Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, has been selected as the 2026 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year, Cox Automotive announced.

The award recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to the automotive industry, championed community advocacy and demonstrated leadership. Cox Automotive said Case was honored for her industry leadership, community impact and notable philanthropic efforts.

Case operates the nation’s largest female-owned auto group owned and led by a woman, with 12 dealerships in the South Florida and Atlanta areas generating more than $2 billion in annual sales and consistently setting national sales-volume records.

The award includes a $10,000 donation to a charity of the honoree’s choice and a $10,000 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship awarded to a Northwood University student.

Case’s donation will go to the Rita and Rick Case Vocational Scholarship Fund at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Fla. The 2026 scholarship went to Breanne Pratley, a rising senior in Northwood’s automotive marketing and management program, as well as a student ambassador, softball athlete and leader of the university’s annual International Auto Show.

“The Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award celebrates extraordinary female pioneers who embody transformative leadership and unwavering philanthropic vision within our industry,” Cox Automotive president Steve Rowley said. “We are honored to recognize Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, whose remarkable achievements and enduring commitment have made an indelible mark on the automotive industry.”

Case received the award from Rowley during the Northwood University Dealer Education Awards ceremony at last week’s NADA Show in Las Vegas.

“I am so honored to receive the Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award,” Case said. “I am also thrilled for Breanne, who will be part of the next generation of women leaders in the automotive industry. And thank you to Cox Automotive for the donation to our scholarship fund at the Boys & Girls Club, an organization near and dear to Rick’s and my heart.

“It is so important that as business leaders we support our local communities. Our loyal customers allow us to give back, and we are very proud to do so.”

Case’s career began in the first Honda car dealership in the U.S., opened by her parents in 1968. She returned to the business after graduating from University of California Davis, and while managing the dealership, she met Rick Case at a Honda meeting in 1977. They married in 1980 and went on to build Rick Case Automotive Group.

The dealership group has since helped raise more than $125 million for South Florida organizations through philanthropic initiatives supporting youth, education, housing and health-related nonprofits. The company’s programs include the Rick Case Bikes for Kids, which has collected more than 122,000 bicycles donated by the community to underserved children each holiday season since 1982.

Chuck Hutton Toyota earns Cox sustainability award

Also during the NADA Show, Cox Automotive named Chuck Hutton Toyota in Memphis, Tenn., owned by Young Kim’s YK Auto Group, as the winner of its 2026 Leader in Sustainability Award recipient, recognizing the dealership’s off-grid solar operations and its Electri-CITY Park, an electric vehicle charging destination with amenities for drivers, families and remote workers.

Young Kim (right) with Cox Automotive’s Ken Kraft.

The award honors dealerships with outstanding in-store programs that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; minimize waste through reduction, reuse and recycling; conserve water; and demonstrate innovation, creativity, collaboration and community engagement. It includes a $10,000 prize to fund a sustainability project.

Electri-CITY Park, which Cox called a “first of its kind” facility, is powered by a 350-kilowatt solar farm that supplies renewable energy for the entire dealership, including its EV charging stations. Cox cited its “low-impact groundskeeping” — Valais Blacknose sheep that graze beneath the solar panels — for reducing the need for fossil fuel landscaping and supporting biodiversity at the site.

In addition, the company said in a news release, Electri-CITY Park “turns refueling time into quality time.” The park features a climate-controlled lounge, soundproof work pods for remote workers, a children’s play area, a dog park and a golf simulator, as well as outdoor amenities including a walking track and Camry Field, a multipurpose turf field designed with pro-grade surfacing.

“Young Kim and his team are setting a strong example for how dealerships can lead on sustainability while creating lasting value for their customers, their communities and the industry,” Kraft said.

Kim joined Chuck Hutton Toyota’s team in 2005 and served as its sales, used car, general sales and general manager before buying the dealership in 2020. The store now averages more than $150 million in annual revenue while placing in Toyota Certified’s Top 20 and earning the brand’s President’s Award multiple times.

The YK group also includes Chuck Hutton Chevrolet in Memphis and Chuck Hutton Nissan in Jackson, Tenn.

Electri-CITY Park, which debuted on Earth Day 2025, is free to the public during dealership hours. The project drew broad community support at its opening, Cox said, and “showcases how a dealer can combine renewable power, thoughtful design and hospitality” to create a better charging experience.

“When I thought about doing this, I didn’t think about winning awards or recognition,” Kim said. “I thought about the future, and how I could leave my community better than I found it. The award helps us achieve that.”

Matt Bowers heads north with acquisition in Indy

Matt Bowers Automotive Group has ventured into a news state and new region.

The Slidell, Louisiana-based company has acquired Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Brownsburg, Ind., from Asbury Automotive Group, according to Hacman Financial, which represented the buyer in the transaction.

The Indianapolis-area dealership, which has been renamed Indy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, is Bowers’ first outside of the South. It now operates 12 locations in five states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee and Indiana.

“Our organization is proud to enter into the Indianapolis MSA and add another Stellantis dealership to our portfolio,” Matt Bowers Automotive Group owner Matt Bowers said.

Asbury was among the most active sellers in the dealership M&A market in 2025, parting with nine of the stores it acquired in the massive Larry H. Miller deal in 2021. The company continues to operate 171 franchise dealerships in 15 states.