“Those two stores no longer suited our long-term needs,” QuikTrip Spokesperson says.

QuikTrip stores in O’Fallon, Ill., and Cahokia, Ill.,  are set to be converted to MotoMart gas stations and convenience stores, which are owned by Belleville, Ill.-based FKG Oil Co., the Belleville News-Democrat reported.

QuikTrip Spokesperson Mike Thornbrugh told the Belleville News-Democrat that while the main reason for selling the stores was not related to the recent increase in Illinois’ corporate income tax and higher gasoline taxes, the increase certainly didn’t help matters, either. “Those two were (on the market) prior to that,” Thornbrugh said. “Just across the river, the tax situation is much better and more favorable, and that is always a consideration. But honestly, we are shifting to bigger and larger stores with more merchandise. Unfortunately, those two stores no longer suited our long-term needs.”

FKG Oil Co. President Rob Forsythe noted the two locations at 970 W. Highway 50 in O’Fallon and 1117 Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia have been profitable and are located right in the heart of FKG Oil’s market, leading to the purchase decision. FKG Oil was established in Belleville in 1955 and has 75 locations in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, including stations throughout the metro-east. “Like any other company, we’re always looking for profitable growth, and so these two locations represent facilities where we could easily make money,” Forsythe said. “They are successful locations with high sales volume and right in our sweet spot.”

The ownership conversion is expected to be completed by the middle of February and MotoMart plans to hire as many of the former QuikTrip employees as possible. QuikTrip also plans to offer its former O’Fallon and Cahokia employees jobs elsewhere in its company.

QuikTrip has 570 locations across the country with another 24 currently under construction.