Wisconsin-based Kunes Auto & RV Group will be closing its location in Monmouth, Ill., as it consolidates Kunes Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM of Monmouth with a neighboring Kunes store, the company said.

Kunes said it’s making the move “to bring efficiencies to the business,” and said customers from the Monmouth location will still have access to service and parts through any of Kunes’ other locations.

In addition, the store’s 16 employees will continue their roles at nearby Kunes Auto Group locations in Galesburg, Macomb, Sterling and the Quad Cities.

“It’s important to us that our employees remain part of the Kunes family,” chief operating officer Scott Kunes said. “That’s possible thanks to Kunes’ large footprint in the area.”

Kunes operates more than 40 dealerships in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.

The company said this is the first time in its 28-year history it has closed any of its stores. The group has grown from 15 dealerships to more than 40 since 2019, adding some 1,000 employees in the process. The group generated more than $2 billion in revenue in 2022.

Kunes still operates 10 Chrysler dealerships in Wisconsin and Illinois. The company said the closure will enable it to invest in new areas.

“In addition to caring for our employees, it is equally important to show our Monmouth customers that they —and their vehicles — are a priority to us,” Kunes said. “A Kunes customer is a customer for life. We want them to know they are welcome at any of our locations whenever they need maintenance or have questions.”