Rick Curia, Co-Owner, Ken Nelson Auto Group One of the things that makes Ken Nelson unique and sets it apart from other dealerships in the northern Illinois area is the number of vehicle franchises it has. Ken Nelson offers full line General Motors, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, as well as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Toyota and Nissan. Where else in Northern Illinois can all these product lines be viewed so conveniently! Customers visiting the company' s headquarters at 1100 North Galena Ave. in Dixon can choose from more than 400 vehicles at a time. Ken Nelson also operates a second new and used car dealership in Sterling, Illinois, Ken Nelson Auto Mall 2503 N. Locust Avenue, and another used vehicle dealership, Instant Car Credit, which has locations in Dixon and Rock Falls. "We' ve been able to grow by leaps and bounds with all these locations," said Curia.

Ken Nelson has not always been this large. The dealership opened in 1964 as a Buick dealership at its current location in Dixon. The other lines have been added over the years through a series of buyouts of other dealerships. "For us to be able to survive and succeed, we needed to keep adding to our line of products," said Curia.

The first acquisition can in 1981, when the GMC line was acquired through the purchase of Stauffer' s GMC dealership. The final acquisition was made in 1999, when Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge were added through the purchase of Dempsey Motors.

The expansion on the new GM showrooms was completed in 2000. The bright white buildings features large windows which allow customers to browse in a comfortable climate-controlled environment while still seeing the vehicles in natural light.

When Ken Nelson opened its doors in the mid 60' s, it had 20 employees. Today it has about 150.

Ken Nelson also offers a complete Service and Parts department at each of its locations as well as a Quick Lube facility at the Dixon location where customers can not only get their oil changed but also a free car wash and vacuum, 10 point inspection, competitive prices and factory trained technicians. The Quick Lube facility hours are Monday - Friday 8-6 pm; Saturday 8-3 pm.

One of the ways it is able to draw people to the area is through its Web site www.kennelsonauto.com. The site is user friendly and provides people with a good idea of what the dealership has to offer.

"We' re not going to stop with where we are. We will continue to grow," said Curia. Ken Nelson Auto Group can be reached by calling 815-288-445 or toll free 800- 728-3325.

Chevrolet - Cadillac - Oldsmobile - Pontiac - Buick - GMC - Chrylser - Dodge - Jeep - Toyota - Nissan

Ken Nelson Auto Plaza
1100 N. Galena Ave.
Dixon, Il 61021
815-288-4455
800-728-3325

Ken Nelson Chrysler Toyota
1000 N. Galena Ave.
Dixon, Il 61021
815-288-4455
800-728-3325

Ken Nelson Auto Mall
2503 N. Locust St.
Sterling, Il 61081
815-622-0300
800-295-3325

www.kennelsonauto.com