GRAND FORKS — EG America is selling 23 Loaf ‘N Jug stores to BreakTime Corner Market in North Dakota and Montana.

By mid-June, two Loaf ‘N Jug locations in Grand Forks should be under the ownership of BTCM. The company will become owner of all the locations in North Dakota (14) and the nine locations in Montana.

Bret Sullivan, BTCM regional operations director, will return to the area soon during the ownership transition. Sullivan and a co-worker spent a week in North Dakota and Montana a few months ago visiting all the stores the company is purchasing.

They visited all 23 stores in five days.

“We came in and started on a Monday. We drove like crazy, and got to all 23 by Friday night. We were hurrying. We had some late nights, but we got through them all.”

Sullivan plans to spend two weeks visiting the stores again at the end of May and into June.

That’s when customers will start to see a different sign on the buildings and maybe other cosmetic changes at the stores. There won’t be a lot of changes inside the store.

Expanding products will be one of them.

“Loaf ‘N Jug is kind of restrictive at the store level because they want their stores to be the exact same,” Sullivan said. “We don’t operate that way, so you get a little more variety of what we sell.”

Plans are to find a product or two that is made in the city or the county of the new stores and sell it at BreakTime. That’s an additional way for the company to have a tie with the community.

Sullivan said the company has been expanding through acquisitions.

With stores in Kansas and Colorado, BTCM believes the move northward to North Dakota and Montana was a natural progression for the company.

“They’re older stores, but they are in pretty good shape,” Sullivan said. “That’s kind of the niche we’ve been working in the last few years.

“Everybody is excited to see more territory. I just came from western Texas and western Kansas. It’s a whole different look when you get up to Montana and North Dakota.”

Some workers at Loaf ‘N Jug thought BTCM was going to take over in early May, but the transition was delayed. Sullivan said he was unsure of the purchase price for the 23 stores.

This isn’t BTCM’s largest acquisition. Just a couple of years ago, it acquired 48 stores in Texas.

The Houston-based company bought its first convenience store in Houston in 1999. The company now operates numerous gas stations/convenience stores.

Established in 2004, BTCM has emerged as a multifaceted enterprise, specializing in the operation and management of gas stations/convenience stores, retail shopping centers, office buildings and the acquisition of land for retail development.

Sullivan said he’s looking forward to learning about the employees in the new stores. He said there will be no layoffs.

“Everybody is staying on board,” he said. “We want to maintain consistency. People get comfortable. They don’t like changes in their convenience stores.”

Store managers will be given more latitude in what they can do at the stores, Sullivan said.

“We’re excited to see our company grow a little larger and see some new territory and move on, move forward,” Sullivan said.

Kevin Fee is a freelance reporter for the Herald.

On the final day of the North Dakota state track and field meet at the MDU Resources Community Bowl in Bismarck, we had new team champions for both boys and girls, and in both classes. On the field, Grand Forks Central’s Ethan Smith swept all three throwing events, an accomplishment that hasn’t been done in over a century. Watch the full recap below.

STATE TRACK AND FIELD RECAP – 0:00-2:10

After the weather pushed the EDC softball and baseball tournaments on its heels, eight teams are set to appear at the state tournaments next weekend. Horace baseball wins its first ever state qualifier game against Devils Lake to make the program’s first appearance at teh state tournament. Fargo North softball wins the EDC for the first time since 2019, and Shanley baseball stays undefeated in the conference. The Deacons will be the number one seed at the state tournament in Dickinson. Watch the full highlights below.

EDC Baseball State Qualifier: Horace 10, Devils Lake 6 – 2:11-2:38

EDC Baseball State Qualifier: Sheyenne 2, Davies 9 – 2:39-3:12

EDC Baseball Semifinal Scores: Horace 2, North 7 – Sheyenne 0, Shanley 4 – 3:13-3:22

EDC Softball Championship: North 4, West Fargo 3 – 3:23-4:00

EDC Softball State Qualifier Scores: Valley City 2, Red River 12 – Davies 1, Sheyenne 2 – 4:01-4:07

North Dakota

Nathonia Young, formerly known as Nathonia Ruud, and Kasey Young, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Leon Adam Simon, doing business as HP Coatings & Fabrications, 1601 1/2 S. 12th St., Chapter 13

Roberta Ann Hoff, also known as Bobbie Hoff, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Chad D. Hove, Jamestown, Chapter 11

Precisionomics, Jamestown, Chapter 11

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

Jason Conrad Jern, Alexandria, Chapter 13

Larry G. Heitkamp, doing business as Yellow Rose Transportation, Sebeka, Chapter 13

Jessica R. Mancilla, formerly konwn as Jessica R. Sibert, Moorhead, Chapter 7

Tara Rae Starry, New York Mills, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

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