Byrider presented a wide range of awards to its franchise body during the company’s annual convention in Scottsdale, AZ, on Nov. 13.

Craig Peters, chief executive officer at Byrider, said, “We’re proud to recognize our franchisees and their teams each year at our annual convention. Their commitment to helping their customers move forward, as well as expertly operating their stores is truly commendable.” 

“I am excited to recognize the owners and operators who have been key drivers of the Byrider franchise business in 2021,” added Chris Hadley, Byrider vice president of franchising. “These franchisees and operators demonstrated their ability to set high standards of customer service and grow its business.”

Franchise of the Year
The franchise of the year award recognizes the best overall performance by a franchise group based on internal store rankings and a measure of how the business has contributed to the Byrider franchise community.

Franchise of the Year 4+ locations
Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth and Jeff Lee with seven locations in Burlington, Davenport, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, IA, and Columbia, Joplin and Springfield, MO.

Franchise of the Year – 2-3 locations
Bill Marsh Auto Group and Jeff Chevalier with three locations in Saginaw, Traverse City and Wyoming, MI.

Franchise of the Year – single location
Keith Kocourek and Jennifer Freiboth in Wausau, WI.

President’s Award
The president’s awards recognize dealership locations included in the top 10% of stores as defined by Byrider’s store ranking system. Winners, in order:

• Springfield MO – Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth – Top store nationwide
• Burlington, IA – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Wausau, WI – Keith Kocourek, Jennifer Freiboth
• Davenport, IA – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Joplin, MO – Russ Larson, Winston Sleeth
• Palmyra, PA – Doug Lewis
• Ashtabula, OH – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Des Moines, IA – Russ Larson, Jeff Lee
• Mansfield, OH – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Akron, OH – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Springdale, AR – Dave Hanson
• Canton, OH – Chris McPhie, Greg Barrett
• Bloomington, IN – Roy Wagner, Terry Gerhart
• Traverse City, MI – Bill Marsh Auto Group, Jeff Chevalier
• Anderson, IN – Roy Wagner, Terry Gerhart

Most Improved
The most improved award was granted to stores that demonstrated the most improvement from 2020 to 2021 based on store rankings (earnings, customer advancement, service comebacks, reputation management, portfolio performance, etc.), organized by franchise size.

• Most Improved – 4+ Locations
  Jeff Williams with 4 locations in Opelika, AL, Tuscaloosa, AL, Panama City, FL, and Pensacola, FL.
• Most Improved – 2-3 Locations 
  Jonathan Gandolfo with locations in Columbia, Greenville and North Charleston, SC. 
• Most Improved – Single Point
  Steve Walden with a location in Tucson, AZ.

Also honored with a Commitment to Excellence Award was Chris Thomas, who owns stores in Raleigh and Durham, NC. The award recognizes Thomas and his team’s dedication and high-performing stores for their contributions to the larger Byrider network. Thomas has piloted a new and innovative franchise model which prioritizes sales and service and partners with Byrider’s corporate finance team for account management, known as Byrider Direct.