Fikes Wholesale, Inc. Announces Plans for New Headquarters in Temple's Airport Park at Central Pointe

Temple, TX- Signaling another boost of confidence in the City's recently re-branded industrial parks, Fikes Wholesale Inc. announced today plans for a new, 19.5 acre headquarters in Temple's Airport Park at Central Pointe. The 2-story, 42,000 sq.ft. building is expected to break ground in the spring of 2009 with completion anticipated by the fall of 2010.

Fikes Wholesale Inc. is a 56-year old Temple-based company originally founded as a fuel distributor in the Central Texas area. In addition to its fuel distributorship for Shell, Exxon/Mobil, Chevron/Texaco and Valero, Fikes currently operates CEFCO Convenience Stores (the 60th largest convenience store chain) with 125 stores located in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. The company employs approximately 1500 people, including more than 1000 in Texas alone.

"Fikes Wholesale is a true success story for Temple and our rapidly-expanding Central Pointe parks," Lee Peterson, president of the Temple Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), said. "By building in our Airport Park, Fikes has shown their commitment to the community and to securing future jobs for our region. They have been excellent partners at all levels of the company and we are extremely pleased to have played a role in this process."

James R. Fikes, president and CEO of Fikes Wholesale, Inc. expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the TEDC and the city in bringing this project to fruition and noted how the Airport Park was a perfect fit for his company.

"The new opportunities afforded by the location and the infrastructure of Temple's Airport Park are in sync with Fikes Wholesale, Inc.'s next phase of growth," Fikes said. "Partnering with the TEDC and the City of Temple has been a win-win situation for all involved and we simply could not be any more delighted with the prospects that lie ahead."

In addition to owning more than 125 CEFCO convenience stores across the southern United States, Fikes is also the parent company of Group Petroleum Services, a freight company that delivers fuel to CEFCO Convenience Stores and other retailers; Fleet Fuel, a proprietary fuel credit card company; Cord Financial Services, an ATM provider with several thousand ATM's across the United States; and Sunbelt Ice Company, a manufacturer and distributor of ice throughout Central Texas. The latest addition to the Fikes Whoesale, Inc. family of companies is JF Air Traffic, a charter jet service based at Temple's Draughon-Miller Airport.

About Fikes Wholesale, Inc.
Fikes Wholesale, Inc. is a 56-year old, Temple-based company that began as a fuel distributor and has grown to an entity that encompasses other businesses that are centered around and serve the convenience store industry. Among the company's prominent ventures are more than 125 CEFCO convenience stores, holding in the financial services industry and, recently, a charter jet services. The company employs more than 1500 people across the southern United States.

About Temple:
Temple, Texas is a community with a diverse economic base that includes healthcare, distribution and warehousing, and manufacturing as the foundation. Within 180 miles of a population of 17.8 million, Temple is in a strategic location that is central within the southwestU.S. marketplace.