PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2023

General Manager Bart Rinkenberger (center) with associates Matt Grimm (left) and Keith Grimm at Lighthouse Buick GMC in Morton

‘PEOPLE AT LIGHTHOUSE DON’T WEAR THEIR FAITH LIKE A BADGE ... THERE'S A QUIET BIBLICAL CULTURE THERE’ — Customer Mike Witzig Rinkenberger said he’s encountered a few Lighthouse customers that haven’t been on board with the dealership’s faith-based business practices, “but Jesus Christ loved everyone, and so do we,” he said. CUSTOMER APPRECIATION Longtime Lighthouse customer Mike Witzig said he keeps coming back to the dealership because as a customer, “you feel important and valued. And it’s fun to be there.” He attributes those feelings to what he describes as the dealership’s biblical culture. “People at Lighthouse don’t wear their faith like a badge. And they don’t put themselves on a pedestal,” he said. “There’s a quiet biblical culture there, but you can feel it and see it when you’re there.” BY THE NUMBERS So how is Lighthouse doing, busi ness-wise? More than 2,000 new and used cars are sold at Lighthouse each year, and the dealership provides repair and

maintenance services for 800 to 1,000 customers each year, said Rinkenberger. “We get car buyers from all over be cause of our presence on the Internet,” he said. “People find a unique vehicle that interests them, and they’ll drive hours to see and perhaps buy it.” Meanwhile, more than 150 folks are on the payroll. “We certainly don’t require every employee to have the same religious beliefs that we do,” said Rinkenberger. “But everyone who works here knows our beliefs, and may not realize when they treat a customer well that they’re displaying biblical values. “Many of our employees are part time,” he added. “These include high school students and retirees looking to work a few hours a week.” Lighthouse opened a separate colli sion center in early 2022 at a site that’s a part of Morton’s history: the former Midwestern Wood Products building at 1500 W. Jefferson St. The facility opened in 2004 after Midwestern Wood Products’ original building on the property was destroyed by an EF-3 tornado on May 10, 2003. The current building was constructed just south of the original building’s footprint. Renovating the building from a wood shop to a collision center included con structing a wall that separates the parts department from the rest of the facil ity, adding carbon monoxide sensors and an exhaust system, and installing a sprinkler system to bring the building up to code.

Twenty-seven Lighthouse employees work at the collision center. ‘HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE, GET OUT OF THE WAY’ Jeff Grimm is the majority owner of Lighthouse. Rinkenberger and the Grimm brothers became minority own ers in 2022. Jeff Grimm isn’t involved in the day-to day operations of the dealership, but his influence is still there, said Rinkenberger. “Jeff believes in hiring the right people and getting out of the way,” Rinken berger said. “He’s a humble person. He wants to be behind the scenes, not in the spotlight. That’s a major reason why his name is not on the dealership.” Lighthouse formerly was Village Buick GMC, which was purchased in 1996 by Jeff Grimm and Bill Hart. Grimm be came the sole owner of the dealership in 2003 and the dealership was renamed Lighthouse Buick GMC, with the con struction of a replica lighthouse to drive the point home, in 2007. An extensive remodeling and expan sion project at the dealership in 2013 funded primarily by General Motors added parking and a new service facility.

Steve Stein is a longtime Peoria area print journalist

OCTOBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 81