NYE Hours

Happy New Year's Eve! We will be closing at 4:00 PM today and will remain closed tomorrow in honor of New Year's Day. The weather does not look too promising, so please be careful if you are traveling today.

The Baum family hopes you have safe travels and a Happy New Year! See you all next year...

Did You Know?: A Time To Remember

It's hard to believe that 2012 is already coming to an end. While we get ready to say goodbye to another year, we would like to take a moment to remember a few notable people. Salesman Tim Hoyt has compiled a list of famous individuals who passed away this past year:

• Whitney Houston (48) - Singer/Actress
• Donna Summer (63) - Singer/Songwriter
• Mayberry's Andy Griffith (86) and George Goober Lindsay (83)
• Kitty Wells (92) - Singer
• Phyllis Diller (95) - Actress/Comedian
• Don Grady (68) - Actor/Musician 
• Zig Ziglar (86) - Author/Salesman
• George McGoverin (90) - U.S. Representative/ U.S. Senator/ 1972 Democratic Presidental Nominee
• Ray Bradbury (91) - Writer
• Charles Colson (80) - Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon
• Frank (Sam Drucker) Cady (96) - Actor
• Davy Jones (66) - The Monkees
• Andy Williams (84) - Singer/TV Host
• Astronauts Neil Armstrong (82) and Sally Ride (61)
• Larry Hagman (81) - Actor
• Sherman Hemsley (74) - Actor
• Chad Everett (75) - Actor
• Alex Karras (77) - Football Player/Actor
• Robin Gibb (62) - The Bee Gees
• Michael Clarke Duncan (54) - Actor
• Dick Clark (82) - Radio/TV Personality
• Richard Dawson (79) - Actor/Comedian
• Sweathogs Rob Pallilo (63) and Robert Heyges (70)
• Ernest Borgnine (95) - Actor
• Jonathan Frid (87) - Actor
• Vidal Sassoon (84) - Hairdresser 
• Gary Carter (57) - Professional Baseball Player
• Mike Wallace (94) - Journalist/Game Show Host
• Mr. Food Art Ginsburg (81)
• Peter Breck (82) - Actor
• Channel 3's Robert Reese (50)
• General Norman Schwarzkopf (78) - Former Commander of U.S. Central Command

On the automotive side, we are saying goodbye to the Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck after the 2013 model year.

2013 MY Chevrolet Avalanche

Thank you, Tim, for once again impressing us with your vast knowledge of the world outside the auto industry. We look forward to learning more from you next year!

We're Making Progress!

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Holiday Hours

Attention Baum Chevrolet Buick Customers: the dealership will be open on Monday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) from 8 am to 2 pm. It will be closed on Tuesday, December 25 (Christmas). Normal hours will resume on Wednesday, December 26.

If you are planning on traveling over the holiday, now is the time to get your vehicle's oil changed. Visit our Quick Lube center for assistance - no appointment necessary! You can even get the salt cleaned off your vehicle with a Quick Wash for only $7.

Whether you are heading out of town or simply driving a few blocks, we hope that you have safe travels. Happy Holidays!

Winterize Your Vehicle

Although we have been fortunate so far this winter, it is only a matter of time before snow starts to accumulate across the area. The Baum Chevrolet Buick service staff recommends a proactive approach to vehicle maintenance. This will keep your vehicle and most importantly, you and your family, safe this winter. Here are a few tips to help winterize your vehicle:

• Check your battery to make sure it is corrosion-free
• Replace your wiper blades to ensure good visibility 
• Check your tire pressure and tread depth
• Check all belts and hoses for wear and tear
• Make sure your antifreeze is a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water to prevent freezing

Not sure if your vehicle is ready for winter? The Baum Chevrolet Buick service department and Quick Lube center can help. Click here to schedule service.

Also, make sure to stock your vehicle with the following items:

• Flashlight
• Jumper cables
• Tire gauge
• A properly inflated spare tire
• Tire changing equipment
• Cell phone charger
• Bag of sand, salt, or kitty litter to help generate traction if you get stuck
• De-Icer spray to clean your windshield or melt ice off lug nuts to fix a flat tire 
• First aid kit
• Ice scraper
• Small shovel
• Emergency kit which includes a wool blanket or sleeping bag, extra gloves, hat and boots, an extra set of warm clothes, water and non-perishable food items such as nuts, dried fruit, or hard candy

A Year In Review

Can you believe we're already halfway through December?! 2012 sure did slip past us!  With the year drawing to an end we would like to recap some of the important events here at Baum Chevrolet-Buick:

• Thank you to all of the Baum employees and loyal customers for helping us achieve the 2011 Mark of Excellence award for both Chevrolet and Buick! The award, which is presented in 2012 by GM, is based on improvements in sales effectiveness, market penetration and customer satisfaction. Baum was previously awarded the Mark of Excellence in 2001 for Chevrolet and Buick, as well as 2007, 2009 and 2010 for Chevrolet.

• In March the detail department had a busy Friday with a record breaking 90 Quick Washes! After Saturday they totaled 150 Quick Washes for that weekend!

• Baum Chevrolet-Buick found a unique purpose for one of our pre-owned vehicles.  In May the dealership donated a 2000 Buick Century to the family of Tyler Auten, a six-year-old Autistic boy from Bloomington, who was trying to raise $13,000 to purchase a special service dog. The Century was turned into a giant chalkboard for kids and adults to draw or write inspirational messages in support of Tyler. Family friend and parent of an Autistic child, Ryan Abbott, featured the Buick at several car shows in Bloomington throughout the summer to generate additional donations.

"Art For Autism" car

• Baum Chevrolet-Buick and Ted's Garage was proud to host the annual Christy Massey Foundation Bass Tournament dinner on Friday, June 1. Established in 1997, the Christy Massey Foundation is a memorial for Christy Massey; a Clinton native who died in a car crash at the age of 17. Since its creation, the Foundation has built and maintained a children's park and provided scholarship money to graduates of Clinton High School.

Christy Massey Bass Tournament participants

• Baum Motor Company in Farmer City celebrated 10 years with an open house Wednesday, June 20.  Guests enjoyed a meal catered by Bonnie Wright.  All attendees were entered into a drawing for a chance to win an Apple iPad, oil changes, trailer rentals, details, and 1 day Volt cruises! 

• Out with the old in with the new! Construction on our dealership began on June 29^th.  Please pardon our dust as we welcome the future design of Baum Chevrolet-Buick!  The remodeling of our new store should be completed by next spring.  If you’d like a sneak peak on what it’s going to look like come on in, we can show you pictures! 

The future Baum Chevrolet Buick

• To help promote local youth sports, we teamed up with the Chevrolet Youth Soccer program and the Clinton Community YMCA. The CYS program serves as a unique fundraising opportunity for youth soccer leagues across the nation. In order to help cover local program costs, we donated $500 to the YMCA. We are proud to be in a community that supports extracurricular activities for our youth!

Clinton Community YMCA Soccer participants

• Tony Soupreskis retired from Farmer City’s Baum Motor Company at the end of June.  Tony had been with Baum Motor Company’s service department since day one.  We would like to thank Tony for all of his hard work throughout the past years.  We would also like to wish a very deserving man an incredible retirement!

• We wished a happy retirement to sales consultant Barb Rose on August 31^st.  Barb plans to move to Newberg, Indiana where she will become a caregiver.  Besides care giving she also has a list of many other things to keep her busy.  We appreciate your service Barb and wish you the best of your retirement!

• In September we welcomed Dee Rutledge to the Baum team!  She is a sales associate taking Barb Rose's place as she enjoys her new path on retirement!

• It’s “trending”!  Hey Tweeps!  Follow us on Twitter @BaumChevrolet.

• Scott and Ted's 7th Annual Car Show was comprised of months of planning, numerous volunteers, a swarm of participants, a steady flow of spectators, a little bit of glitter paint and one very special boy, Tyler Auten. This year’s event produced a near record turnout of over 215 vehicles- more than doubling last year’s show. Spectators were able to see a wide range of classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and street rods dating back to the early 1920’s. Every vehicle had a unique appeal and, most importantly, a great background story. This year’s show was comprised of 10 classes, with awards presented to the top-3 finishers as well as Best in Show and Furthest Distance traveled. Aside from the automotive displays event goers were also able to enjoy lunch from Ted’s Garage, get their faces painted by the Zoo Lady, race electric slot cars, and test their vehicle’s horsepower on the DYNO. Thanks to all the participants, volunteers, and spectators, the show was able to donate over $2,700 to Tyler and his family. The proceeds have brought the Auten’s within reach of their goal.

Tyler Auten and Best in Show winner, Jan Sweet

• Since 1974 our Baum Chevrolet-Buick sign has welcomed customers to our dealership. On October 8^th we took a step towards the future with the installation of a brand new sign.

• This past October Baum Motor Company became a franchise dealer for Wells Cargo trailers.  They now carry enclosed Wells Cargo and US Cargo trailers.  If we don’t have exactly what a customer is looking for on their trailer lot we can sit down with the customer and custom build a trailer to suit their needs.

• This deer season we teamed up with Capture the Passion for the first annual Deer Camp Big Buck Contest! Hunters were encouraged to bring their deer to The Irish Circle in Wapella on November 16,17, or 18 for a chance to win $100 cash or a $50 Cabela’s gift card. All participants also had a chance to win a brand new Mathews bow from Baum Chevrolet Buick.  Hunters could also be entered in the contest to win the Mathews bow by uploading a photo of their deer on Facebook and tagging Baum Chevrolet-Buick, emailing their photo to us, or even by test driving a Chevrolet Silverado at the dealership.  We received a lot of great photographs of local hunters and their trophy bucks!

Deer Camp participant, Jason Gentry

• This year we partnered with the Clinton Travel Baseball league; providing the players with t-shirts, equipment, and a $500 donation. The league sold tickets for a chance to win a brand new Chevrolet Equinox or Cruze around the community in order to raise extra funds. They were so successful in their fundraising efforts that they were rewarded with an extra $250 from CYB for selling the most tickets in the North Central region!

Owner, Scott Baum (left), and Business Development Director, Lindsay Watkins (far right), present a $500 donation to Clinton Travel Baseball league board member, Chuck McCubbin (center).

• On November 7^th 4 Paws for Tyler Auten officially accomplished raising $13,000 to have a 4 Paws for Ability service dog placed with Tyler!  All we can say is that is one lucky dog to have the opportunity to become Tyler’s best friend!  We are so thankful for all the support everyone has provided this family with. 

All of these exciting 2012 events wouldn’t have be possible if we didn’t have such an incredible group of customers walking in and out of our door.  The employees at Baum Chevrolet-Buick would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for the support they have provided us with over the years.  We truly appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the future.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Holiday Donations

Baum Motor Co.'s new mascot, Fred, says to come on in to Farmer City and donate any non perishable food items to the food pantry. For your generosity this holiday season, you will receive $3 off any service! Don't make us give you the puppy-eyes...

Deer Camp Comes To A Close

Congratulations to Preston and Bob Bieber, winners of the Mathews Helim bow! We were surprised to learn that this is the first deer that Preston has ever shot. Hopefully, this Mathews bow will help make his first successful hunting trip even more memorable.

Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures for this year's contest! It's obvious that there are some great outdoors men (and women!) in our area. We look forward to hosting a similar competition again next year with Capture the Passion. Best of luck to those who are still looking to get that perfect trophy buck!

Mathews bow winner, Preston Bieber

For those of you who are interested in purchasing a Mathews bow, please visit the Smiley's Sports Shop website. They helped us pick out the Helim bow for our giveaway...wonderful customer service and knowledgeable staff!

'Tis The Season

The 2012 Baum Chevrolet Buick Christmas Party took place on Sunday, December 9. Over 100 guests, composed of employees and their families, were in attendance. The Baum Christmas Committee spent several weeks planning the party to ensure that it would be enjoyable for all. Guests were treated to a gourmet lunch from Ted's Garage while they enjoyed a medley of Christmas music. The afternoon entertainment included a Holiday-themed scavenger hunt, which consisted of 30 hidden objects. The winner, Russ Webb of the Service Department, took home a brand new Kindle Fire HD! All employees were rewarded for their hard work with a gift from the man himself, Santa Claus. 

Dealership owner, Scott Baum, receives his Christmas present from Santa Claus

Santa is riding in style this Christmas!

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this year's Christmas party! Baum Chevrolet Buick is proud to have such wonderful employees. From our family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!

BAUM CHEVROLET REMODEL

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Christmas Carol Chronology

Christmas Carol Chronology (say that three times fast...)

With Christmas just around the corner, Salesman Tim Hoyt has put together a few facts about those beloved carols we are hearing. Some of the songs seem like they have been around forever. Here’s a list of the year they debuted. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough room to list all of them.

• Joy to the World 1836
• O’ Little Town of Bethlehem 1874
• Blue Christmas 1949
• Silent Night 1839
• White Christmas 1942
• Jingle Bell Rock 1957
• O’ Holy Night 1847
• Let It Snow 1945
• The Little Drummer Boy 1958
• Jingle Bells 1859
• Winter Wonderland 1946
• Do You Hear What I Hear 1962
• First Noel 1871
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 1949

FUN FACT: Farmer City’s very own George Rock sang All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth in 1948 with the Spike Jones Band! 

Oh yes, Grandma first got ran over by a reindeer in 1983… 

Finally, the three gifts that were brought to baby Jesus by the three Kings were Frankincense, Gold, and Myrrh. What is Myrrh? It is an ointment or balm type lotion. It was the aloe vera of its day!

Not only is our sales staff knowledgeable about the latest vehicle makes and models, they are also well versed in holiday traditions. We learn something new everyday!

December Remodel Photos

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