Plaid Pantry, Kum & Go Make Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Cos.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- For the third year in a row, Kum & Go LLC made the Inc. 5000 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, the company announced. The c-store chain jumped nearly 200 spots from last year to rank at No. 4,372 on the 2011 list. Fellow convenience chain Plaid Pantry made its first appearance on the list, narrowly edging out Kum & Go at No. 4,288.

"We are excited to be selected to the Inc. 5000 for the third straight year," said Kum & Go President and CEO Kyle J. Krause. "Our continued success and growth is directly attributed to our dedicated associates and loyal customers."

Kum & Go employs approximately 4,000 associates at more than 400 stores in 11 states. The chain recently began to expand its presence in central Arkansas, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Plaid Pantry employs approximately 750 employees at 104 stores in Oregon and Washington, according to its website. The Inc. 5000 annual list is based on percentage of increase in revenue over the previous three years for private companies that have been active for a minimum of four years.

Kum & Go generated $2.1 billion in revenue during 2010 and saw three-year revenue growth of 21 percent, according to Inc.com. The smaller Plaid Pantry generated $191.8 million in revenue during 2010, but saw three-year revenue growth of 24 percent, the report stated.