What is TIME Magazine's Dealer of the Year Award?
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2008 TIME Magazine Dealer of
the Year Timothy J. Smith |
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2007 TIME Magazine Dealer of
the Year Tracy Shields Jones |
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TIME Magazine's Dealer of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious awards a new-car dealer can receive. TIME magazine, in association with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association, proudly names the Dealer of the Year at NADA's annual Convention & Exposition.
The Dealer of the Year program was originated to call attention to new-car dealers in America exhibiting exceptional performance in their dealerships, combined with distinguished community service; to create a positive public relations forum for all new-car dealers; and to provide a representative spokesperson for Dealer of the Year.
Timothy J. Smith, president of Bob Smith BMW/Mini, Calabasas, Calif., was named 2008 Time Magazine Dealer of the Year. Smith, a third-generation car dealer, began working at his father’s store the summer after eighth grade. After returning from active duty training with the U.S. Army, he was headed to Loyola Law School. Instead, he began selling new cars at Bob Smith Volkswagen/Porsche in Hollywood, alongside his two brothers.
Tracy Shields Jones, 2007 TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year, is a third-generation dealer who as a child would watch her grandfather and father and say, “I want to be just like them.” Ironically, her father tried to discourage her from entering the automobile business. But after she graduated from the University of Alabama and became a CPA, her father hired her as a comptroller for his Huntsville dealership. After her father’s retirement in 1993, she became president of the company.