News Coverage The Plain Dealer – Tuesday, October 24, 2006
INSIDE KNIGHT ENTERPRISES INC., AN ADVOCATE OF BIODIESEL AND ETHANOL FUELS, IS SELLING ITS RETAIL STATIONS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO AND ILLINOIS.
C3 ADVOCATE OF BIOFUELS IS SELLING its GAS STATIONS
John Funk
Plain Dealer Reporter
A Michigan-based wholesale gasoline supplier and station operator that has been a strong advocate
of biodiesel and ethanol blends is selling 56 retail stations and other commercial properties in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois.
Knight Enterprises Inc., based in suburban Detroit, is selling 35 operating gas stations, which have
attached convenience stores, and five closed stations, which also operated convenience stores.
Throughout the industry, convenience stores account for a large share of a station's profit, often
making more money than the sale of the fuel.
Chicago-based NRC Realty Advisors LLC announced Monday that Knight had retained its services to sell
the stations and several commercial real estate properties through sealed bids. For more information,
call 800.747.3342, Extension 614.
According to the real estate company, purchase of the operating stations would include 15-year
fuel supply agreements with the company.
Knight operates seven stations in Ohio but none in Greater Cleveland, according to Ohio Department
of Commerce records.
One of the seven is a Sunoco station on Interstate 71 in Mount Gilead, north of Columbus, that offers E85,
a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, and three grades of biodiesel, a blend of
diesel fuel and soybean-derived oil containing from 2 to 20 percent soy.
Knight distributes fuel to over 155 filling stations, the realty company said.
Knight owner Carroll Knight was out of town Monday and could not be reached for comment.
A secretary said the sale does not include Knight's Delta Fuels terminals near Toledo and Detroit.
American Biodiesel, a start-up company, is building an $18.5 million biodiesel plant near the
Toledo terminal, and the sale of the filling stations will not affect that project, said David White, American Biodiesel president.
The plant will produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel when operating. Final permits are now being obtained.
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