Circle K’s success in the convenience retailing industry spans more than 50 years. Our roots trace back to 1951 when Fred Hervey purchased three Kay’s Food Stores in El Paso, Texas. Little did anyone know that these stores would serve as the beginning of Circle K – one of the nation’s leading convenience store chains. 2003 Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. acquired The Circle K Corporation. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In North America, Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator (whether integrated with a petroleum company or not) in terms of number of company-operated stores. Welcoming some 25 million visitors every week, its stores offer a broad mix of food products, beverages, other merchandise and services and motor fuel. Grouped under three main brands: Couche-Tard, Mac’s and Circle K, its neighbourhood stores feature a friendly modern setting, and most of them are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Couche-Tard operates a network of 5,878 convenience stores, 4,146 of which include motor fuel dispensing, located in 11 large geographic markets, including eight in the United States covering 43 states and the District of Columbia, and three in Canada covering all ten provinces. More than 53,000 people are employed throughout Couche-Tard’s retail convenience network and service centers. Specialties Operator of convenience stores offering a range of food products, beverages, other merchandise and services and motor fuel. Operating in ten Canadian provinces and 43 US states and with licenses in seven other worldwide regions.