Kunes Country Dealerships

The Opening of the Business Development Center at Kunes Country Auto Group

By DanielleC | Posted in Business Development Center on Friday, May 11th, 2012 at 3:39 PM

The Business Development Center Staff - Internet Coordinators with Stephany Whitted, Manager

The Business Development Center Staff - Internet Coordinators with Stephany Whitted, BDC Manager

The Business Development Center (BDC) opened their doors April 2012 at Kunes Country Ford Lincoln, but also serves for Kunes Country Chevrolet Cadillac. The purpose of the BDC is to provide superior customer service to our new internet customers by creating a great first impression, answering initial customers questions, establishing their wants and needs in a vehicle, and building a trusting and long-lasting relationship.

Stephany Whitted originally started working at Kunes Country in internet sales at the Ford Lincoln store in Delavan. She was ready for the challenge of becoming the manager of the brand new BDC department.

“I definitely viewed this position as a way to increase my knowledge at the dealership, I felt that I was ready to move up to that next level. I was already comfortable handling the internet sales so it was a very easy transition for me to move into the BDC Manager role.”

Stephany Whitted, BDC Manager

The development and planning of this new department has been in the works for the past 5 years, and everyone is extremely excited and happy that it’s finally become a reality.

“I love being a part of the new BDC at Kunes Country Auto Group! It’s exciting to be part of the customer service process when someone purchases a new or used vehicle. Kunes is on the cutting edge of technology and innovation in the car-buying process. I am definitely thrilled to be a part of that!”

Tina Fergurson, Internet Coordinator

Are you in the market for a vehicle? Check out our new and pre-owned inventory, then call the BDC directly at (262) 740-6401 to speak to an internet representative directly, schedule an appointment for a test drive, and have any questions answered. We’re here to serve you!

To learn more about our new BDC staff members, visit our staff page.

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Drive One 4UR School – Kunes Country at Delavan-Darien High School

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 4:51 PM

Kunes Country with Principal Mark Schmitt and Associate Principal/Athletic Director Kevin Parker at Drive One 4UR School

On Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 69 students, faculty and community members came to Delavan-Darien High School participating in a fundraiser called Drive One 4UR School. The program was developed as a fun, engaging way to help high schools raise money to support their sports and extracurricular activities. For every valid test-drive completed, Ford Motor Company will donate $20 to the participating high school, up to $6,000!

Several sales specialists from Kunes Country volunteered to help run the day of including Evan Wagenaar, Bill Shimer and John Andreoni. Kunes Country Ford Lincoln was proud to be the Ford dealership represented at Delavan-Darien High School in this cause.

Anyone 18 or older with a valid drivers license could take a test drive of a Ford vehicle and therefore earn money for DDHS athletics. Participants completed a registration form, took the test drive, and then returned the registration form to a Kunes Country representative following the test drive.

Ford’s mission for the program is to expose as many individuals as possible to Ford and Lincoln vehicles while promoting goodwill within the community. This was Kunes Country Ford Lincoln and Delavan-Darien High School’s first year participating in the fundraiser, and they hope to do so again next year and many years to come.

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

John Andreoni from Kunes Country Ford Lincoln at UW-Whitewater’s Advanced Technology Automotive Showing

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 at 3:10 PM

2012 Lincoln MXZ Hybrid was shown at the UW-Whitewater's Advanced Technology Automotive Showing

Kunes Country Auto Group was invited to participate in the 7th annual UW-Whitewater’s Advanced Technology Automotive Showing on April 26, 2012. This was Kunes Country’s first year attending the event.

John Andreoni showing a passerby the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

John Andreoni from Kunes Country Ford Lincoln was our representative at the event and brought a 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (starting MSRP at $34,755) to show to local college students, professors, and community members during the auto show.

John Andreoni speaks to UW-Whitewater students

After the show, John gave a 10 minute speech to the attendees about Ford’s new line of battery-powered and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including the Focus Electric, 2013 C-Max Hybrid, and 2013 C-Max Energi, all set to launch in Fall 2012. Currently on the market is the 2012 Fusion Hybrid (starting MSRP at $28,775) and the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (highlighted above). John answered basic questions about the differences between plug-in and hybrid vehicles and the advantages they have against gas fueled vehicles. John also provided his perspective on the positive way Ford sees themselves in driving the future of alternative fuel source vehicles.

The purpose of the event is to bring awareness to the community about the design, performance and future availability of battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV’s) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV’s). Kunes Country Auto Group would like to thank UW-Whitewater for giving us the opportunity to participate in this event, and we are enthusiastic about future opportunities at UW-Whitewater.

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Reality Check at Elkhorn High School

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 3:51 PM

On April 25, 2012 Kunes Country Auto Group participated in an event at Elkhorn High School called “Reality Check” which marked the 7th annual year for this event. This year was the 1st year Kunes Country Auto Group was invited to participate.

John Andreoni, Sales Specialist with Kunes Country Auto Group

Reality Check involves local area high school students to participate in a role-playing experience about the milestone events in adult life. Including having a career with a possible spouse and children and how to financially provide for them. They were given a monthly income that they had to budget by purchasing items like insurance, clothes, furniture, entertainment, gas, and a car.

John Andreoni does roleplaying with students purchasing a vehicle

John Andreoni helps a student calculate their monthly car payments

Local area high school students wait their turn to simulate the car buying experience

John Andreoni, a sales specialist at Kunes Country Ford Lincoln, was the representative at the event for Kunes Country. He described interacting with the high schoolers as an enlightening and powerful experience. About 300 students from Elkhorn, Williams Bay, and Delavan-Darian High School stopped by his booth and simulated the car buying experience. He took them through the process as if they were actual customers of his, all the while giving them advice on how they would handle the real situation later in life.

John Andreoni playfully holding up the fake checks students wrote him for their vehicle purchase

Video and picture credits to Danielle Chaviano, Internet Marketing at Kunes Country Auto

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Libertyville High School Student Brian Georgeson is the Winning Key Holder to a 2007 Chevy Aveo

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 4:23 PM

Brian Georgeson from Librtyville High School

Brian Georgeson from Libertyville High School

Visit our Facebook page to view all photos of the event.

On Wednesday, April 18, 2012, Brian Georgeson, a high school student from Libertyville High School was the lucky winner to a 2007 Chevy Aveo, donated by Kunes Country Auto Group. Operation Click, a program designed to promote safe teen driving to local high school students, has teamed up with Kunes Country Auto Group to bring their program in Wauconda, IL at Mill Creek Banquets.

Operation Click at Mils Creek Banquets, 2007 Chevy Aveo, donated by Kunes Country Auto Group

Operation Click is a non-profit organization that operates in Illinois and Wisconsin. They encourage students through positive reinforcement and peer-led education to make a personal decision to wear their seatbelts, refrain from texting while driving, and drive sober. Their mission is to reduce teen fatalities and injuries from motor vehicle crashes by developing safe-driving habits with teens.

Georgeson was one of 12 other high school students participating in the drawing. In order to be eligible to win the car, students must sign a contract at the beginning of the school year. The contracts consist of 12 requirements the students must meet, including never texting while driving or consuming alcohol before operating a vehicle.

In a orange container, lay 12 keys to the vehicle. One by one each student would walk up to pick a key out of the container and hop into the vehicle and try to start the car. The winner was determined when the lights on the top of vehicle suddenly flashed. That student would then be the winner, and thus the owner of the vehicle.

This is Libertyville High’s third year in a row that a student has won a vehicle from their school.

At the previous Operation Click event at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI on April 11, 2012, the winning key was the first one drawn. With unbelievable odds – it happened again this time around!

Kunes Country Auto Group would sincerely like to thank Operation Click for bringing their program to Wauconda IL, and the local high school students for being great participates.

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Whitewater High School Student Alyssa Skindingsrude is the Winning Key Holder to a 2007 Ford Focus

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Thursday, April 12th, 2012 at 1:23 PM

Alyssa Skindingsrude posing by the license plate of her new car!

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012, Alyssa Skindingstrude, a high school student from Whitewater High School was the lucky winner to a 2007 Ford Focus SE, donated by Kunes Country Auto Group. Operation Click, a program designed to promote safe teen driving to local high school students, has teamed up with Kunes Country and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department to bring their program to Wisconsin and held their first car give away in Wisconsin at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan.

Operation Click at Lake Lawn Resort, 2007 Ford Focus SE, donated by Kunes Country Auto Group

Gregg Kunes with Operation Click Board Members

Operation Click is a non-profit organization that operates in Illinois and Wisconsin. They encourage students through positive reinforcement and peer-led education to make a personal decision to wear their seatbelts, refrain from texting while driving, and drive sober. Their mission is to reduce teen fatalities and injuries from motor vehicle crashes by developing safe-driving habits with teens.

Skindingstrude was one of 11 other Walworth County high school students participating in the drawing. In order to be eligible to win the car, students must sign a contract at the beginning of the school year. The contracts consist of 12 requirements the students must meet, including never texting while driving or consuming alcohol before operating a vehicle.

In a green container, held by Gregg Kunes, owner of Kunes Country Auto Group, lay 12 keys to the vehicle. One by one each student would walk up to pick a key out of the container and hop into the vehicle and try to start the car. The winner was determined when the lights on the top of vehicle suddenly flashed. That student would then be the winner, and thus the owner of the vehicle.

It didn’t take long, Skindingstrude was the first student selected to draw a key. With only an 8% chance of winning, the odds were definitely not in her favor, but to everyone’s surprise, she held the winning key!

Kunes Country Auto Group would sincerely like to thank Operation Click for bringing their program to Delavan, and the local Walworth County high school students for being great participates.

Whitewater High School students supporting Alyssa

Gregg Kunes interviewing with WISN Channel 12 News

To view more pictures of the event, please visit our Facebook page

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Car To Be Given Away To H.S. Student with Winning Key At Lake Lawn Resort

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Tuesday, March 27th, 2012 at 3:48 PM

Kunes Country Auto Group with Sean McGrath, President of Operation Click

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012, a high school student from Walworth County will be rewarded a new car for being a safe driver. Operation Click will hold its first car give away in Wisconsin at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan between 11AM and 2PM. Qualifying student will be issued keys to a beautiful red Ford Focus, with only one lucky student having the key that will start the car. That student will then own the car. It’s part of “Operation Click”, an innovative area high school drivers.

2007 Ford Focus, 2 door SE - This car will be given away at the Operation Click event on April 11, 2012.

Interior Shot of the car

While Operation Click has been rewarding high school students with a car for the past 8 years in Northern Illinois counties, this is the first time a high school student from Wisconsin can win. Operation Click has teamed up with the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office and Kunes Country Auto Group to bring their program to Wisconsin. The program is designed to promote safe teen driving to local high school students.

During the week prior to the April 11 drawing, two eligible students will have their names drawn at each school and those two students will then compete against a possible field of 14 students for the vehicle. In order to be eligible to win the car, students must sign a contract at the beginning of the school year. The contracts consist of 12 requirements the students must meet.

Some of the requirements are;

They are not to text and drive – ever
They will not drink alcoholic beverages and drive
They will not ride in a vehicle with a driver who has consumed alcohol
They will always wear their seat belt as a driver and passenger of a vehicle as well as encourage others to wear their seat belt
They can’t be convicted of a traffic or alcohol violation or have any discipline issue at school

Kunes Auto Group has displayed a vehicle, similar to the one that will be given away, in the front of the school during numerous sporting events. Tim Breidenstein from Kunes Auto Group has also come to some of the DDHS sporting events to encourage parents and students to “buckle-up” and drive safe.

Operation Click is set up as a club in the schools. Students in those clubs help promote safe driving among their classmates. Some classmates are even rewarded for being “caught” wearing their seat belts with gift certificates or music download cards donated by area businesses.

Based on Wisconsin DOT statistics, in 2010 there were 86 high school aged students injured in car crashes in Walworth County. Fortunately that year, there were no fatalities for kids in the same age group.

“Gregg Kunes and his staff make this program possible. They have worked directly with Operation Click board members and gone above and beyond what was asked of them”. Alex Justes (AJ), a salesman at Kunes Country, has been placed in charge of overseeing the Operation Click program. This includes arranging what car will be given away and promoting the program by giving presentations at participating high schools.

For more information about Operation Click, please visit their website http://www.operationclick.com/.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post about the outcome of the event!

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Items to Always Keep in Your Vehicle During Winter

By DanielleC | Posted in Service and Maintenance on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 12:44 PM

Chicago Blizzard February 2011 (one year ago today)

Let’s face it, living in the Upper Midwest gets its fair amount of winter weather. From freezing temperatures, black ice, snow drifts, and blizzard conditions. So if for some unfortunate reason you are stranded in your vehicle, having these items in your vehicle could potentially save your life.

Blankets, warm hats, and gloves

Obvious choices to have in case there is a significant amount of delay for your rescue due to severe weather conditions. When you are isolated without a heat source you may develop hypothermia if not properly bundled up.

LED Flashlight

Good for nighttime conditions on country roads where the light source is little to none. Good for seeing inside and around you vehicle and good for signaling other drivers that you are in need of help.

Non-Perishable Munchies

Chips, cookies, pretzels, trail mix, anything that can be left in your vehicle for long periods of time will come in handy when you’re stranded on the road and can’t easily walk to the nearest gas station or McDonald’s for some quick food.

Bottled Water

You can live without food for many days, you can’t live without water. Always a priority to have in your vehicle. Throw 4 or 5 in your trunk.

Jumper Cables

Cars that sit for days on end in freezing weather may not start properly. It’s a handy item to have anytime of the year for yourself, a friend or family member, or a complete stranger in need!

Emergency Flares

Good in nighttime conditions where you need to alert other passing vehicles or a rescue crew of your presence. Please use a safe distance away from you and your vehicle.

First Aid Kit

Something that comes with the basics. Also throwing aspirin in there isn’t a bad idea if you suffer from frequent headaches or muscle/joint pain.

Knife or Scissors

If you or a passenger are stuck in the seat belt this item would be useful to cut you out of it.

Cell Phone Charger

Useful for inconvenient times when your phone dies and you need to get a hold of 911 or loved ones.

Shovel

Use for piled up snow drifts that are blocking your way.

Salt, Sand, or Kitty Litter

Another item to use when your vehicle is stuck in the snow, good for traction.

Ice Scraper

This is more than likely already in your vehicle already for normal winter weather.

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Freezing for Food 2011

By DanielleC | Posted in Kunes Country Events on Friday, December 2nd, 2011 at 2:02 PM

Freezing for Food 2010

Freezing for Food 2010, with Kunes Country owner Gregg Kunes

The Freezing for Food campaign is a food drive that collects non-perishable food items from local businesses, and donates them to area food pantries. This awesome event is hosted by 104.5 WSLD, and has become an annual tradition for the past 13 years. Slightly different from past years, the 2011 campaign included a “Freezing for Food Tour” running from September through December, with its final location being Kunes Country Ford Lincoln in Delavan on December 2, 2011.

Freezing for Food 2011, Reggie Michaels on far right

Reggie Michaels, the morning talk show host of 104.5 WSLD, was at Kunes Country Ford Lincoln from 12-4PM broadcasting live. At 4PM area food pantries were invited to Kunes Country to pick up the food that was collected.

Kunes Country Ford Lincoln is “Freezing for Food’s” biggest sponsor. The Kunes Country Ford Lincoln service department has donated one or two hours of their time to help with this campaign. Which when matched by the owner Gregg Kunes, totaled over $7,000 donated! Other contributors to this campaign included Generac Power Systems, donating $1,000, and Sorg’s Meat Market, who donated brats and chili to the day’s event at Kunes Country Ford Lincoln for the generous people who came in support of the “Freezing for Food Tour.”

“It’s such a wonderful thing that someone can donate food that goes right onto the shelf… Gregg Kunes is so dedicated to his community; he’s willing to have us here at his dealership supporting this.”

Reggie Michaels, Morning Talk Show Host of 104.5 WSLD

In total, 10,000 pounds worth of food will be donated to local pantries because of 104.5 WSLD’s “Freezing for Food Tour.”

Be Sociable, Share!

Tweet

Kunes Country Dealerships

The Opening of the Business Development Center at Kunes Country Auto Group

Drive One 4UR School – Kunes Country at Delavan-Darien High School

John Andreoni from Kunes Country Ford Lincoln at UW-Whitewater’s Advanced Technology Automotive Showing

Reality Check at Elkhorn High School

Libertyville High School Student Brian Georgeson is the Winning Key Holder to a 2007 Chevy Aveo

Whitewater High School Student Alyssa Skindingsrude is the Winning Key Holder to a 2007 Ford Focus

Car To Be Given Away To H.S. Student with Winning Key At Lake Lawn Resort

Items to Always Keep in Your Vehicle During Winter

Freezing for Food 2011

Categories

Recent Posts

Welcome to Kunes Country Auto Group!

New

Pre-Owned

Tools