Casey’s General Stores Inc. announced an agreement to acquire 40 Pilot convenience stores from the Pilot Co., which is based in Knoxville, Tenn. The acquisition, a $220 million cash transaction, will extend Casey’s presence in Tennessee and Kentucky with well-established locations primarily in the attractive Knoxville market, Casey’s said in a release. “These stores have a track record of strong performance, and are high quality assets that will be a great fit for Casey’s fresh food program, especially our handmade pizza,” said Darren Rebelez, president and CEO of Casey’s. The Ankeny-based company operates more than 2,300 convenience stores. Pilot Co., which operates the Pilot Flying J Travel Centers, will continue its focus on growing its core travel center network and energy business, Pilot Chairman Jimmy Haslam said in the release. Pilot’s convenience stores are owned and operated independently from those businesses and were not part of a minority ownership stake in Pilot by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2018.