KUNES AUTO GROUP JOINS THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY CORNER MARKETINGTHE IN THE PAST DOZEN YEARS, DCCVB TAKES THE LEAD ON PROMOTING DEKALB COUNTY
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DEK ALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2022 | 3 Larry Gregory PHOTOGRAPHY Fine Art Photographs Commercial - Architectural - Editorial Photography DeKalb, IL • 815/748 -3869 Caladium Circa 2020, Long Boat Key, FL
FEEDING WITH FLAME Family brings wood fired pizza to DeKalb 8
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FunME Events founder encourages people to explore the globe – he’ll even lead the way 10
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT SELLING CARS Kunes Auto Group has a mission to immerse in the community 12
DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is an engine of progress in our region 5
BITTEN BY WANDERLUST
INSIDE
Layout & Design: Julie Barichello
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
Project Manager: Lisa Angel
4 | September 2022 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE
Photos by: DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau, FunME Events, Kunes Auto Group, and Zana’s Wood Fire Pizza
DEK ALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2022 | 5
Executive Director Cortney Strohacker, Marketing Director Katherine McLaughlin and Special Projects Manager Brad Hoey recall the humble beginnings of the DeKalb County CVB and how they tirelessly work to collaborate with local business and attractions while they help boost the economy.
“The DCCVB was established 12 to 13 years ago, and the initiative really came from the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb Chamber,” Hoey said. “Debbie Armstrong, who was our longtime director of the DCCVB for 13 years before her retirement in 2019, joined some folks from the DeKalb Chamber and got the DeKalb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau started in 2011. Eleven years ago, the bureau was certified as DeKalb County’s destination marketing organization. It was shortly after that the name changed to DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.”
DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau members Cortney Strohacker, Brad Hoey and Katherine McLaughlin at the 2021 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism
eKalb County is home to wonderful people, beautiful landscapes, and incredible growth potential. As the county continues to evolve, support from the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is essential to the success of local businesses and attractions.
MIGHTY SMALL BUT
The DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is an Engine of Progress in Our Region and Beyond
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By: Kelley White
Hoey credits the Chamber and the selfless devotion of Debbie Armstrong with laying the foundation for DCCVB’s success.
The CVB’s website includes an array of recreational options for any interest or
“The value of having a destination events,organization,marketingwhichiswhattheDCCVBis,isgettingtomarketallofourattractions,andbusinesses.”
An organization like the DCCVB is influential in communities of any size, big or “Thesmall.value of having a destination marketing organization, which is what the DCCVB is, is getting to market all of our attractions, events, and businesses,” Hoey said. “Now, with our affiliation with Opportunity Inbound, DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, Workforce Development and Workforce Recruitment, we get to promote beyond our borders – all across the region, all across the state of Illinois and to a certain extent, all across the country.”
“It’s really our job to attract travelers, overnight visitors, sports tournaments, meetings, and conventions here to DeKalb County with a target of 55 miles and up,” Strohacker said.
DeKalb County is the DCCVB’s workplace, with their dedicated staff traveling hundreds of miles and laying the groundwork for the county to thrive and continue to prosper.
Social media plays an integral role in promoting businesses, attractions, and unique local treasures across DeKalb “WeCounty.do features on our social media –we’re out in the county, visiting different communities, and we’re just trying to promote everyone,” McLaughlin said. “As far as people reaching out to us or who we feature, we tell businesses on social media to tag us all the time, just so we can see
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“We work on the behalf of the DeKalb County Government as well as other private stakeholders,” she said. The DCCVB is partially funded through grants from the Illinois Office of Tourism, while other funds come from the county, municipalities and private stakeholders.
“Weinclination.havefree listings on our website, and we have free listings in our visitors guide –those visitors guides are in eight different tourist information centers throughout the state of Illinois,” McLaughlin said. “There are two in Wisconsin and one in Iowa as well as some at Union Station and Navy Pier. It’s free to be a part of these guides and, like I said, we love to promote everything we have.”
“I think our goal is to make DeKalb County a place to live, work, and enjoy life, and it’s really showing examples of that every day,” Strohacker said. “Number one, being an example as an organization and
making sure we work together as a team and emulate the things we look for in other small businesses or nonprofits. Also, getting out and really creating visibility for all of the opportunities here. We don’t spend a lot of time in the office; we are mainly out on the road trying to get all over the 652 square miles of the county, getting down to Sandwich and up to Genoa and everything in between.”
“We want to make sure we have a good relationship with all the communities within the county so that we’re telling our story correctly and giving the best idea of what the county is as well as being able to represent our county while bringing other people in,” McLaughlin said. “For organizations or anybody within our county, we can offer them a spot on our website. We promote everybody. ... We want to promote everyone because the more that we can offer, more people will come to participate. We want to promote everything that we have, everything that we can offer, all the free splash pads and the state parks and the miles and miles of forest preserves.”
The DeKalb County CVB promotes the region’s attractions, events and businesses to highlight the area as a prime place to travel, live and work.
The CVB’s highest priority is maintaining a strong relationship with organizations, businesses, and government entities within the county, ensuring their information is accurate and utilized correctly.
“I’ve got to give kudos to not only the city of DeKalb and the Chamber at the time, but also the entire county to be able to move forward and identify that this had been something the county really needed that would benefit our great destinations and the municipalities and attractions,” Hoey said. “I think a lot of credit has to go to Debbie, too. She shouldered a lot of the responsibilities essentially by herself for DCCVByears.”works in tandem with local governments and businesses across the county. It is DeKalb County’s only certified bureau, according to Strohacker.
After 13 years, DCCVB can tip its hat to the countless hours they’ve put in and the commitment to creating a lasting legacy in their community.
DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Cortney Strohacker presents at the IEDA Summit Chicago on behalf of efforts between DCCVB and Opportunity Unbound.
Inhere.”the
“We’re a relatively young bureau compared to our peers throughout the state,” Hoey said. “We are small but mighty. We have a wonderful board and with the cooperation and the support that we get from our municipalities, our partners, and other collaborators, we’ve been able to be quite successful and flourish for a number of years. Hopefully, we’ll get even more support in the future.”
DEK ALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2022 | 7
“We’ve helped some of the big corporations coming in right now attract talent and workforce development,” Strohacker said. “As we continue to grow, that need grows as well and we highlight all of those great things about DeKalb County so an employee is going to see how they can live, work, and enjoy life
future, Strohacker would love to see a brick-and-mortar visitors center come to “Wefruition.all
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Anotherregion.
McLaughlin said organizations and businesses are welcome to tag the DCCVB on social media for cross-promotion of amenities and events.
The goal of the DCCVB is to focus on being the main hub of information for the county, inside and out. Strohacker said one initiative is to aggregate community event calendars so residents and visitors have a one-stop shop to view everything happening across the DeKalb County
initiative is assisting businesses with enticing potential job candidates to the area.
what’s going on and we’ll either share it, do our own post with it, or both. The more exposure, the better it is.”
have goals for the future. We want to continue to move on the momentum that’s happening right now in DeKalb County, and the best is yet to come,” she said. “Eventually we would love to have an actual visitors center where people can come in and get information, maybe even buy T-shirts. At this point, the sky is the limit, and we want to continue to be a great economic driver for the economy here as well.”
Flame
“It’s my husband’s restaurant, and it was his idea,” Fateme Redjepi said. “He’s from Macedonia and we’re Albanian. There, he owned a couple of restaurants, and he worked for a little bit in Italy. That’s where he kind of learned pizza, pasta and other foods along those lines. He opened a couple of restaurants in Macedonia, and we met because my father is Albanian, and we would go back to Macedonia from time to time. We got married and came back over here and ever since, he had been looking for a restaurant. With his uncle, they found the location in DeKalb.”
Before opening Zana’s, Chefli Redjepi owned restaurants in Macedonia and gained valuable experience in Italy. Redjepi’s wife Fateme recounts Zana’s beginnings and how the burgeoning business is finding success in DeKalb.
amily is central to the new wood fired pizzeria in DeKalb.
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Zana’s Wood Fire Pizza is named after the daughter of co-owner Chefli Redjepi and the beautiful birds that nest in the Macedonian mountains. While Zana’s may be a younger business in the community, it creates an incredible first impression.
Like her husband, Fateme Redjepi has a plenty of experience in the restaurant business – she grew up in the food service industry in Rockford, where the couple currently lives. She said Chefli makes
By: Kelley White
Feeding With Family of Restaurateurs Brings Wood Fired Pizza to DeKalb
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Redjepi credits growing up in her father’s restaurants as the catalyst for nearly everything in her life. “The restaurant business is what gave me my work ethic, got me through school – everything I have is due to the work we put into the restaurant, the work that my dad put into the restaurant,” she said. “He was gone all day, and he didn’t want to be gone all day, but sometimes you have to sacrifice and work hard to achieve the things you want.”
The restaurant business is an essential part of the Redjepi family, and their tireless efforts have helped shape their work ethic and values.
the 45-minute commute each day to DeKalb because they loved the restaurant’s location.
They believe DeKalb is the perfect destination for a wood fired pizza oven. Pizzerias around Chicago sprout up like dandelions in a field, but wood fired-style pizza is still somewhat of a novelty to the suburbs.
time. She was so thrilled we were there; she couldn’t wait to try the pizza. The community is extremely nice.”
“If he wouldn’t eat it, he wouldn’t serve it,” she said. “That’s one thing about him – he doesn’t cut corners anywhere and he wouldn’t do it, no matter what.”
“They were looking around the whole area, where we are at in Rockford and surrounding areas around Rockford, and nothing was really standing out to them,” Redjepi said. “If we liked something, they couldn’t put the wood fired pizza oven in it, but my husband was determined – that’s what he wanted to do and that’s what his specialty is, so when we saw the DeKalb location we thought ‘wow’, and it just so happens that everything worked out.”
The community wasted no time in embracing Zana’s. Redjepi credits the community with being extremely supportive toward new businesses.
“We are family-oriented – the staff up front is very friendly,” Redjepi said. “In order to work in a place, you’ve all got to have the same kind of goals and mentality, so I would say the atmosphere is a lot like my husband. He wants to make sure the employees feel like they’re at home and like they’re a part of a family. When you make the employees feel comfortable like that, it creates a great atmosphere, and it comes across to the customers.”
DeKalb caught Redjepi’s eye right away, and it didn’t hurt that the landlord welcomed the installation of a wood fired pizza oven, a request that previously created snags for the family when searching for locations.
Since opening, Zana’s has served countless staples of Italian cuisine, but perhaps their most famous dish is, of course, the DeKalb Pizza featuring sausage, mushrooms, and
1406 Sycamore Road DeKalb, IL 60115 (815) 517-0733
DEK ALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2022 | 9
For some, success is about finding purpose while looking forward to cultivating more achievements. “What we want for Zana’s future is growth,” Redjepi said. “My husband simply wants to see it triumph.”
For Chefli Redjepi, the restaurant business is a place for his perfectionist nature to thrive. Fateme Redjepi said it is important to her husband that every order is the highest quality.
“Thecheese.DeKalb Pizza goes like crazy,” Redjepi said. “Overall, the pizzas and the calzones are the most popular.”
“I think my husband’s attitude to the food and how he wants his customers served is unique. You don’t find the dedication and the hours he puts in, and the perfection he expects from himself and the food that he makes in other restaurants,” she said. “I, myself, have worked in the kitchen and there were times when it was so busy and everyone was so tired, but regardless of how many hours he put in that day or how tired he was, he didn’t serve it unless it was perfect. I think that is what ultimately makes Zana’s unique. He’s got a dedication to it I can’t Zana’sexplain.”wasestablished by a family, and their family brings those values to their employees, creating an environment of hardworking individuals focused on the same goal.
WOODZANA’S FIRE
“My dad’s owned a lot of restaurants, but the customers here in DeKalb are very welcoming,” she said. “They really are. The first couple of weeks that we were open, we were so welcomed – there was a couple who had owned a restaurant in the DeKalb area who said we were the first ones to open an Italian restaurant in DeKalb in a very long
PIZZA
“It’s a great business to be in because you meet so many people and that, I think, is the best education you can get sometimes,” Redjepi said. “You can go to school for years and you can’t get a better education than sitting down and having a conversation with someone who’s lived 85 years. Sitting with them, watching them enjoy the food you’ve made them, and listening to them talk about their life is invaluable. It’s also very therapeutic to be in the kitchen with nothing but orders in front of you to fulfill.”
“My husband really wanted to do wood fired pizza because that’s what he’s worked with overseas,” Redjepi said. “My own family never really did anything like pizzas, we were more like pancake houses. My husband did wood fired pizzas well, so he really wanted to do that in his restaurant.”
Redjepi said her husband’s devotion to his craft and his commitment to quality work helps set Zana’s apart from other restaurants.
Hours: 11Saturday4-9Tuesday-Fridayp.m.&Sundaya.m.-9p.m.
Chefli Redjepi (left) and Fateme Redjepi
BittenWANDERLUSTbyFunMEEventsfounderencouragespeopletoexploretheglobe—
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After Embrey left band directing, he began planning events for large groups. Eventually, he partnered with his friend to create an adult and student tour company.
ife’s too short not to enjoy it. Veteran Mike Embrey of FunME Events lives by this mantra, and he encourages his fellow travelers and patrons to take the sentiment to heart.
“I encourage people to travel, whether with me or anyone, really. Go visit and do something to replenish your soul and your emotions,” Embrey said. “People think
“I’m often asked how I got involved in travel and it really, like many activities or work opportunities in life, came in the backdoor,” Embrey said. “I traveled a lot when I was younger as an entertainer and musician, and when I first came to DeKalb, I was the university marching band director. I had 260 kids in the van when traveling back then, so I had to learn a lot about the process and how to properly accommodate a group of people. I had to learn a special set of skills in order to move large groups.”
However, the landscape of traveling has pivoted in a more meaningful direction, even with the takeover of Instagram.
“When you go to see a different country, you see different lifestyles or different sized homes, and different foods,” he said. “I’ve been to 46 countries and all 50 states, and one of my co-workers has been to 90 countries, so we’ve kind of covered the Throughblock.”
By: Kelley White
his many travels, Embrey has absorbed something unique from every trip and “Visitingexcursion.Hong Kong, I realized how hard they work and how tirelessly they dedicate themselves to that work,” Embrey said. “I had an opportunity to go to a Hong Kong tailor and they fitted me for a new sport coat and some shirts. That was in the afternoon and when I got up the next morning, on the door at my hotel was hanging my jacket and shirts. It was astounding.”
together and helped each other out with staff and travel. Then, we started creating our own tours and for a long time, we would do the standard tours. We still do some of that, but about 10 years ago traditional travel really started to change.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent to Embrey that traveling is more essential than ever before.
In Cuba, Embrey was reminded of the blessings and privileges so many take for granted. “I was invited to Cuba on a music exchange in 2018. Cuba really is a Third World country – it’s still in 1959 and is a communist country. We were walking down the street with my host and one of the garage doors opened up and there were people lined up. I asked what it was, and my host said it was people getting their weekly
“We ended up putting the two companies together because senior citizens won’t travel on weekends or holidays and school kids can only travel at those times,” Embrey said. “So, we put the two companies
For years, traveling centered around capturing as many photos as possible with disposable Kodak cameras. Then, vacation photography evolved toward using more professional equipment and digital cameras, giving the average adventurer the ability to snap away to their heart’s content.
they’ll travel when they get older or when the kids are raised or something like that, but every day is a blessing. When you travel with us, we want you to come back full of knowledge and full of experiences and Embreymemories.”saidevery trip offers both experience and education.
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“Right now, we are more experiential in our tours – we want people to experience things,” Embrey said. “Now, we don’t go wine tasting, we go wine making. We’ll do a cooking school in Italy or a champagne tour in Northern France. We do a pub crawl of Scotland and Ireland. We want to get people to experience touch and feel. We also, by traveling with a group, are able to do things a little bit easier than individual travelers. With a group, we’re able to explain the landscape and still, there’s a lot of free time to do what they want. We call it ‘free spirit.’”
Embrey was bitten by wanderlust long ago, and it is a gift he gives to anyone curious enough to share their next adventure with FunME Events, an entertainment and excursions company that specializes in tours and adventures both domestically and Embreyinternationally.emphasizes the value of traveling in today’s climate and the impact of exploring new landscapes.
No matter where FunME takes you, there are endless avenues of exploration and wonder to behold.
“You may choose to go on an excursion to the historic Normandy Landing Beaches, including Omaha Beach, the Point du Hoc monument, and the American Cemetery,” Embrey said. “In Rouen, best known as the home of Joan of Arc, you’ll go on a guided walk through the medieval quarter and visit the gothic Rouen Cathedral — once the tallest building in the world. From Conflans, you’ll go on an excursion to the quaint and inspiring town of Auvers-SurOise — associated with several famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh — or you can visit Napoleon and Josephine’s Malmaison.”
Not to mention, Edinburgh is home to the biggest entertainment event in the world, the Edinburgh Music Tattoo, a once-in-a-lifetime musical spectacular.
PARIS AND NORMANDY
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650 Peace Road, Ste. F, DeKalb 815-756-1263 • funmeevents.com
WANDERLUSThe’llevenleadtheway
In Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, Vietnam, Embrey was struck by the unbelievable difference between his lodgings in the city of 9 million and the lifestyles of those who live outside the city.
From Aug. 14-21 in 2023, FunME will hop the pond and land in Loch-rich Scotland.
Patrons will also be able to tour Paris and absorb the many iconic sights of the City of Light.
These awe-inspiring destinations are only a few of the locations on the docket for next year, and every new season brings exhilarating possibilities and opportunities to learn more about the rock we call home.
From June 9-17 in 2023, Embrey invites travelers to join FunME on a Pacific Coast Adventure, experiencing the wild beauty of the Pacific
bag of rice and beans. It makes you think.”
Upcoming Excursions
PACIFIC COAST
“YouNorthwest.canset
SCOTLAND
“In 2019, I spent 15 days in Vietnam and Cambodia to understand that part of the world,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to stay in one of the nicer hotels in the city and it was one of the most opulent hotels I had ever been in, in my life. Then, I got on a boat and went up the Mekong Delta and it was 180 degrees from the hotel. Those folks live on $20 a day, the men fish every day, and men and women do the rice paddies. It’s a barter system too, seven days a week – what a contrast.”
Departing May 30, 2023, the FunME group will embark on an eight-day river cruise from Paris to Normandy, featuring gorgeous Paris and the breathtaking French countryside from the Seine River. Passengers will have the chance to see Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny or “Normandy’s Versailles,” Bizy Castle.
Mike Embrey has quite a few exciting itineraries on the FunME Events schedule coming up in the next year.
your sights higher than the Museum of Flight or the redwoods for lush green forests, cascading waterfalls, and ice-smothered volcanoes,” Embrey said. “From Seattle to Portland and all the way to the Golden Gate of San Francisco, the dramatic views of both city and seaside will astound on this nine-day Pacific Coast vacation.”
“Rolling hills and rugged coastlines, mythical creatures and elusive monsters, quiet fairways and boisterous bagpipes — this undiscovered tour of Scotland is a study in stark contrasts among the most beautiful of classrooms,” Embrey said. “Hitting the high points of the Highlands from Glasgow to Edinburgh, you’ll cruise on beautiful Loch Lomond, ferry to the dramatic Isle of Skye, and visit the home of golf, St. Andrews. More lush landscapes await as you search for the mysterious Nessie along the banks of Loch Ness, stand before the famous Glenfinnan viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films, and swoon over the 13th century Eilean Donan Castle nestled on a tidal island and featured in numerous films.”
“Wherever you go, it’s something unique,” Embrey said. “There are a lot of things I would never have known if I hadn’t gone and experienced them. Travel has a way of bringing people together, connecting various cultures and turning strangers into friends. And not just the tentative variety either, we’re talking the more profound kind, sparked by shared adventures, great dinner conversations, and unique lifelong connections. On our tours, the travelers will return home with more than a full camera roll and an epic set of travel stories –they return home with new friends.”
FUNME EVENTS
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT KUNES AUTO GROUP HAS MISSION TO IMMERSE IN COMMUNITY
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Regional General Manager Stephany Whitted talks about Kunes’ recent Bemis expansion and what the Kunes brand means to the communities they choose to join.
“Outside of selling just cars and RVs, Greg’s passion has always been about giving back to the community,” Whitted said. “Especially when we take over new stores like in DeKalbSycamore, we try to get involved with the community. We
SELLING CARS
Whitted estimates Kunes owns 32 auto stores and nearly 15 RV locations throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.
By: Kelley White
For owner Greg Kunes, it’s not about selling cars, but creating a connection to the communities Kunes serves.
he DeKalb-Sycamore business community is known for its positive, hospitable nature, and Kunes Auto Group is the newest addition to a roster of local businesses with like-minded goals for the region.
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“It began in Delavan, Wisconsin in 1995 when Greg Kunes bought the first store, having previously worked for his dad in other dealerships,” Whitted said. “Shortly after his first purchase, he bought a store across the street, which is now the Delavan Chevrolet location. Then he bought another couple of stores and there were four locations for a long time, but gradually, over the years, it became what it is now.”
lot of really great people. The core group that makes up our executive team and the heads of all the departments have worked here for a very long period of time. We’ve all had the same kind of philosophy and are very cohesive in our goal for what Greg’s trying to accomplish – and that filters down to the individual locations.”
“It’s not just about selling cars; it’s not just about trying to sell one more car or even make money on any given deal. It’s about taking care of people and taking care of customers by doing right by them. It’s not just a car buying experience, we want to make customers for life. It’s about seeing the big picture and taking care of them fully, not just when they buy a car.”
The newest expansion brings import cars and favorite auto brands to the heart of DeKalb-Sycamore in three locations: a Hyundai dealership, an auto mall with three franchises (Honda, Mercedes and Volvo), and a dealership that sells Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.
An unwavering dedication to customer support and relationships puts Kunes a cut above the rest when it comes to dealerships, according to Whitted.
Whitted, for her part, has been a dedicated, longtime employee, learning the business inside and out while promoting through the ranks quickly.
Focusing on charitable endeavors not only gives back to the community as a whole, but it also forges relationships, strengthening the bond between both the social and business community and Kunes in DeKalb-Sycamore.
KUNES AUTO GROUP LOCATIONS n Kunes CDJR 1825 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore n Kunes Honda 1875 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore n Kunes Hyundai 1380 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore DINE IN / CARRY OUT / DELIVERY 824 W LINCOLN HWY 758-8116DEKALBOPEN3:30PMDAILY Voted One of the PizzasBestinDeKalbCounty! • Pizza • Pasta • Chops • Chicken A DeKalb Favorite Since 1956$1.99ORDEROFVILLANUGGETSw/purchaseofanyLargeorFamilyPizza Value of $6.00. Please mention coupon when ordering. 1 discount per visit. Dine in or carry out only. Expires 2-22-23.
“I started working for Kunes in November of 2009, so I’ve been with the company almost 14 years,” says Whitted. “I went to college and had a profession centered around a wholly different thing which
contacted local high schools so we can help sponsor some of their activities, and we have been working with the local food bank. Company-wide, in every location, we collected donations for a food pantry. We packaged up the food and had a race to see which store could do it the fastest, it was like a fun competition.”
“Our success comes back to Greg and what his philosophies are,” Whitted said.
DEK ALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | September 2022 | 13
Since opening his first store in 1995, Greg Kunes has navigated his employees and businesses through many obstacles, including the Great Recession and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic. When the auto industry watched sales plunge early in the pandemic, Whitted credits Kunes with looking for opportunities to continue expanding through purchasing other locations or buying inventory.
“Greg’s focus is always on giving back to charity, so we always make that a priority for the communities we join,” Whitted said. “He’s very faith-based, and we donate back to churches as well.”
“He’s not afraid to take risks, and we have a really solid infrastructure made up of a
“The biggest thing is making sure we take
care of our employees because if we take care of our employees, the employees will take care of our customers,” she said.
With such a solid foundation, there’s no way but up for the auto group.
Auto groups are important to industry, and with such a large market, Kunes believes it’s
delighted to join the DeKalb-Sycamore area and is impressed with the camaraderie between businesses and the community.
their ironclad philosophies that sets them apart from other dealerships.
everybody was super happy we came in and they had heard great stuff about us from other locations,” Whitted said. “We joined the Chamber right away, so they’ve given us a lot of positive feedback and we’ve already been involved with some of their activities.
“You can’t really say someone is doing it right or wrong, it’s a big industry and I think that we try to always stand out as a company that does the right thing,” Whitted said. “We just want to take care of the customer. It’s not just about a car sale, and it’s important that we continue to do the right things, taking care of our employees and customers. It’s only going to contribute to our success. Word-of-mouth will spread that we do things differently and we’re not your typical Chicago Area car dealership, we’re not just trying to make a buck and then see you later. I think it’s important that we aren’t like everyone else, and that’s not to say other people do it wrong, it’s just a different way of doing the same Kunesthing.”hasbeen
“It’s not just about trying to sell one more car or even make money on any given deal. It’s about taking care of people and taking care of customers by doing right by them.“
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“We had been trying to acquire additional, import-type stores, and the opportunity presented itself. We already have a Honda and a Hyundai, but getting to experience Volvo and Mercedes is a great opportunity for us. If we get established in these locations and other franchises like those pop up, it presents another opportunity for us to expand.”
was right around the bottom out of the economy. So, I came in at a kind of low point, and it’s just been a great fit for me. It’s a great company to work for, and I’ve gotten to expand my career a ton. I started as an inventory person, and I worked all the way up to a Regional General Manager. They’re always giving people opportunities to expand, learn and grow, and due to the fact we keep adding more locations, a lot more opportunities come up. For me, it’s been an extremely successful career path and it’s exciting to see the direction it keeps heading. In a year, it can be even better than what we’re at right now.”
“I haven’t been here for very long, but the community has been very welcoming,
“It’s about staying on the track we’re on right now,” Whitted said. “We’ll keep doing what we’re doing with the locations we have and as we get more opportunity, we’ll continue to move forward and expand our realm of influence because, again, it’s about more than just selling a car. Our company, as a whole, brings a lot of great value and positivity to places and if it makes sense, we’re just going to continue to expand and keep taking care of everyone that we can in our communities.”
The Bemis location in DeKalb-Sycamore was a natural and welcome progression for the company. Whitted said it was an opportunity that benefited all parties: the previous owner wanted to sell the location at the same time Kunes sought to expand.
I think it’s a great, tightknit community, and it seems like a lot of people and businesses are very close. I think it’s a great opportunity for us to keep building and doing what we do and helping to impact the area in a positive way as much as we can.”
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