AutoNation said the J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence Program, which recognizes U.S. retail dealerships that provide a strong customer sales experience, certified 78 of the retailer's stores for 2021.
AutoNation president and chief operating officer Jim Bender described the certification as an outstanding accomplishment for the company’s teams, noting that 54 of the company’s stores received the recognition last year.
Those 54 stores received the recognition again this year, along with 24 new stores added this year.
“We could not be prouder,” Bender said in a news release.
Bender also said, “This recognition amplifies AutoNation’s commitment to providing a peerless customer experience as the clear industry leader, and every member of our team shares in this achievement.”
Not all dealerships can qualify for Dealer of Excellence, AutoNation said. Qualifying dealerships must pass a three-step process:
As the first qualification criterion, J.D. Power limits the percentage of eligible dealerships by nameplate based on the performance of each brand in the most recent J.D. Power U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study. Proportionally more dealerships from top-performing brands can become a J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence.
Second, dealerships must rank among their brand’s top performers in key customer satisfaction areas consistent with measurements found in the SSI Study.
The third step is that qualifying dealers must pass an audit showing they meet or exceed J.D. Power sales best practices. Those best practices include, but are not limited to, listing vehicle inventory and pricing on the dealership website; engaging in efficient and transparent negotiating; offering a fair trade-in value; and presenting a clear and easy-to-understand menu of finance and insurance products.
Following are the 78 certified stores:
— AutoNation Toyota Tempe
— Mercedes-Benz of Naperville
— Audi Las Vegas
— Audi Plano
— Audi Westmont
— AutoNation Acura Gulf Freeway
— AutoNation Chevrolet Amarillo
— AutoNation Chevrolet Gulf Freeway
— AutoNation Chevrolet West Amarillo
— AutoNation Ford Littleton
— AutoNation Ford Memphis
— AutoNation Ford Miami
— AutoNation Ford North Canton
— AutoNation Ford Tustin
— AutoNation Ford Westlake
— AutoNation Honda Sanford
— AutoNation Honda South Corpus Christi
— AutoNation Subaru Spokane Valley
— AutoNation Toyota Arapahoe
— AutoNation Toyota Cerritos
— AutoNation Toyota Fort Myers
— AutoNation Toyota Mall of Georgia
— AutoNation Toyota Weston
— AutoNation Toyota Winter Park
— BMW Encinitas
— Jaguar Fort Lauderdale
— Land Rover Fort Lauderdale
— Lexus of Clearwater
— Lexus of Palm Beach
— Mercedes-Benz of Houston Greenway
— Mercedes-Benz of Miami
— Mercedes-Benz of Stevens Creek
— Porsche Newport Beach
— Porsche Plano
— Valencia BMW
— Audi Peoria
— Audi Spokane
— AutoNation Acura North Orlando
— AutoNation Chevrolet Coral Gables
— AutoNation Chevrolet Doral
— AutoNation Ford Amherst
— AutoNation Ford Katy
— AutoNation Ford Mobile
— AutoNation Ford Sanford
— AutoNation Honda Miami Lakes
— AutoNation Honda Roseville
— AutoNation Volkswagen Spokane
— AutoNation Volvo Cars San Jose
— House of Imports
— Lexus of Cerritos
— Mercedes-Benz of Fort Lauderdale
— Mercedes-Benz of Houston North/smart center Houston North
— Mercedes-Benz of Pembroke Pines
— Mercedes-Benz of Sarasota/smart Center Sarasota
— Audi Bellevue
— AutoNation Acura South Bay
— AutoNation Acura Spokane Valley
— AutoNation Acura Stevens Creek
— AutoNation Chevrolet Arrowhead
— AutoNation Ford Burleson
— AutoNation Ford Corpus Christi
— AutoNation Ford South Fort Worth
— AutoNation Ford Valencia
— AutoNation Honda 385
— AutoNation Honda Costa Mesa
— AutoNation Honda Covington Pike
— AutoNation Honda Fremont
— AutoNation Honda Hollywood
— AutoNation Honda Renton
— AutoNation Honda Thornton Road
— AutoNation Honda Tucson Auto Mall
— AutoNation Honda Valencia
— AutoNation Subaru Roseville
— AutoNation Toyota Spokane Valley
— AutoNation Volkswagen Mall of Georgia
— Laurel BMW of Westmont
— Mercedes-Benz of North Orlando
— Mercedes-Benz of San Jose / Smart Center San Jose
At the beginning of the pandemic last year, personal protective equipment was in short supply in New York. The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, or GNYADA, and its president Mark Schienberg found a supplier abroad that was able to ship masks to the association within weeks.
For that help in cutting through the red tape and getting equipment into the hands of people that needed it, Schienberg earned recognition from Crain’s New York Business and Empire BlueCross BlueShield as one of 50 pandemic heroes.
Schienberg was honored as part of the 2020 Whole Health Heroes Award program. The program honored a group of New York region leaders from the healthcare, essential worker and business sectors, for displaying leadership to help ensure New Yorkers’ safety and wellness during the pandemic.
Through its member dealers, the association purchased nearly 1 million face masks and face shields. Schienberg and GNYADA leaders arranged distribution of those supplies by contacting New York City Borough presidents, Long Island county executives, and leaders in Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley, in addition to the American Red Cross in New York City.
Those efforts led to delivery of PPE to New York City Housing Authority residents in Brooklyn, senior centers, borough halls, emergency management facilities, non-profit organizations that work with the most vulnerable populations, and other groups.
Additional recipients of the 2020 Whole Health Heroes distinction included Northwell Health chief executive officer Michael Dowling, Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, FDNY EMS president Oren Barzilay and physicians at Mount Sinai, New York Presbyterian and other medical facilities.
Schienberg said franchise new-car dealers are often among the most philanthropic small businesses in their communities.
“That was way true before the pandemic and it remains true now,” Schienberg said in a news release.
Schienberg also said, “Even at a time when their own businesses were at risk because of the statewide shutdowns, auto dealers in Metro New York selflessly stepped up to the plate and, working with the association, were able to deliver crucial life-saving equipment to their neighbors who were in urgent need. It was humbling to be recognized alongside so many generous and compassionate New Yorkers who came together to help our region, and our nation, through such a difficult time.”
As vice president of the Mahwah Board of Education, Rick DeSilva Jr. helped in the planning of bringing students and staff back to school safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeSilva is owner of Liberty Subaru in Emerson, N.J., and for his community stewardship during a time of crisis, TIME and Ally Financial have recognized him as the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year.
The recognition came at the NADA Show, and TIME and Ally said DeSilva’s ongoing charitable work, especially during the challenges of the past year, earned him what they describe as the most prestigious award in the automotive dealer industry.
Ally is exclusive sponsor of the TIME Dealer of the Year Award and will give $10,000 to the charity of DeSilva’s choice.
Ally also will donate $5,000 to each of the nonprofit organizations selected by the four finalists of the award.
Those four dealers are:
—Christine Alicandro-Karnolt of Marty's GMC Buick, Kingston, Mass.
—Timothy Crenwelge of Crenwelge Motors, Kerrville, Texas
—Michael Molstead of Mike Molstead Motors, Charles City, Iowa
—Christina Dawkins of Co's BMW Center, Loveland, Colo.
Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, nominated DeSilva for the award and will also select a charity recipient.
As for DeSilva, he always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and run an auto dealership. After college, DeSilva entered a management training program with Toyota Motor Sales, USA. In that program, he learned about customer service, sales and fixed operations. He returned to the family business in 2003 to open Liberty Hyundai in Mahwah with his father and brother. The Liberty Family of Dealerships also includes Liberty Kia in Ramsey, N.J. and Genesis of Mahwah.
DeSilva has served on the board of trustees for the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers since 2008. He was chairman in 2017.
DeSilva’s dealership has received the Subaru Love Promise Customer & Community Commitment Award since the program’s inception. In addition to hosting annual pet adoption events, the dealership has supported groups and events such as the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon; Special Olympics New Jersey Torch Run; Jersey Cares Coat Drive; the Valerie Fund (which aids children with cancer and blood disorders); Ramapo College Foundation; New York-New Jersey Trail Conference; and Bergen Highlands Ramsey Rotary Gift of Life.
DeSilva has worked toward educational improvements within his community. He is first vice president of the Mahwah Board of Education, serving that group since 2012. Helping create a new STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics] center is among his activities with the group.
A faculty panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan chose the TIME Dealer of the Year winner and finalists. State and regional automotive trade association executives nominate dealers for the award.
Ally president of auto finance Doug Timmerman and TIME global chief revenue officer Viktoria Degtar announced DeSilva as the winner at a virtual ceremony honoring all the dealer nominees.
“America’s auto dealers have led the way, in their communities and the broader auto industry, during an incredibly challenging year,” Timmerman said. “The TIME Dealer of the Year nominees stand out for their ingenuity in business and unwavering commitment to giving back in their local communities.”
