Gem City Receives Modern Updates

After long-awaited renovations, Gem City Motors is shining like a diamond.

Gem City began a five-month long renovation project in early August of this year, which finally concluded just before Christmas. Updates were made to both the interior and exterior of the building. Gem City has been in business since the early 1900s, and has been a fixture on Central Avenue for years.

The decision to remodel was a longtime coming, according to General Manager Wayne Nentwig. "We plan on being here for a long time. It was time to invest in Gem City Motors. We wanted to freshen and modernize the look," Nentwig said of the updates. The service bays were updated in 2005, with regular updating of equipment based on new technologies. The interior and exterior of the building, however, had not been updated for several years.

The company hired Kringen Construction to lead the construction side of the updates, and had an architect and design team work on the aesthetics. The renovations spanned from the service office, through to the dealership area, to the sales offices.

Previously, the inside of the building had grey and white checkered flooring, and blue and grey painted walls. The interior is now painted grey with white and orange accents, and includes new flooring, lighting, and furniture. The waiting area includes new televisions, new furniture, artwork, and even a fireplace and coffee bar.

In addition to aesthetics, the interior renovations were meant to provide better service to customers. "The renovated space provides a lot better access. The ease of the layout on the sales floor makes it easier to get from service to sales to the lot," Nentwig explained.

The tan exterior received a much-needed upgrade as well. The exterior of the building now boasts fresh blue paint, large new windows showcasing both showroom inventory and the fresh interior, and stone accents. "Gem City is a fixture on Central," said Nentwig. "We want people to come through town and see that there are nice things in Sidney."

During the renovation, Sidney's Chevy, Buick, and GMC dealer remained open for both sales and service, though the sales office relocated to a trailer next to the dealer lot, and service operated out of just two bays. Both staff and customers are grateful for the fresh new space.

"We take pride in what we do, and now it shows," Nentwig said.

Gem City Motors is located at 701 South Central Avenue, in Sidney. For additional photos and a video tour of the building, visit their Facebook page.