Steven Troester and his wife Diane of Dubuque, IA came into Runde’s to pick up their new 4-wheel-drive truck. Just before they took off in their new rig, they gave me a chance to interview them.  Here’s what they had to say: What led you to Runde’s? Our friends told us about the good service and deals on used cars they got from Runde’s so we thought we’d give it a try. What did you end up with? Exactly what I wanted – a  4-wheel-drive truck – Dave Smith found all of that in the Colorado I picked up today. If you were to rank your experience with Runde’s on a scale of 1-10 what would you give it? Probably a nine. No problems, everyone was really friendly and honest. And your salesperson, Dave Smith, what would you [...]

Misty Rosebrock and her fiance, Serafin Gonzalez came all the way from Ohio to pick up the Dodge Magnum they would later drive home in and they almost took a detour to Luigi’s Pizza in Dubuque to satisfy their hunger pangs. This young couple was happy to be at Runde PreDriven after such a long trip and was even more pleased about the service they received and the vehicle they picked out. They were nice enough to share their experience at Runde’s and a bit about their lives to me before they took the long road home in their new vehicle. Serafin, that’s a unique name, what’s it from? It’s a Spanish name. I was named after the Angel Seraphim.   Are [...]

If you follow the Runde Blog, you may recall a story that we ran back in the spring of this year about Mardy Gilyard, who purchased a new 2010 Camaro SS from Runde Chevrolet.  At that time, he had finished up at the University of Cincinnati, where he starred as a wide receiver and kick returner.  He was on his way to the NFL Draft Combine where he would show NFL scouts just what he was made of.   Everyone in Cincinnati and his home state of Florida already knew that Mardy was a world-class athlete and at the NFL Combine (an invite-only event) back in February, he put his talent on display for the rest of the world to see.   The St. Louis Rams took particular notice of him and, after they took Sam Bradford as the [...]

Today we had the pleasure of getting to know a family who recently bought a Chrysler Town & Country van from us. Sharon, Darlene, Alex, Emily and Gavin took a few moments to share their experience with us.  We give you … the Riesselman Family. How did you find Runde Auto Group and this Chrysler Town & Country? We found you guys on the internet. Your website was very easy to navigate and we easily found what we wanted. I really like how you can narrow by the year, model and mileage, it makes it really easy to find what you are looking for. Where is the first place you’ll take your new Chrysler Town & Country van? Darlene: Home to see [...]

Jim and Denise Kruser, from Dubuque, IA came in the other day to purchase a new vehicle. Denise had purchased from Runde’s in the past and had such a great experience that she decided to come back. Jim and Denise were kind enough to sit down with me for a few minutes and tell me a little about themselves and about their experience at Runde’s. What led you to Runde’s today? Denise: I’ve bought from here before and we were looking for a reliable winter vehicle so we decided to buy it from here again. We wound up with the ’05 Jeep Liberty. What made you come to Runde’s in the first place Denise? Denise: I was told that it was a good place to come so [...]

Dan Cotter came in the other day to Runde Chevy to buy yet another truck from Tim Runde. While he was here he explained his 2,544 mile trip from Washington to Pennsylvania as well as his plans for his future epic adventures. That seems like quite the trip Dan. What was the purpose of the trip? “My daughter was working at a veterinarian hospital in Washington but was offered a job in Pennsylvania at an emergency hospital for animals. In bigger towns they have clinics like that where you can take in your animal 24/7.” “First we went to Colorado to see a buddy of mine race in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Then we went to Washington and made a few stops on our way to Pennsylvania. The trip took a couple of weeks in all.”

Bob and Debora Jameson of Kenai, Alaska purchased an Express Sunseeker motorhome from Runde Auto Group earlier this summer. (When we looked up Kenai on Google Maps, we found out that it’s actually closer to Russia than it is to East Dubuque.) Their salesman was Dave “Soup” Smith up at the Runde PreDriven store in Hazel Green and the following is their own account of their Runde experience. “Typically found on the top of everyone’s bucket list, Driving the Alaska Highway is typically one of the top ten things to do before time runs out on our abilities to travel in such remote regions … we just purchased a larger motorhome from Runde Chevrolet and will be driving it back to Alaska taking our sweet ole time in doing so. We plan to sample a few of the alternate [...]

How did you find Runde Auto Group and this particular vehicle? Through Al Kloft.  I told him what I was looking for and he went and found it for me. I bought a Trailblazer and my brother bought a vehicle from Al not too long ago too. Why did you decide to purchase it here?  Because I found what I liked and because I’ve known Al for a long time.  He’s a family friend so I trusted him. And I liked it so I said yeah I’d buy it.   Where is the first place you’ll take your new car? I don’t know … probably work. Really? Yeah I have have work at 9 o’clock tonight.   Where do you work at? At The Barn in Sherrill Iowa — it’s a bar and a restaurant up there. I used to go up to the barn a long time ago — we [...]

This is a brief interview with Karen Schilling who is the secretary at the Dubuque County Trailblazers horse and pony camp.  There will always be situations where you absolutely need a pickup truck. The sports fan in you is screaming “get the turbo coupe!”, the calm in you is telling you to “get the luxury vehicle!” Then there’s the practical side of you telling you to “get the truck, you’ll need it.” And if you are a farmer, construction worker or have a horse and kids that want to go to horse camp, you are absolutely correct in thinking you’ll need that pickup truck. No one knows that more than the parents of the kids attending the Tri-State’s annual horse camp.          Karen Schilling, secretary of the Dubuque County [...]

Richard W. Fanning came to us from Janesville Wisconsin to purchase a brand new Silverado. He was having a great time chatting with the Runde’s staff even though his vehicle was already ready to go. I managed to sit down for a spell with Richard and he was ecstatic to share his experiences at Runde with the rest of the world. Read on to see why Richard was so satisfied. What led you to Runde’s? Originally I found my way here by word of mouth from friends that suggested this place to me. I was here last year buying a truck. It is one of the most pleasurable dealerships I’ve ever been at and that’s going on 64 years of car and truck buying. I have been [...]

Runde customer Kara Walen is the daughter of Jerald and Sherry Walen who recently bought a vehicle from Runde’s.  She came in today to pick up her new car. This college student from Dubuque, IA was nice enough to let us get an interview with her about her experience at Runde Auto Group. What brought you to Runde’s today? My Mom and Dad actually just bought a Santa Fe from you guys about two months ago and suggested that I come here to get my new car. What did they have to say about their experience? They loved it. They really like their car and thought Al Kloft [their salesman] was great. What did you end up picking up? A used [...]

Mandi Pedretti from Dubuque, IA stopped in the other day to pick up a new vehicle she has been eyeballing for awhile. While she was here and waiting for her paperwork, I asked her if she could share with me her experience. This is what she had to say: How did you find Runde Auto Group? I’ve been over here before and my boyfriend’s parents live in East Dubuque so we drive by here all the time. Did you know your salesman, Al Kloft? No, not before today. How did you end up with Al? I went through the lot a couple of times looking at some vehicles and went home to do some more research online. He called me back after I requested [...]

A BIG surprise named Magnum the Mastiff visited Runde Chevrolet the other day. A beautiful Mastiff was sitting with his owner, Jesse Coulson, who was in for some service on his Chevy Colorado. Wow Jesse, that is a huge dog! How old is he? He’s 22 months old. He weighs close to 180lbs currently, I expect him to grow to around 200lbs. He’s a Mastiff right? Pretty nice dogs from what I hear.  He seems very attentive – probably a good bird watcher. They are called “Gentle Giants” and that is very true of Magnum. One time our family went on a vacation and Magnum was distressed because all of his family was gone for a few days. He’s very close to the family. What does Magnum the Mastiff eat? His favorite food is string cheese. They grow up so fast so it’s good to get them cheese for calcium. He eats close [...]

Duane and Karen Altfillisch from Elizabeth Illinois stopped in to purchase some more vehicles from their favorite dealer – Runde Auto Group this week. These long-time Runde Chevrolet fans granted us the time to let us interview them before going off to get some good vittles. What brought you to Runde’s? We’ve been coming here for years. I’m assuming that since you came back you “like our attitude” Oh hahaha, yes, absolutely. Where are you from? We’re from Elizabeth, which is near Stockton, IL. How many vehicles would you say you bought from us? Probably around twenty. 20? Wow, Holy cow! Yep, we’ve been buying since 1987. I heard that you had some work being done to your vehicle?

Testimonials from Runde Auto Group Customers I have bought more trucks off of Runde than you got teeth.  I am telling you the truth.  Tim Runde is in his establishment.  There isn’t a finer dealership around here.  I am 63 years old and I have bought new trucks since 1977, every year.  So you figure that out.  I don’t have any problems with Runde or their dealership.  If there was a problem in the past, I went out there and they took care of it, no questions, no hassle.  It was done.  They are good, that is why they are as big as they are. Melvin D. – East Dubuque, IL      This is just a short note to thank you for the wonderful service we received when we were there to purchase our new truck.  [...]

Our hard-to get Camaros has attracted many eyes, including the prestigious former Cincinnati wide receiver, Mardy Gilyard. Mr. Gilyard recently purchased his brand new Chevrolet Camaro at Runde’s in East Dubuque with the assistance of Runde Chevrolet’s very own Mark “Flop” Fleege. Marshawn “Mardy” Gilyard, age 23, was born in Palm Coast, FL and started his football career early in high school. He was a first-team class 5A all-state selection and had over 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, which lead to him being chosen as MVP in the Florida Coast All-Star game. From there, Mardy left for college with a scholarship to University of Cincinnati, where he played his freshman year as a cornerback. Unfortunately during his sophomore year of college, Mardy [...]

Recently I had the chance to get to meet Marv and Kathy Jones, two fine folks from Freeport Illinois. They enjoyed their car buying experience at Runde Chevrolet so much that they wanted to share it with me and the rest of the world. Here’s what they had to say: What led you here to Runde Auto Group? I’m always lookin’ for something. Yesterday I drove through the PreDriven lot and saw a car the caught my eye. So I got out and looked at it then told my wife about it, before you know it we were talking to Al. What did you think of your experience here? It was absolutely great. On a scale of 1-10 what would you rate your salesman, [...]

Michelle brought in her two sons, Dylan and Tyler to get a few things done to their brand-new Chevy Tahoe.  Coming back from shopping while we put on a few bells-and-whistles on her Tahoe, She was more than delighted to share her experience with Runde’s. What brought you into Runde’s today? We bought eight cars from a dealer in Waterloo. But decided to try somewhere different. How did you find us? I was searching through Chevy.com for Tahoe’s and put in the different features I wanted in the vehicle and it showed me Runde Auto Group as having the Tahoe with the features I wanted in stock. *one of Michelle’s sons comes running through the door* Oh hello there.

Here are some of the New Year’s resolutions our employees and customers at Runde Chevrolet set for themselves. Let’s hope they follow through. I know how hard it is to keep those new year’s resolutions… Chocolate is too delicious for me to vow to eat it in moderation…  

We sat down for a few minutes and did a customer interview with Dan Schaefer from Dubuque, IA.   Dan serves in the Air Force and is now the proud owner of a Chevy Malibu and he bought the car from Runde PreDriven while he was on paid leave from his base in Texas! Enjoy the video!  

Michelle Tranel and Dustin Dura are very nice people from East Dubuque, IL  who came into Runde’s today to shop for a used Chevy truck. Their salesperson, Al Kloft, told me that they were some of the nicest people that he had ever met. So I decided to head up to our PreDriven store to see if they’d oblige me with some of their time and an interview.  They did. We chatted.  Then they drove off into the non-sunset of lukewarm, overcast day in their sweet newly purchased Colorado truck.  Al was right — they are really nice. So what brings you into Runde’s today? We just bought a truck. What vehicle did you end up getting? A Chevy Colorado. How did you hear about Runde’s? We grew up in East Dubuque so we’ve always known about it. You two are a couple, I assume? Yep. Any kids? Dustin: I have [...]

Recently we got to interview Chuck Webster who came in to purchase a Malibu. Chuck was excited to give his wife the Malibu as special little gift. Hello Chuck, thank you for doing the interview with us. We hope your experience with Runde’s was great. Oh yes it was. How was he? Fantastic. We actually used to be neighbors in Chicago for years and didn’t even know it!  We lived about two blocks away from each other in Lincoln Park. Where is the first place you’ll take your car? I’m going to drive it to Washington D.C. to give it to my wife. It is a two-day drive, but it’s worth it. Is she excited to get the car? Oh, yeah, funny story, actually. She [...]

Thomas, Shelia and their daughters: Hannah, Hailey and Heather Hinman … basically the Hinman family in its entirety from Hazel Green, WI came in the other day to upgrade to a more spacious vehicle. While the girls played, the parents took care of business signing all the paperwork at the Runde PreDriven store.  Soon they were ready to roll out with their new set of wheels,  but I couldn’t let them go without letting the world hear their story! Hey guys! I’d like to thank the Hinman Family for doing this interview with me. What brought you into Runde’s today? We needed a car that would fit our family and wanted to stay local for the purchase. What led you to Runde’s instead of a different dealership? Shelia: I’ve lived around this area my whole life and know Runde’s to be a good [...]

So you are planning a two-week visit to your mom’s house this winter and she has welcomed you to bring your pet for the visit? Great! Mom lives 5 hours away, a no-sweat trip for most, and your family is all excited for it. Your 6-year-old son can’t wait to sink his original baby teeth into Grandma Betsy’s world-famous chocolate chip cookies, yum! But what about Peaches, your Boxer puppy? This is your first long trip with him coming along and you are worried about how to go about the whole process.  Have you thought about traveling with pets? Well, let us help get you, your family, and Peaches already for the excursion. Some folks might say consult your vet before taking your pet on a trip. I’d just say make sure that you remember to take along plenty [...]

We were outside and Carl got out of his old truck… Unlike most people, however, Carl didn’t go running to his New Ride from Runde Chevrolet in excitement. Instead Carl slowly got out of the driver’s door and gave the truck a sentimental final farewell before heading into the Runde Chevrolet building to finish up the paperwork. I was particularly busy before the interview with Carl Denlinger who was with his mother, Louise Denlinger (both born and raised south of Dubuque) but our chat seemed to put me in a great mood, read on to find see why. Hey guys, while your salesman, finishes up the transaction would you mind sharing your experience at Runde’s with the rest of the world? Sure… and [...]