New Kia dealership opens in Sheboygan
With the new dealership open, demolition will soon start on the old Van Horn building
SHEBOYGAN — Van Horn opened its new Kia dealership on Sheboygan’s west side.
Last week, Van Horn Automotive Group announced that its new Kia dealership in Sheboygan is officially open for business. Located at 3524 Wilgus Avenue, the newly constructed facility is designed to provide customers with an elevated car-buying and servicing experience, featuring cutting-edge amenities, expanded service capabilities, and a welcoming atmosphere tailored to modern automotive needs.
Construction began last summer on the new Van Horn Kia dealership that spans 23,500 square feet on the main floor with an additional 4,200-square-foot second level. The dealership and surrounding lot is a total space of 3.5 acres, with enough room to park over 200 vehicles. Its striking architectural design blends bold contrast with sleek transparency. A striking black band highlights the Kia brand identity, while expansive glass walls flood the showroom with natural light, showcasing Kia’s latest lineup of vehicles in a bright and inviting space.
The dealership’s service department is built for efficiency and comfort, featuring an 18-bay climate-controlled shop, a two-bay indoor service reception lane, and three service writing workstations. Equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic technology and staffed by factory-trained technicians, Van Horn Kia is dedicated to delivering top-tier maintenance and repair services to keep Kia vehicles running at peak performance.
“We are thrilled to open the doors of Van Horn Kia of Sheboygan and welcome customers into a dealership that reflects our dedication to excellence,” said Jeff Niesen, President of Van Horn Automotive Group. “With this new facility, we can provide an upgraded and more seamless experience for our customers while continuing to grow with the Kia brand. We look forward to serving the Sheboygan community with industry-leading vehicles and services.”
Van Horn Ford of Sheboygan will continue to operate exclusively as a Ford dealership at 3624 Kohler Memorial Drive, four blocks south of Wilgus Avenue. Van Horn also owns the Memorial Plaza, located across the street from the new Kia dealership. The plaza consists of Marcus Theater, McDonald’s, Pizza Ranch, Harbor Freight, Dunham’s Sports and Michaels.
Once a Mazda dealership
In September 2023, Van Horn Automotive Group terminated the franchise agreement with Mazda Motor Corporation. The dealership was owned by Chuck Van Horn and has been in the Van Horn family since 1989, when Joe Van Horn and Dan Wieland went into business together. Van Horn and Wieland operated the dealership as Van Horn Wieland Oldsmobile.
The dealership also sold Hyundai and Mazda vehicles. In January 2020, Van Horn Hyundai of Sheboygan moved to a new dealership on Racetrack Road on Sheboygan’s southwest side, leaving Mazda as the sole franchise. “The move to sell the franchise back to Mazda was strictly a business decision,” said Niesen in 2023. “We had early success with this location as a stand-alone Mazda dealership, but the effects of COVID made new Mazda vehicle acquisition very difficult, and the investment to build a new facility didn’t match up with new vehicle sales.”
With the new Kia dealership now open for business, Van Horn will work to demolish the former Mazda dealership to construct a parking lot for additional Kia vehicles.