(Radio Iowa) – Ankeny-based Casey’s General Stores is acquiring 49 convenience stores in Oklahoma for 39 million dollars. The 49 stores in Oklahoma are branded as Circle K Stores and owned by Couche-Tard, which operates stores in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Casey’s will supply the Oklahoma stores from its new distribution center in Joplin, Missouri, according to a news release. Casey’s executives expect the deal to close by the end of July.

In the spring of 2010, Couche-Tard offered nearly two BILLION dollars to buy Casey’s General Stores, then attempted a hostile take-over when its offer was rejected. Casey’s shareholders voted to retain Casey’s board of directors that fall. Casey’s is the now fourth-largest convenience store chain in the U.S. and it operates more than 22-hundred stores in 16 states. Three of the Oklahoma stores its acquiring are owned by its Canadian competitor and the other 46 are leased properties.