The Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something with no downside.  It’s just a good idea that helps children and families in need in the local area.  There are things that make you happy on the inside. Perhaps seeing someone you love prevail in something they always wanted to do, or watching a cartoon while sitting on the couch at home all snuggled up with your family, or maybe it’s something so small as to hear the crunch of Fall leafs under your feet. Hopefully reading about the Foodpack Program in Dubuque is something that makes you feel like the world is steering itself in the right direction.  The selflessness of some who make sure that the less fortunate are taken care of is [...]

“Um … I’d like to think about it” I think we’ve all gone through it. The feeling of uncertainty when opening or using something expensive for the first time. You know that as soon as you open that package or start using it that it’s yours.  If you drop it and break it at that point, you already bought it … it’s yours.  I remember my heart pounding last month when I opened and mounted a new T.V. that I spent over a $1,000 on.   I like my TV and I don’t want to part with it for a long time.  But what if 30 days after I got it, I decided that it didn’t meet my needs and I wanted to return it. We have many people in and out of Runde’s everyday — buying cars and driving away in them.  Do they like them?  Are they satisfied?  Do the vehicles always meet the needs [...]

Joining the team is Eric Schmitt. Going through some intense training I thought Eric could take a quick break to do an interview so we could get to know him better. Where are you from Eric? I’m from Dubuque. Have you lived there all of your life? Yep. Pretty much. What was the best part of your first day here? Just kind of shadowing some of the other sales staff to see how things work. I actually bought several cars here before so it’s interesting working as part of the team now. What do you like to do around the area? Umm… nothing really. Are you married? Yes, I am married. So… what do you like to do with your wife? Go [...]

Our newest recruit, Ryan Halverson, started for us recently. Back from the army to complete his college education, Ryan will be on board with us as one of the Runde’s crew. What do you do here at Runde’s? I take pictures of cars, that’s about it as far as I know. Are you originally from the area? I’m from Cassville, WI about 45 minutes away. I’ve lived there all of my life. What are your past-times and hobbies? Basketball, hunting, fishing and going on the river. Do you have any pets? Nope, no pets. Do you have a favorite hangout spot on the river? The river. I like to tube, fish, etc. If you were a vehicle which vehicle would you be and why? I guess I’d be a truck because that’s the vehicle I drive. What’s your favorite restaurant? I’d have to say Applebee’s. What’s your most memorable experience [...]

Before he zoomed off in his new vehicle, I got a chance to get to know Joe Hubanks a little. From the Dubuque area, Joe works at Lacoma Golf Course. Read ahead to see how Runde’s made him a free man… What brought you into Runde’s today? Basically, my car was starting to bite the dust and I wanted to get something new from a dealership. Instead of going out on the street or looking in the paper, I figured it would be more reliable to buy from a dealer so I looked at the Runde website.  I knew some people here and heard good things about Runde’s so I decided to bring my business here. What vehicle did you end up buying? I got a Suzuki Forenza sedan. Nice, I always liked those, great car at an amazing price. Yea, actually it was a really cool and convenient experience because the car was up at [...]

People, let’s face it, we have all gotten into purchasing something or another without fully understanding what we are buying or why we need to buy it. I went into a computer repair center last week to get my desktop computer looked at and I could have almost sworn that the person helping me was speaking a foreign language. He was saying stuff about “ram” and “mega bytes” and “Mozilla Firefox”… It sort of sounded like he was talking about a Japanese horror movie or something … what the heck??!!  In any case, I trusted that he knew what he was doing and ended up paying about $150.00 in repairs. He mentioned something about spyware when I went in to pick it [...]

Above is the official Ford NASCAR vehicle. Rolling out onto the 2010 season, the 2010 NASCAR Mustang will make its appearance as a vehicle that really looks nothing like the 2010 Mustang. The vehicle, although being officially credited as the NASCAR “2010 Ford Mustang,” is actually a stock NASCAR vehicle equipped with the Mustang’s logo, front-end details and name smothered all across the body. To me, it looks a little funky, but maybe that’s just me wanting to see more of the actual 2010 Mustang DNA. What do you think?  

Is the new Cash for Clunkers program right for you?  Well please read ahead to find out the specifics of the current program offered by the US government to help jump start the economy.   Still rolling down the road in your beat up 1987 Cadillac DeVille Fleetwood Brougham rear-wheel-drive with 277,000 miles?  Well, now might be the opportune time to trade in that beauty for a brand new vehicle as the “Cash for Clunkers” program has been approved and will be giving you top dollar for your old gas-guzzling machine. It’s kind of like getting 500 bucks for the suit that you wore to your high school homecoming dance back in 1987 — you know — the one with the elbow patches that smells like moth balls. In short, this program will offer you either $3,500 or $4,500 credit off of a new vehicle when you trade in a vehicle that meet requirements. The trade-in vehicle: 1. Must be either a car, light truck, [...]

We’ve got a new staff member one coming on-board at Runde Auto Group– Jenna Schneider. We definitely hired a lively one. She seems to liven up the crew. Let’s get to know her a little better.   What do you do here at Runde’s? I take pictures and videos of cars. How long have you been here? It’s been just a couple of weeks now. Are you originally from the area? Yep. I’m from Menominee Il. Where did you go to school? I went to East Dubuque high school. What kind of past-times and hobbies do you partake in? I play volleyball, basketball and softball I also like to swim and boat. What is your favorite hang-out spot [...]

Isn’t there a famous song called, “Red Camaro”?  If not, then there should be.  Today a vehicle transport dropped off a sight to behold.  After all of the packaging material was removed from the car, we saw it in all its splendor … a gorgeous red pony car ripe and available for the picking for any customer who chooses to sign on the line that is dotted. If you’re in the market for a new red Camaro, please contact the sales staff at Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque to arrange a test-drive today.  We promise you won’t be disappointed.  Call us today at 866-735-5200.  And if you’re looking to trade in a vehicle, please feel free to submit an online trade in evaluation for your current vehicle and one of our sales staff members will get in contact with you to let you know exactly how much it will cost you to get [...]

Hello Gary, can you tell me a little bit about the event? This is the single largest event in Dubuque. This is the 24th annual year that Radio Dubuque has been involved with the 3rd of July show. It is a combination air-show and fireworks display. The Air Force has estimated our crowd at, well, let’s just say in the tens of thousands. Where is the show located? The central location for the show is down by the Dubuque lock and dam on 1860 Hawthorne St. The firework show starts at 9:45 and typically lasts around 25-30 minutes. The air show runs from about 6:00-8:15.    A bunch of awesome aircraft in one location? [...]

This week I had the chance to interview Johnny Kramer.  He has worked her for a while now and is responsible for several laughs around the PreDriven Used Car store and is a pleasure to talk with. Going out of the Runde Chevrolet building you are almost guaranteed to see the house he lives in on the western horizon as it lies on the hill across from Runde’s overlooking our every move. What do you do here at Runde’s? I’m a detailer. I do everything:  lot maintenance, checking cars for gas levels, making sure they start promptly, washing the cars and cleaning them up, and basically just making sure they are ready to go.

One of the most important holidays of the year is coming up … Mother’s Day. If you forgot about it or if you just weren’t paying attention, then you’d better get your butt in gear and plan out something special for dear old mom. Listen to Jeff Mohr, Pat Tucker, Dawson Rollinger (RIP), Gary Reiter and a few other employees discuss what they’re going to do for their mom on Mother’s Day. Don’t fret … there’s still time to shop if you haven’t done so already!!!   Even if you don’t have the means to buy something nice for your mother, it’s important to do something for you mom to show her how much she means to you.  

What is a Runde Monkey you ask?  Runde Auto Group has given out little stuffed Runde monkeys over the years to kids who are with their parents as they visit the dealership for service or when they’re purchasing a new vehicle.  The Runde Monkeys are normally outfitted with a small Runde bandana. The original band of Runde give-away stuffed “Monkey with Bandana” toys seemed dazed and confused today as a replacement model arrived on the scene. It seems that “Plain White T stuffed Monkey with Logo” toy will be taking their place as the first shipment came in. It’s always tough getting older, but it’s even more difficult to accept getting replaced by someone with less on-the-job experience. [...]

Below is a customer testimonial that was sent to our Runde Buick store from the Persons family from La Farge, Wisconsin. They recently purchased a Buick LeSabre Ltd from Runde’s and they after they returned home, they wrote a letter to our owners to express their gratitude and to let everyone know about the wonderful experience they had at our dealership. To the owner of Runde Auto Group:   On Thursday, March 19th at 4:30 p.m. we were near Boscobel, WI on our way to Cuba City.  We were driving our Buick LeSabre and started noticing that we were having some problems.  By the time we reached Platteville, we weren’t sure if we could make it to Cuba City, but decided to try and did make it.  Our next problem was that at 6:30 the next morning, we were leaving for [...]

So Lori Schoenberger, I’m told you’re the service manager here at the Runde PreDriven store … please tell me exactly what you do here over the course of a normal day. Pretty much everything? Parts coordinator, warranty administrator, service advisor… psychiatrist — isn’t that the one who helps people with their problems? Yea… psychiatrist, or shrink? Yea, part time shrink and… umm… yep. Sounds like you do pretty much everything. How long have you worked at Runde’s? Since 2001, almost eight years. How has the ride been for ya? Great. I used to work at Runde Chevrolet in East Dubuque as a title clerk but then I transferred up here three or four years ago. Are you originally from the area? Yep, I’ve lived in the Dubuque area all my life. What do you like to do outside of work? Chase around my grandchildren, work on my yard, the occasional boat ride, and [...]

East Dubuque is having an Independence Day Celebration on Sunday, June 28th from 1pm ’til dusk. Runde’s is very excited that we are sponsoring and donating to this event but we are even more excited to go to it. We were so anxious for the event that we decided to kidnap Casey Klein, board member of the East Dubuque Business and Tourism Group, in order to gain more information about the event. So raise your hand if you don’t like to have fun. Those of you who raised your hand can stop reading this post now, thank you for your time. For the remaining fun-loving individuals still here, listen up.   So Casey, can you describe for me what the Old Fashioned [...]

Need a part? Jason Keane in our Parts Department has got you covered. Jason, one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet.  And he was in my sights on my way into work this morning, so I asked if he would sit down for a quick interview so we could get to know him a little better. What do you do here at Runde’s? I work in the parts department at the parts counter. I help receive the parts and ship them out as well as ordering. If someone needs a part I will find it for them. How long have you worked here? Just over a year now, I started at the end of December. Are you originally from the area? I’m originally from Bellevue, IA but then we moved to Dyersville.  We’ve been there for just under a year now … we found a nice house there. What’s your most memorable [...]

The cars you love to look at and want to own. The new line of pony car candidates is very impressive and here is a video comparing three of the top pony cars: The Camaro, Mustang and Challenger. According to the video, this is the comparison test that you’ve been waiting 4 decades for.  The head-to-head test pits 3 of America’s iconic pony car (meaning cars with a lot of horsepower) coupes against each other.  Check out the video above to see which car gets the overall nod.  Will it be the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger, or the Chevy Camaro? The video says the Challenger goes down the road very nicely, however it is not as sharp-edged as the Ford Mustang GT and it doesn’t have the overall power and poise of the Camaro SS. The Mustang has that very lively feel that a pony car should have as it’s a very fine-handling [...]

As we move forward into the future, things change. You get a Mohawk .. your dad unveils that he is superman … or you come home to the pleasant surprise of your dog having an all-you-can-eat buffet of anything and everything in the house. Changes can be big or small, and lately, in the automotive industry there have been several changes. Beyond the scope of any economic woes, one big development in the automotive industry in the last couple of years has been the concept and implementation of electronic and hybrid vehicles.        A quick lesson about Hybrid and Electric vehicles: Electric cars – 100% emission free – secure their power from batteries, the sun or hydrogen fuel cells. Being able to pull power from other sources; they are definitely more efficient on gas. Hybrid cars – Combine the cleaner energy of the electric motor with the long-range power of the gasoline engine. Not as efficient [...]

As everyone knows today is Casimir Pulaski Day. Let’s get the party started! Wait… what? You didn’t know it was Pulaski day? You don’t even know who he is, you say? Well let’s make sure everyone is caught up to speed on the significance of this great man and why he is celebrated to this day. Casimir Pulaski was born in Poland on March 4, 1747 (the original spelling of his name was Kazimierz Pulaski) would live his life to end up being a hero. He is known for his contributions to the U.S. military during the American Revolution by training soldiers and cavalry of the American colonists. From his involvement and genius strategies he was given the title “father of the American cavalry.”   The holiday came to fruition to celebrate his efforts which aided America. Illinois enacted a law on June 20, 1977 for the celebration of Pulaski’s birthday. Celebrated heavily, [...]

Sparked with jealousy and envy I write this post.  I tell you the truth when I say that movie and television characters have it all … especially when it comes to cool cars … cars that me and my fellow co-workers would like to own. We love seeing our favorite characters cruise, leap, fly, chase and occasionally swim with their outrageously sweet rides. Here’s a list of the top 10 cars from movies and television we appreciate the most. #10. The Mystery Machine – Scooby Doo’s van #9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang #8. Christian Bale’s Batmobile #7. The original Batmobile #6. Herbie (The Love Bug) #5. 1969 Dodge Charger “General Lee” from The Dukes of Hazzard  #4. 1970s Camaro, rebuilt as a 2008/2009 Camaro prototype in the 2007 movie Transformers #3. 1977 Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit #2. 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am “KITT” from Knight Rider #1. 67’ Shelby [...]

Say: “What’s the big deal” by the time it took you to say that sentence (approx 2 secs) the modified Ultima GTR would have reached 60 MPH from zero. Maybe you’re thinking “that is absolutely absurd that a car can be that fast” by the time you finish that thought (about 4.5 secs) the car would be just passing up 100 MPH. Marlon Kirby and David Mcmahan implemented an all-aluminum 7.0-liter Chevy small-block v8 with twin turbochargers into the 2700-pound frame of the Ultima GTR. The modification gives an impressive boost with a 1600 horse power rating. The result is the fastest street legal car titled the “Maxximus G-Force” and a horrible gas mileage which runs through a full tank in nine minutes. Winning the lotto might not even be enough to afford one of these blurs of the road with a price tag of $3,000,000.   So you can’t afford an Ultima GTR [...]

When people want a good stereo in their vehicle, they normally ask, “Does this have the Bose sound system?” or “Does it come with Bose?”  Bose arguably offers the best vehicle sound system available on the market today. You know you’ve seen them all over the place, the self-acclaimed rock stars and vocalists of the roads. People listening to music so good that it makes them want to impress their audience of steering wheel, cup holder and bobble head characters with beautiful mumbled lyrics and cracking voice. Well now you can be inspired to rock even harder, and not feel as bad of energy waste, with the energy efficient Bose system being implemented in the New 2011 Chevy Volt. Prospective buyers of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will have an option to [...]

The announcement of the Corvette Centennial concept car at the Chicago Auto Show, introduced by GM, has received various opinions here at Runde. When employees were asked what their opinion was about the concept car there was emotion in the air. Some were taken back, like Al Dellabella of Runde Buick, who said “That looks like something from the 60’s with the front fender and the torpedo rear window.” Others were shocked by the build. They call it a concept car for a reason…” The car is modeled from the original 1959 Stingray racer and will be featured in the upcoming movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen which will be released on June 26th. The Corvette will be the character Sideswipe from the movie (shown below).  There is no plan of the [...]