TORONTO, April 6 /CNW/ - Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (CTC, CTC.a) today announced an agreement to build and operate gas bars and convenience stores at 23 state-of-the-art service centres being redeveloped along Highways 400 and 401. The new service centres will provide travellers with modern and accessible facilities for fuelling, shopping, resting and quick service dining.
Under an agreement with the Province of Ontario, the centres will be redeveloped and operated by Host Kilmer Service Centres (Host Kilmer); Host Kilmer has in turn chosen Canadian Tire as the petroleum and associated convenience store partner for all 23 locations.
"Automotive is a key differentiator for Canadian Tire and a competitive advantage," said Michael Medline, President of Canadian Tire Automotive. "These highways are the busiest in Ontario. We estimate the sites will generate six million incremental transactions a year and will help us develop new and longstanding relationships with customers."
Customers will be able to earn Canadian Tire Money through purchases at the pump and in the convenience store, which will offer an assortment of items for drivers on the go. "There are 78 Canadian Tire stores serving communities in close proximity to the new service centres," continued Medline. "And, there is great value for consumers and the Company in offering Canadian Tire Money that can be redeemed within minutes of getting off the highway or at any of our 479 stores across the country."
The 23 service centres are anticipated to be the first LEED Silver certified in Canada (an international standard for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design'). Seven sites are currently under construction and, by the end of 2012, the plan projects 20 sites will be open for business. Host Kilmer, a partnership between U.S.-based HMSHost and Canada's own Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited, a family-owned company with diversified interests in private equity, infrastructure, brownfield development and the sports and entertainment business, will operate the extensive network of travel centres.
Canadian Tire strives to be Canada's automotive authority and the new sites in Ontario will complement the Company's national automotive assets that include: 273 Petroleum locations, 479 retail stores including 5,500 automotive service bays and 87 PartSource hard parts and accessory stores.
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTC.a, CTC), Canadian Tire is one of Canada's most shopped general retailers with 479 stores across the country. The core retail and automotive operation is strengthened by PartSource, an automotive parts speciality chain; Canadian Tire Petroleum, one of the country's largest independent retailers of gasoline; Mark's "Clothes That Work" is a leading retailer of men's, women's and work apparel; and Canadian Tire Financial Services, which has issued over five million Canadian Tire MasterCard credit cards. More than 58,000 Canadians work across Canadian Tire's organization from coast-to-coast in the enterprise's retail, financial services and petroleum businesses.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/