The Kemna Story: Three Generations in Algona

1956 — Joe and Doris Open the Doors

Joe and Doris Kemna founded Kemna Auto in 1956 with a small lot, a handshake reputation, and a belief that small-town Iowa deserved the same automotive service that drivers in the cities took for granted. They built the dealership the way most lasting businesses are built — one customer, one truck, one promise kept at a time. The first wave of customers became repeat customers, then friends, then families that brought their kids in for their first vehicles.

Growing Across Algona and Fort Dodge

Over the decades, what Joe and Doris started in one Algona showroom grew into the Kemna Auto Group — a multi-rooftop family of dealerships including Kemna GMC, Kemna Chevrolet, Kemna Ford, and Kemna CDJR in Algona, plus Kemna Auto Chevrolet of Fort Dodge and Kemna Auto Buick GMC of Fort Dodge. Same family, same standards, more brands and more communities served.

Today — Carey and Amy Kemna Lead the Third Generation

Kemna GMC is currently owned and operated by Carey and Amy Kemna, the third generation of the Kemna family to lead the business. The values haven't changed since Joe and Doris first opened: honest pricing, transparent service, and the kind of long-term thinking that makes sense when your name is on the building. The vehicles got faster, the technology got better, and the showroom got bigger — but the handshake is still the handshake.

What Kemna GMC Offers

Buying a vehicle is just the first stop in a long relationship. Kemna GMC is built to be your dealership for the entire ownership cycle — sales, financing, service, parts, collision, detail, car wash, and even mobile maintenance that comes to you.

New GMC and Buick Vehicles

We carry the full new GMC lineup — Sierra 1500, Sierra HD (2500 and 3500), Terrain, Acadia, Yukon, Yukon XL, Canyon, and the all-electric Hummer EV — alongside the full Buick lineup including the Encore GX, Envision, and Enclave. New inventory is updated daily on our website with real prices, real photos, and real VINs.

Certified Pre-Owned and Used Vehicles

Every GM Certified Pre-Owned vehicle at Kemna GMC has passed a 172-point inspection, is under six years old with fewer than 75,000 miles, carries a clean title, and includes a 6-year / 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage, and 24/7 roadside assistance. We also stock quality pre-owned vehicles from every major brand at every price point, including a dedicated Vehicles Under $20,000 selection.

Financing for Every Credit Situation

Our finance team partners with regional and national lenders to secure competitive auto loan rates for buyers across the credit spectrum. Whether your credit is excellent, you're a first-time buyer, you're rebuilding after a bankruptcy or divorce, or you've had a repossession, we have lender relationships built specifically to help. Learn about our credit approval process or apply for online pre-approval with a soft credit pull that does not affect your score.

Factory-Trained, Multi-Brand Service Technicians

The single biggest difference between a good dealership and a great one is the people in the service bay. Kemna GMC's service department is staffed by a deep bench of credentialed technicians, including:

• GM Master Technicians — the highest GM technician certification, requiring years of advanced coursework and field experience
• GM World Class Technicians — an elite designation held by less than 1% of GM technicians nationwide
• EV-Certified Specialists — trained on high-voltage battery systems, charging diagnostics, and electric drivetrain repair for vehicles including the GMC Hummer EV
• Ford Master Technicians — for the Ford and Lincoln vehicles that come through our shared service operation
• Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & RAM Certified Technicians — for the full Stellantis lineup
• ASEP-trained apprentice technicians — graduates of the General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program who continue building expertise on our floor

Our techs train continuously. New vehicles bring new technology, new diagnostics, and new repair procedures — and our team stays current through GM's ongoing technical training programs plus manufacturer-specific certification courses. They work with the same OEM-grade diagnostic tools the factory uses, install genuine GM and ACDelco parts, and follow factory repair procedures that protect your warranty.

Service is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Schedule online or call (866) 467-8114.

Onsite Quick Lane — Oil Changes in Less Than 20 Minutes

Kemna Quick Lane is located right onsite at 513 US-18 QL in Algona and handles oil changes on most vehicles in less than 20 minutes. No appointment required — pull in, get in line, and you're back on the road faster than it takes most people to drink a cup of coffee. Quick Lane works on any make or model, not just GMC and Buick, and handles fast tire rotations and replacements, batteries, brake service, alignments, wiper blades, air filters, cabin filters, and routine maintenance. Open Monday through Friday and Saturday morning until 12:00 PM. Call (515) 395-5929 for current wait times.

Onsite Car Wash

Drop your vehicle off for service and pick it up clean. Kemna's onsite car wash is part of our standard hospitality — your vehicle gets a fresh wash before pickup whenever you bring it in for service, and standalone car washes are available too. It's a small thing, but small things are what separate dealerships that care from dealerships that don't.

Kemna AutoSpa Detail Center

For drivers who want more than a quick wash, our AutoSpa team offers full-service detail packages — interior shampoo, exterior compound and polish, paint correction, headlight restoration, engine bay detail, and full reconditioning. Whether you're prepping a trade-in to maximize its value or restoring the showroom shine on a vehicle you plan to keep for years, the AutoSpa crew can handle it.

Kemna Auto Body & Collision Repair

Storm damage, hail damage, fender-benders, major collision restoration, and everything in between is handled in-house by Kemna Auto Body. Our certified body shop technicians work with all major insurance carriers and offer:

• Collision repair — from minor cosmetic work to full structural and frame repair on heavy collision damage
• Hail and storm damage repair — including paintless dent repair (PDR), a specialty process that removes hail dents without paint, fillers, or sanding
• Paint matching and refinishing using factory-matched paint codes and OEM-grade finishes
• Direct insurance billing — we work with all major carriers and handle the back-and-forth so you don't have to
• Online photo estimates — submit photos of damage from your phone and get a quick estimate without driving in

Learn more about hail and storm damage repair or call our body shop for an estimate.

Kemna Mobile Service — We Bring Service to You

For customers who can't easily make it to the dealership — busy parents, farmers in season, fleet managers, anyone whose schedule doesn't bend — our Kemna Mobile Service team brings routine service directly to your home, business, or job site. The mobile service truck arrives equipped to perform:

• Oil and filter changes
• Brake inspection and service
• Fluid and filter services
• Battery testing and installation
• Tire rotation
• Wiper blade and bulb replacement
• Software updates and diagnostic scanning
• Recall service
• Accessory installation

Mobile service is available across north central Iowa — Algona, Emmetsburg, Spencer, Mason City, Humboldt, Fort Dodge, and surrounding communities. Schedule a mobile appointment by phone or through our website.

Pricing Transparency at Kemna GMC

Iowa has earned a reputation for straight talk, and Kemna GMC is built around it. Buying a vehicle should not feel like a negotiation tactic, and our pricing reflects that:

• Every vehicle on our website shows its actual selling price. No "call for price," no "starting at," no fake low numbers that change when you walk in. The price online is the price.
• Out-the-door numbers up front. When you ask what a vehicle will actually cost you to drive home — including tax, title, registration, and documentation fees — we give you a real out-the-door total before any paperwork starts.
• Online and in-store prices match. We don't run separate pricing for online shoppers and walk-in customers. The deal you build online is the deal you finalize at the dealership.
• Trade-in values are real, not bait. The appraisal you receive from us is the appraisal we'll honor when you trade in. We don't lowball the actual write-up to make up for an inflated online estimate.
• Finance terms in writing before you sign. Rate, term, monthly payment, total cost of credit — all explained and printed before you commit to anything.
• Service estimates are quoted in advance. Whether it's an oil change or a major repair, our service team quotes the price before work begins and calls before any surprise charges are added.

None of this should be remarkable. The fact that it is says more about the industry than it does about us — and it's exactly why our customers come back generation after generation.

Why Buying from a Family-Owned Dealership Matters

You can buy a GMC almost anywhere. What you get at Kemna GMC that you don't get at a larger metro dealer or a captive online retailer is continuity. The finance manager who structured your loan is the same finance manager you'll talk to when you want to roll it into your next vehicle in five years. The service writer who scheduled your oil change knows your truck, knows your spouse, and remembers your kid's first car was a 2014 Sierra. Three generations of the Kemna family have shown up to this dealership every day for almost seventy years, and the team they've built tends to stay because the culture is built around treating both customers and employees right.

Family-owned also means decisions get made locally. When something complicated comes up — an unusual trade situation, a customer needing more help than the standard playbook allows, a community organization that needs a sponsor — there's no corporate phone tree to call. The answer is Carey, Amy, or Tom in the office down the hall, and the answer is usually yes.

Committed to the North Iowa Community

Kemna GMC isn't just a dealership that happens to sit in Algona — it's a north Iowa institution that's served families across the region for nearly seventy years. Our customers, our employees, our service area, and our community partnerships span the small towns and farmland that make this part of the state worth calling home.

We proudly serve drivers and families in:

• Algona — our hometown since 1956, in Kossuth County
• Emmetsburg — Palo Alto County's largest community
• West Bend — home of the West Bend Grotto of the Redemption
• Bancroft — neighbor to the north in Kossuth County
• Humboldt — Humboldt County's hub, just south of us
• Garner — Hancock County, east of Algona
• Clear Lake — Cerro Gordo County resort town
• Spencer — Clay County's regional center
• Storm Lake — Buena Vista County, southwest of Algona
• Pocahontas — Pocahontas County's seat
• Mason City, Fort Dodge, Estherville, Whittemore — and all the smaller communities in between

From the Kossuth County Cancer Research Foundation to the Kossuth County Food Bank, from Catholic Charities to the local YMCA, from KCEDC and the Algona Chamber of Commerce to local police, sheriff, and fire departments, from Moving Veterans Forward and Hunting with Heroes to the Algona VFW, the Audi Crooks Foundation, Bishop Garrigan Gala, Kossuth County Fair and Raceway, the West Bend Grotto, Algona Band Day, community school after-prom events, and our own Driving Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship for graduating seniors at Algona High School and Bishop Garrigan High School — Kemna is woven into the communities we serve. Learn more about Kemna in the community.

What Our Customers Say

Kemna GMC holds a 4.8-star rating from over 330 customer reviews across Google, Cars.com, DealerRater, and other major review platforms. Reviews are how prospective buyers learn whether the dealership they're considering will treat them right — and three generations of consistent reviews are how we keep earning their trust. Read our customer reviews.