Jim McComb & Neil Norton No More, Long Live Uftring Weston

On Wednesday, March 23, Uftring Auto Group officially acquired Neil Norton Cadillac. The dealership has been merged with Jim McComb Chevrolet and the two are now known as Uftring Weston Chevrolet Cadillac. We are all very excited about the addition of the Cadillac brand to the Uftring Auto Group lineup and the value it will bring to you, our customer.

Cadillac has some truly amazing and extraordinary cars on its roster that only serve to enhance and flesh out the offerings of the Auto Group as a whole. In addition, it's a great compliment to the Chevrolet brand and you should be served well with the ability to shop the two iconic American brands on one lot. It's our first American luxury brand, joining our import luxury offerings from Jaguar, Land Rover, Range Rover, and Saab.

Our founder and president, Gary Uftring, is proud to offer the Cadillac brand to Uftring customers. This fulfills a personal dream of his to have the ability for Uftring Auto Group customers to purchase a new Cadillac from an Uftring dealership. This is a joint venture between Gary Uftring and the CEO of the Uftring Auto Group, Mark Weston.

2011 Cadillac SRX - best selling luxury crossover

This week through Thursday, March 31st, we're holding a huge sale at the former Neil Norton Cadillac and Jim McComb Chevrolet locations. We have to reduce our inventory in order to fit it all at the former Jim McComb lots. At the close of this week and the beginning of April, all of the Cadillac inventory will be moved to the two former Jim McComb Chevrolet locations at the corner of War Memorial and University in Peoria. You can continue to visit this location for all of your sales, service, parts and body shop needs.

In the meantime, the former Neil Norton location will undergo an extensive renovation to the building and lot. Upon completion this fall, it will be the brand new location of Uftring Weston. Expect an exceptional and beautiful world class facility fit for the 21st century. You can expect the same great service, value, and integrity you've come to expect from Jim McComb, only now with a gorgeous new building that will streamline and enhance your experience.

Look for more news on this blog and our Facebook and Twitter accounts soon!

Jim McComb Chevrolet Receives Mark of Excellence

It's always nice to have your hard work and dedication recognized by someone on the outside. Jim McComb Chevrolet was just recently recognized for their accomplishments by none other than General Motors.

The Mark of Excellence is an award given by General Motors to dealerships that achieve a superior sales volume and exceptional dedication to customer service and satisfaction.

From Left: General Manager Kevin Lundquist, President Mark Weston, General Manager Jeff Loucks

"It's really about the customer service. This award is due to the hard work of everyone here, from service and sales to the receptionists and those in the shop," said Mark Weston, President of Jim McComb. Weston received the award on behalf of the dealership and he was thrilled with the team effort put forth to attain the Mark of Excellence. General Manager Kevin Lundqust said the award is something the whole dealership is proud to have achieved.

It may be good news for the dealership, but it's great news for current and future customers of Jim McComb Chevrolet. General Manager Jeff Loucks said, "This is a dealership that you can walk into with confidence knowing you'll receive an exceptional level of customer service." No arguments there!

Mark Weston Accepts the award from Chevy District Sales Manager Nancy Dowdle

The Mark of Excellence is actually the name of the GM logo and the words could be found written underneath the logo for many years. Stop by Jim McComb today for a Mark of Excellence Experience! Don't forget to fan us on Facebook.

Child Safety in Peoria

What: DNA LifePrint
Where: Jim McComb Chevrolet OR Uftring Chevy Saab
When: Saturday, August 21 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Why: To keep your kids safe!
Cost: FREE!

Do you want to protect your children, grandchildren or young siblings? The answer to that question is an obvious "YES." Would you like a free safety kit that can aid in their protection? Again, a no brainer.

Along with selecting a car that has great safety features, there are other important steps you can take. DNA LifePrint is an organization that is dedicated to protecting children across the United States. It was started by John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted and Joe Matthews, Detective for the City of Miami. DNA Life Print events will be held at Jim McComb Chevrolet and Uftring Chevy Saab on Saturday, August 21st from 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The fire department will also be present at each location to assist with the event. And what kid doesn't like fire trucks?

DNA LifePrint will provide your family with a kit for each child. Included are ten digit FBI Certified biometric fingerprints, a DNA Lifeprint home identification kit, a high quality digital photograph of your child and the DNA LifePrint Child Safety Journal. These are great tools to keep in your arsenal to help protect your loved ones. This service and the products are provided for free at absolutely no cost to you or your family. In addition, DNA LifePrint does not keep any records of your child or provide them to the government or any third parties. These are yours to keep in the privacy of your home. In the event of an emergency, if your child goes missing, you can provide law enforcement with these items to aid in their investigation.

If you have one child or ten, we hope that you will stop by Uftring Chevy Saab in Washington or Jim McComb Chevrolet in Peoria on Saturday for this event. It's free and an extremely valuable resource to have. Take some time out of your day to keep your kids safe. They'll love the fire trucks. You'll love knowing you have multiple tools to keep them safe. Hope to see you there!

Electric Vehicles Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF Coming to Peoria!

The automobile industry is taking us into an exciting new era with some of its upcoming vehicles. The Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt are two different approaches to implementing electric powered engines into cars. These are two hot vehicles that are generating a lot of buzz, and we at Uftring are proud that we will be able to offer our customers a choice of electric vehicles at the end of this year through our Uftring Nissan and Chevrolet dealerships in Peoria. There are many benefits to electric powered cars, including zero emissions, a much lower cost of travel than using gasoline, and reduction of dependency on foreign oil among others.  Both the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt can be powered up by plugging them in to an outlet at your home.

The Nissan LEAF runs purely on electrical power. It doesn't even have exhaust pipes because there are no emissions! Customers can actually pre-order the Nissan LEAF through the LEAF's website for $99, though that doesn't guarantee you a vehicle. The Nissan LEAF can travel up to 100 miles on a charge - perfect for traveling around Peoria, Pekin, Chillicothe, Bloomington Normal, or Galesburg.  This car is exciting because it's real, not just a concept, and they will be in our Peoria dealerships this fall and winter! Uftring Nissan, in Peoria on Allen Road, will see the Nissan LEAF arrive in stock sometime this December.  That means you could be driving an electric vehicle in Illinois before the end of the year.

The Chevrolet Volt is another take on the electric car, though it isn't purely electric like the Nissan LEAF. The Chevy Volt does not have a gas engine, but it does have a gas generator that will power up to produce more electricity for the battery when its charge is depleted. The Chevrolet Volt can travel up to 40 miles on an electric charge, and about 300 miles overall with the gas generator. The Chevy Volt should be in Peoria sometime in November.

You can read in more detail about these electric cars in Peoria at the Chevrolet Volt page on JimMcComb.com and the Nissan LEAF info page on the Uftring Nissan website. We're extremely excited for their potential and that we can offer our customers a variety of vehicles to suit their tastes, preferences, and lifestyles. Visit us online if you need any Nissan service or Nissan parts to your vehicle in Peoria, or if you need any Chevy parts or Chevy service for your vehicle in the Peoria area. We hope to see you soon! Visit for updates on the latest vehicles and happenings at the Uftring Auto Group, and don't forget to become fans of the Jim McComb Facebook page and the Uftring Nissan Facebook page to stay on top of the most recent news.

The Future of Jim McComb

Jim McComb Chevrolet has two new General Managers, Jeff Loucks and Kevin Lundquist! Jeff and Kevin have dedicated a high level of service to Jim McComb for many years, and it's fitting that they were both recognized for their talents, abilities, and hard work. We interviewed both men to find out where they've come from and what they're planning for the future.

Jeff has been at Jim McComb for nearly 18 years. His favorite thing about working? Helping the customers with their driving experience and fulfilling their wishes and desires. He began as a service technician and team leader, but it was less than a year before he was promoted to Assistant Service Manager. A little over a decade later and he became the Service Manager. Jeff is a firm believer in the concept that employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction, and so he strives to create an enjoyable and positive work environment. He is most excited about elevating employees and seeing where they are able to go with the opportunities they are given. Customers should be excited about choices, opportunities, and a new vision of customer service, while at the same time maintaining the high level of customer service that has come to be expected at Jim McComb Chevrolet. Jeff gets a kick out of seeing people walk out of the store with a smile.

Kevin started his career at Jim McComb Chevrolet washing cars in high school. He then worked his way through the sales and finance departments, holding a managerial position in each area, until he was promoted to sales director. Kevin loves the great atmosphere at the store and the attention to customer service. Getting to know the customer is one of the advantages of the environment. Providing the same high level of customer service is one of his aims, and he also wants to bring a fresh perspective to the position. Kevin is most excited to use his experience in different fields to build great teamwork. Customers should be excited to receive the same high level of customer service they've come to expect.

Both men agreed that the Uftring Auto Group has a great business environment. Though it's a large organization, they have relationships with and feel connected to employees at the other stores. It is an environment where employees have an opportunity to grow due to the compassion and materials, tangible and intangible, they are provided with. The two men believe that Gary Uftring has a vision of business today and tomorrow, and equips his employees with the necessary tools to achieve that vision. That is what has allowed Uftring as a group to achieve the success it has.

We're excited for the future at Jim McComb Chevrolet! It's in the hands of some intelligent, kind, and capable men.

 Jeff Loucks

Kevin Lundquist

Make sure to check out the Jim McComb Facebook page, become a fan, and leave us some comments about your experience at Jim McComb Chevrolet. Share what you would like to see from us in the future!

Jim McComb Chevrolet Awards Malibu, Then Hawaii

Lightning struck for Anthony Linthicum on the eighth green at Weaver Ridge Country Club on Thursday, as he notched the first hole-in-one of his career. Linthicum was participating in a golf scramble for The Christian Center to raise money for the organization. It seems the Almighty was smiling on him, as Uftring Auto Group member Jim McComb Chevrolet was the sponsor of the eighth hole. His shot netted him a 2010 Chevy Malibu. Well, almost.

Linthicum was ineligible to win the 2010 Chevy Malibu from Jim McComb due to being listed as a “professional” with the United States Golf Association. As a consolation prize, Linthicum was awarded a trip to Hawaii including $1500 in expense money, five days of golf and a hotel. Upon hearing the news he was “speechless.” His wife had just mentioned to him a couple of weeks before that she would like to take a trip to Hawaii.

According to Linthicum, he had no special feeling about his shot before or even after he swung the club. “It was kinda hazy, you couldn’t see well,” said Linthicum. He didn’t even know the ball went in to the hole until Nate Mooningham, a witness down on the green and a driver for the Uftring Auto Group, raised his arms in elation.

Mooningham said the shot hit the edge of the green and rolled right in to the pin. He jumped out of his chair when he noticed the ball was heading for the hole, then walked over and confirmed the feat by raising his arms in the air. He wanted everyone to know what had been accomplished and that he didn’t interfere with the ball.

Linthicum started playing golf when he was eight years old. A Peoria native, he grew up by Madison Park Golf Course in West Peoria. As a child he would wait until it was nearly dark at dusk and then sneak on the course to play. He was given one golf club every year on his birthday; it took him until he was a teenager to acquire a full set.

Linthicum was simply trying to hit the center of the green with his shot. He was shocked when he arrived at the green and confirmed he hit a hole-in-one. The eighth green is reported to be a difficult hole, made even more challenging by the tough pin placement that day.

It didn’t phase Linthicum, a frequent Uftring customer. He has purchased four vehicles from the Uftring Auto Group in his lifetime, spread across Uftring Auto Mall and Uftring Nissan.

Further proof that Jim McComb Chevrolet’s sweet deals don’t stop at the lot, or even the continental United States. We at Uftring Auto Group wish the Linthicum’s the best on their trip to Hawaii!

The Peoria Journal Star also ran a story. Check it out!