Who We Are: Kum & Go, From Hampton, Iowa
Kum & Go started in a small Iowa town and grew to about 400 stores in 13 states. Here's where we come from, and how a red oval sign ended up on merch you can wear.
Where did Kum & Go start?
Hampton, Iowa, 1959. William A. Krause and Tony S. Gentle founded the company as the Hampton Oil Company. It sold fuel first; the first convenience stores followed in 1963.
When did the name arrive?
In 1975. That's the year the company took the Kum & Go name, the one that ended up on the red oval signs above our stores.
Where is home?
Iowa, all the way. The company moved its headquarters from Hampton to West Des Moines in 1988, and in 2018 to the Krause Gateway Center in downtown Des Moines.
Who ran it?
The Krause family. Kum & Go was a family business for decades. Kyle Krause served as chairman and CEO, and Tanner Krause became president in June 2018.
What does that have to do with merch?
Everything on our designs comes from that history:
- The red oval: the sign you'd spot from the highway, with the white K&G letters at its heart.
- The arrow sign: a retro "Kum & Go" mark with a big arrow pointing the way in.
- The old station: a hand-drawn gas station with vintage pumps, under that same arrow sign.
Each one comes on tees, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies, with kids' and youth sizes too. Read more about each one in the signs behind our designs.