Amanda Zumhof came in to work at Runde’s with a big smile on her face and a bright welcoming attitude. 4 weeks later and she’s smiling even bigger and her bright attitude shines stronger! We took the new recruit to the side to get a little intel about who she is and what she likes to do. If I had to describe Amanda in one (extremely made-up but sounds almost real) word it would be “Germoentech” GERmanMOtherENgagedTECHnician. How long have you been at the job? About four weeks, started my first week at the Chevy dealership to learn the computer system then came here. Zumhof… What nationality is that? German. I was born and raised in Dubuque, though. Any kids? Just one, Mason, he’s 14 months old. Married? I’m engaged to Chad Gansen. We plan on getting married in June 2012. Congratulations! Any big plans for the wedding? *sighs* I don’t want to plan [...]
Traditions come in all sorts – you have your own personal traditions, your family has traditions, your religion etc. but there is little denying that one of America’s greatest shared traditions is the game of baseball. Chevrolet and some partners wants to make this tradition as enjoyable as possible by providing better playing conditions and education to our youth through the Diamonds and Dreams Program. The program awarded 100 youth baseball communities across the country prizes – 20 Field Makeovers, 20 Instructional Clinics and 60 Equipment Packages. Phil Caruso, Chevrolet Marketing Manager explains; “Chevrolet’s ‘Building Diamonds and Dreams’ program is another facet of our commitment to youth baseball programs across America. Every young ball player wants and deserves a ‘dream’ baseball diamond and Chevrolet along with our partners, are proud to have brought [...]
Debbie Stratton is a hard worker, a kind spirit and a wonderful customer of ours. She was in to pick up a used Ford Escape that was new to her. She had a few minutes to spare to do a quick interview. If you see her at the Grand Harbor on the weekends be sure to say “hi”! What brought you into Runde’s Today? I purchased a used Ford Escape. I’ve been really wanting an SUV. And what did you end up getting? A Ford Escape. I’m looking forward to it for the winter and whatnot. And everyone has one now, I thought it was about time to get with it. How did you find Runde’s? I actually bought a car from [...]
We’ve come a long way since the invention of GM airbags. Back when GM Called them “Air Cushion Restraint Systems” (ACRS) and offered only a driver and passenger front airbag in the ’70’s. Now we have Front, Side Torso, Side Curtain, Knee, Rear Curtain, and even a Seatbelt airbags. Isn’t that enough? Well, ask yourself; “If I were to get in an accident, would I want as much protection coming my way as possible?” If you think the answer would be “Yes” then there’s good news, even more protection will be available thanks to a three-year development recently realized by GM. The newest of the GM airbags to debut was the first ever “Front Center” Airbag which deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and acts as a barrier between the passenger and the driver. This barrier protects both individuals from banging and bumping each others heads during a collision as well as significantly reduces the amount of sway the drivers head [...]
Today I got to meet a real life “Jimbo!” While his name is spelled “Jim Beau”, it is pronounced the same. Jim grew up with a unique name that people would never forget, now he buys his vehicles at a dealership that he will never forget. Every once in a while you run into someone who has a unique name. The name Jim Beau is certainly pretty cool, although maybe not as extreme as someone named, like say … Rumpelstiltskin. Did you have a hard time growing up with the name Jim Beau? People always commented about it. When they got tired of “Jim Beau” people would call me Jim Bowie, like the guy with the knife at the Alamo. What brought you into Runde’s? I came in for someone to configure my Bluetooth for the new Equinox I just bought… man, that was a great deal. I just started looking for one, [...]
There are not many things in life that are as skilled, sneaky and elusive as the proverbial Office Ninja. The traditional depiction of a ninja is a member of a class of 14th-century Japanese mercenaries who were highly trained in combat and hired for covert stealth operations. Ashley Fulenwider (a.k.a. the Runde Office Ninja) may not be fully trained in mortal combat, but she embodies many ninja-like traits and executes each as a well honed art. Personally, I’ve never witnessed anyone enter and leave a room as quietly and overwhelmingly unnoticed as Ashley. Recently, I was presented with the rare opportunity to capture the Runde Office Ninja while she was a bit off-guard and I conducted this brief interview. What do you do here at Runde’s? I take pictures of the used vehicles and I file ALL the papers (that’s a lot of papers) and answer the phones and direct all the calls to where they need to go AND I write checks for the finance staff [...]
A 24 Hour test at the Milford Road Course would leave no doubts as far as performance, endurance and capabilities of a vehicle. And that is just what performance engineers did to confirm track readiness with the Camaro ZL1. The track is 2.9 Miles in total, has 20 Turns and has an enormous 120 Feet of Elevation Change. The test puts the Camaro through a total of 24 hours on the course over 6 days, 4 hours per day in 40-minute sessions making a grand total of 36 sessions. Here’s some quick specs of the ZL1 Camaro: 6.2L Super Charged V8 580 Horsepower 556 LB-FT 20″ Wheels New Rocker Panels New front fascia and hood with air extractors, to create aerodynamic down-force to aid handling. The most Powerful Production Camaro Ever. The Camaro ZL1 will be released in early 2012! In the meantime, please contact the Chevy sales staff at Runde Chevrolet in [...]
Runde Chevrolet wins GM’s Mark of Excellence Award How do you know something is made with quality? What makes you want to go back to a particular place time and time again and be a repeat customer for that business? Is it due to a certain attitude or level of enthusiasm from a place of business? Maybe you just know when something is made right or done right? Perhaps the best evaluation of quality is something that withstands the test of time. Repeated, undeniable, satisfaction time and time again … this is what we strive to bring you at Runde Auto Group. We aim to offer the very best of vehicles, service and personality – not just on occasion but each day and every second you are with us. Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque recently received their 7th Mark of Excellence Award from General Motors and we thought the Runde Auto Group blog would [...]
If you’re thinking about purchasing a Chevy Sonic sedan, probably one of the first things you’d want to find out is how safe the car is. Good things come in three as they say, and groups of three stand strong… The Three Stooges, Three Musketeers, Three Wise Men, Three Little Piggy’s, and now the three Chevrolet vehicles awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick! The Chevrolet Volt and Cruze have now gained a brother in their recognized defense of human life on the road with the Chevrolet Sonic. Just awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick, the Sonic brings home the third 2012 vehicle awarded with the honor of Top Safety Pick for Chevrolet. The IIHS puts vehicles through four different, rigorous, tests: front and side crash, [...]
I took a couple minutes today to gaze upon the view at the Runde Predriven dealership up on the hill. Everything was seemingly peaceful on this perfect late summer day. I wouldn’t go as far to say that the view of the landscape up there is breathtaking, but it is very relaxing and serene especially on a day like today. You actually still have the view of the three states from up there even though you’re about a mile from the Mississippi River Valley. I think I got a shot of an eagle flying overhead (looks too big to be a hawk). And there is also a great view of the Sinsinawa Mound that lies just across the rolling hill tops.
Terry and Teresa Pluemer are from Platteville, WI and they stopped into the dealership today to pick up their new vehicle from Runde’s. They’ve lived in Platteville all their lives. They know what they like in life and Runde’s is the dealer they choose to get the best experience. They were kind enough to share a little about themselves before they went on their way in their new SUV. What brought you into Runde’s Today? We had to find a replacement for our Jeep because it was totaled. Sorry to hear, hopefully no one was injured? No, thankfully our son was ok. How did you find the vehicle? Teresa: I researched it online because we were looking for a new vehicle and looked at the Runde website. We first stopped at a different dealer but I was not happy with the service or the person I talked to. Terry: I [...]
This week we’ll wish a big Happy Birthday to one of Runde’s very own employees. Ashley Fulenwider turn’s 20 in three days. According to the Urban Dictionary an Office Ninja (n.) is 1. an officemate who is adept at certain skills such as spying around the office and gathering information, appearing and disappearing around cubicles. 2. a crafty co-worker who can be tasked to work around the system to accomplish a job. Ashley Fulenwider is known around these parts as “the Runde Chevrolet Office Ninja.” Her title began merely as a play on words pertaining to how quite and subtly she would enter and exit an occupied room, unnoticed by those in it. Example! Just the other day Ashley silently sat down in the chair next to me to start her workday. About 20 minutes after her morning shift began I looked around the room and finally realized she was there so we started to chat for a bit. After chatting, [...]
The Chevy Sonic car is officially out and are on the way here at Runde Auto Group! In case you weren’t in the know, the Chevy Sonic is a replacement to the popular Chevy Aveo. I know many of the Aveo fans might be skeptical about the switch but rest assured the Sonic promises to deliver a quality, impressive ride. In my opinion, it’s the best entry-level vehicle to any Make I’ve seen. The Sonic is available as a Sedan or Hatch. In addition to an impressive 40 MPG Highway, it offers features unheard of in its segment. Lets get some facts straight: Trims Available for the Chevy Sonic car: LS, LT, LTZ Engine: Standard – 1.8L I-4 Ecotech Engine (138HP/125 LB-FT Torque). Available – (only LT, [...]
Leo and Rosie Heid are Dyersville customers who recently bought their Chevy Malibu from Runde Auto Group. These high school sweethearts have conquered the test of time with their love for for each other for more than 45 years. Read on to learn more about the Heid’s, how they stumbled upon us, and how their experience with Runde’s went. What brought you into Runde Auto Group? We were looking for a different vehicle and we saw the Runde’s ad in the paper. We sold our Impala to one of our kids and needed to get something to replace it so we picked this up. I prefer something like an Equinox or an SUV that’s a bit easier to get in, but she likes this Malibu. She’ll be driving it mostly, anyway. So it’s your car, then? *Laughs* … I guess. Any specific need for the car or just a daily driver? Oh, just [...]
When Michael Jordan originally stepped away from basketball to pursue his dream of playing pro baseball, Chicago Bulls fans cried out in a collective agony that was heard and felt around the globe. When he returned to the Bulls a year and a half later, he picked up where he left off and helped to provide Chicago with three more NBA titles. In the same accord, when Ryne Sandberg announced his initial retirement from the Chicago Cubs in ’94, Cubs fans collectively grieved like they had lost one of their own sons. A few years later when Ryne had his life back together and returned to the team, the Cubs turned the ship around and won three straight World Series titles. (We can all dream, can’t we?) Today General Motors announced that Bob Lutz will [...]
If you haven’t stopped by one of our four locations in awhile, please do so. Or give us a call at 866-735-5200 and let us know what we can do for you. Or maybe just Stop by Runde’s and say “hi” if you’re in the neighborhood.
So you decided to do the right thing, huh? You no longer want to leave mother nature another smear of pollution and decided to jump into the electric car playground. I promise you’re going to like this playground, especially if you jump in it with the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is out. Jay Leno Drives one, everyone wants one and if you know what they are all about you’d be asking where can you could pick one up. To help you learn more about what you can expect from the Volt we put together this handy little Chevy Volt buyers guide. MPG/Fuel Mileage: The Volt is an Electric [...]
Kurt Larson, who has worked for Runde’s for the past 6 years, worked his last day of the summer yesterday. Will this be the end of his tenure at Runde Chevrolet? We hope not. One thing we do know for sure is that he’s always welcome to come back and work for us again. Kurt is a top notch employee who always did exceptional work in and around the dealership. He has always been a dependable worker (a definite go-to guy) and to be completely honest, that’s not something you see too often these days with employees who are in their teen years or early 20’s. After graduating from Augustana College in the Quad Cities earlier this year, Kurt came back [...]
When I start thinking of vehicles that might allow me to have a little fun on & off road, the first one I think of is the 2012 Jeep Wrangler. To me, it’s one of the best looking SUV’s I’ve ever seen and boasts the title of “king of off-road production vehicles” to boot! The 2012 Wrangler gets some exciting changes you definitely won’t want to miss out on. The 2012 Jeep Wrangler packs in an all-new 3.6L v-6 that gives better gas mileage, a smoother ride and more power. Want to talk numbers? Horsepower = 285 (a staggering 40% increase from its predecessor model!) Torque = 260 lb.-ft MPG = 17city / 21highway The new Wrangler will be available in four models: Sport, Sport S, Sahara and Rubicon [...]
Richard Jaeger, from East Dubuque, IL, got hit hard by the recent flood. His car and many of his possessions that were in his house are now destroyed. He came in with his daughter, Theressa Northouse from Epworth, IA who has been helping him get things back to where they were. They have been hard at work trying to restore what was damaged but it’s a long and slow process. They drove up to Runde’s on the hill the other day to get a new vehicle for Richard to get around in and to try to get things moving towards the way they were before the awful flooding. Hello Richard and Theressa. Thank you for taking some time out for this interview. So what made you come into Runde’s today? Richard: She did. Theressa: I did, yep. Well, during the East Dubuque flooding down on the flats he lost his vehicle. He needed a new vehicle, we’re from East Dubuque and [...]
Watch this video that was shot last week at X Games 17. It’s the new Rally Cross event and it sort of reminds me of the bumper cars ride at Adventureland. The Ford Fiesta hatchback dominated the Rally Cross largely due to its agility through hairpin turns over various types of surfaces. Please call our Ford Store in Manchester at 888-927-2630 if watching this video makes you to want to order a new Ford Fiesta. Now if you haven’t been moved to order a new Fiesta just quite yet and you have about 8 minutes to spare, then you’ll definitely need to watch this …
Sara Vosberg Hilby stopped by the dealership on Saturday to pick up the 4 full-passes to Noah’s Ark that she had won. She said that she had just finished moving into a new house and when she finally got her internet hooked up at the new place, there was a message from Runde Auto Group on her Facebook account saying that she had won the Noah’s Ark ticket give-away contest. She said that her daughter had wanted to go to Noah’s Ark earlier this summer and had actually signed up to go on a bus trip up there, but unfortunately the trip got cancelled because not enough people had signed up for the bus. Congrats Sara Vosberg Hilby and we hope that you and your family have an awesome time at the water park!!! And thanks [...]
In a recent article, Bloomberg.com reported that GM has regained the #1 position as the World’s Top auto producer. For the first half of 2011, GM sold 4.54 million units compared to 4.13 million sold by Volkswagen and 3.71 million sold by Toyota. Before Toyota outsold GM for the first time in 2008, GM had held the top spot for 77 straight years. But GM has climbed back into the pole position as the World’s Top auto producer thanks to vehicles like the new Chevy Cruze, the Chevy Camaro, and the Chevy Silverado. The Cruze was the top-selling car in the world market for the month of June and the Silverado is the world’s 2nd most popular vehicle overall just behind the Ford F-Series line-up.
Barb Reittinger, a Runde customer from Galena Illinois came in the other day to pick up a new car to get her around. She was impressed by how fast and smooth things went and wanted to tell the world about her great experience! What brought you into Runde’s today? Actually I was bringing my title in because I was trading in my van for a 2009 Cobalt. How did you get to working with Al? I pulled into the lot to look at the vehicles and he introduced himself to me and got hunting for the vehicle I wanted. He found the exact vehicle I wanted and I came in and bought it the next day. I was very impressed. He was quicker [...]
Kara, Sabrina and their mother Sherry Walen, of Dubuque, came in the other day to buy a new vehicle to help Kara get around during the winter. Kara Walen is going to Northeast Iowa Community College and her sister, Sabrina plans on joining her soon as she is a junior in high school. These gals were a pleasure to talk to and were excited to share their experience. What brought you girls into Runde’s Today? Kara: I bought a Cobalt 2 years ago but recently got a full-time job which requires me to drive out during the winter. I needed something with all-wheel-drive to help me get around in the snow, so we came in to get a vehicle with all-wheel-drive. I think around here you pretty much need all-wheel-drive What did you end up getting? A Chevy Equinox. Congratulations on your new job, what will you be doing? I’m a [...]
