In 2016, Kwik Trip began selling biodiesel in all their diesel gallons marketed in the state.  Kwik Trip has also committed to future investments in renewable fuels.  This spring Kwik Trip plans to open a blending facility in Waterloo, Iowa that will create all blends of ethanol and biodiesel, ultimately to be marketed at its Iowa locations. 

Kwik Trip, Inc. was nominated for the award by the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa.

Biodiesel
Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott is the winner of the 2018 Secretary's Biodiesel Marketing Award. 

Iowa 80 Truckstop has offered biodiesel since 2002, which makes this the 15th anniversary of their program. The company received an Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program grant to install the necessary equipment to offer biodiesel, and the truck stop now offers between B11 and B20 blends throughout the year.

The company has long been a supporter of renewable fuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard. Most recently, company owner Delia Moon Meier published an op-ed in the Des Moines Register supporting biodiesel and the RFS. She said: “The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is important to Iowa. This program enables fuel retailers, including my truck stop on Interstate 80, to incorporate cleaner burning fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol into our fuel supply, and lowers prices at the pump and helps create jobs here in Iowa.”

Located on Interstate 80 about 10 miles west of Davenport, Iowa 80 Truckstop bills itself as “The World’s Largest Truckstop,” and is a prominent fueling location. Making biodiesel available at a prominent, well-known location boosts biodiesel’s exposure and credibility, particularly with truckers, an important market where acceptance is needed as biodiesel grows.

Iowa 80 Truckstop was nominated for the award by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

Renewable Fuels Industry Overview
Iowa leads the nation in the production of ethanol and biodiesel.  According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than 4 billion gallons annually, including nearly 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 350 million gallons annually.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program offers cost-share grants for the installation of E85 dispensers, blender pumps, biodiesel dispensers, and biodiesel storage facilities.  The grant program is managed by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and more information can be found on the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov