Wise dealership gives away 100 free bicycles

By BRIAN HEMMINGER

City editor

Wise Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is hoping to make a good first impression with its new management.

The Upper Sandusky dealership is giving away 100 free bicycles to area children for Christmas in partnership with Citygate Church in Lebenon.

The bikes were the brainchild of Bridget Reinberger-Ruehl, who is the new interim management of the dealership located at 1045 E. Wyandot Ave., Upper Sandusky.

“Wise CDJR wants to make certain that no kid goes without a gift this Christmas,” she said. “If you have or know a child in need between the ages of 3-12, your friends at Wise CDJR want to give them a brand new bike for Christmas.”

Anyone interested is asked to send Reinberger-Ruehl an email at bikesforkids@gordoncdjr.com telling her and other dealership employees about the child. They are asked to Include the child’s name and age and the dealership will make certain to have a new bike available for pickup at the Wise CDJR location.

Reinberger-Ruehl also owns a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Washington Courthouse and is in negotiations to become the new owner in Upper Sandusky as well as a third location in London, Ohio. She has been involved in the auto industry for 27 years but became a full-time dealership owner in 2022. 

“I’m personally super excited about serving a brand new community, meeting new customers, assisting them with finding the right vehicle at the right price, the right financing and the best service post-sale,” she said. 

New general manager Cody Cline said he wants the dealership to have a strong community presence and bring it back to being a destination in the community.

“If you didn’t have the best experience here before, we’re looking for an opportunity to win you back,” Cline said. “We think we can return this location to its former glory.”

Cline grew up in a construction family and started his own concrete and excavating company at 18 years old. He was a full-time firefighter and EMS member for 18 years but always liked new vehicles. After referring multiple people to friends who worked in the auto industry, he decided to give it a shot.

“The rest is history,” he said. “I’ve been in the auto industry for eight years now, first as a salesman, then a manager and now I’m a general manager at this store for the first time.”

Cline said the Bikes for Kids program will hopefully kickstart a new era at the dealership. 

“We want to be family-friendly, customer first,” Cline said. “Being involved in the community is super important to us. We want to get involved any way we can.”

Reinsberger-Ruehl said Wise CDJR also offers incentives for local farmers through its Ag Pack program, which gives up to $30,000 in discounts, savings and free products from area agriculture venders for anyone involved in the farming industry who purchases a vehicle at the location.

Her location at Washington Courthouse was top three in the state in terms of Ag Pack savings for 2022 and she thinks the Upper Sandusky community is a perfect opportunity to utilize the incentives. 

“If you do any type of farming, you can get some huge discounts on anything from farming equipment to seeds, fertilizer, etc.,” she said. “We love farmers and agriculture.”

Other changes coming to the location include being open for sales and services on Saturdays with extended hours beginning in January.

“We want to do something special every month in 2024,” she said. “We just really look forward to getting to know everyone in the community and getting involved.”