Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Sigurdson, Jones, Gross, Schultz
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/06/2018
Urban Sales Ends (Last Delivery – 2018)
Era Ends with Urban Sales Delivery
Craig Sigurdson, (left), delivered the last Urban Sales and Service vehicle to Mark Jones, owner of Abby Vans, May 31 at the urban lot in Neillsville. Sigurdson, who’s owned the dealership since 1982, sold it to the Neillsville-based Gross Auto Group effective June 1. Sigurdson also retired on June 1. (Scott Schultz/Clark County Press)
By Scott Schultz
An automobile-sales era ended May 31 in Neillsville when Craig Sigurdson handed over the keys of a white Dodge van to Mark Jones.
The exchange marked the final vehicle delivery for Sigurdson and Urban Sales and Service in Neillsville.
Sigurdson, who with his wife Wendy owned the Urban dealership since 1982, retired effective June 1 – the same day that Neillsville’s Gross Auto Group became owners of the dealership.
“It’s really been great,” Sigurdson said about the dealership that’s been under the Urban banner since 1947.
Though he’s happy with all that went with owning a dealership, Sigurdson said he’s ready to start retirement. That made it perfect timing earlier this year, when Gross Auto Group was considering expanding into Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram vehicles in Neillsville.
The sale, effective June 1, was announced on May 1.
In the announcement, Gross general manager Mike Gross said the Urban dealership would start operating under the Gross banner in Urban’s downtown Neillsville facilities. All of the Urban employees also were invited to continue working with Gross Auto Group, he said.
Long-range plans are for an expanded Chrysler-Dodge- Jeep-Ram facility to be built near the Gross facilities along Highway 10 in Neillsville.
Urban Sales and Service began in 1947 when Joseph Urban, Sr. Joseph Urban, Jr., and Charles Robert Urban purchased a Neillsville car dealership from Earl and Evan Schultz.
Sigurdson, so did regional sales work for Dodge, moved from Minnesota to Neillsville to work with the dealership when Dodge vehicles were added to the Urban line in 1980. When he arrived in Neillsville, Sigurdson purchased 25 percent of the dealership.
Sigurdson purchased the entire dealership in 1982.
The outgoing owner said it was fitting that the last vehicle would be delivered to Jones, who for 30 years has been purchasing Urban vans for his Abby Vans transportation business.
“This is van number 331 that we’ve gotten from Urban’s,” Jones said as the delivery was completed. “We’re proud to be part of this.”
Sigurdson said he’s unsure about what retirement will bring, but that he hopes to spend some time during winters with his wife in Florida.
