Bob Giles, owner of Giles Automotive in Lafayette, LA, was announced as the 2022 TIME Dealer of the Year by leaders from TIME and Ally Financial at the 105th National Automobile Dealers Association Show.
Now in its 53rd year, the TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the auto industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The Louisiana dealer’s extraordinary business and community leadership earned Giles the most prestigious award in the automotive retail industry. A standout of his many contributions was the launch of the Giles Essential Errand Running Service, which offers grocery and essential item deliveries by dealership staff to senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals.
Keith Grossman, president of TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Dealer Financial Services at Ally, announced Giles as the winner at a Las Vegas ceremony honoring all the dealer nominees. Giles was chosen from a field of nearly 16,000 franchised dealers across the country, 47 of whom made the nominee list.
Timmerman remarked: “Even as America’s auto dealers adapt to a rapidly changing auto market, the commitment to their customers, employees, and communities remains unparalleled. The TIME Dealer of the Year nominees stand out for doing it right in their industry and steadfastly giving back to their communities.”
In addition to Giles, four dealers were recognized as TIME Dealer of the Year finalists:
- Robert Sickel, Pine Belt Chevrolet, Lakewood, NJ
- Todd C. Ouellette Sr., Long-Lewis Ford of the Shoals, Muscle Shoals, AL
- Gregg Kunes, Kunes Country Ford-Lincoln, Delavan, WI
- Chris H. Wilson, Wilson Motor Company, Logan, UT
Ally, the exclusive sponsor of the TIME Dealer of the Year Award, will give $10,000 to the charity of Giles’ choice. The company also will donate $5,000 to nonprofit organizations selected by each of the four finalists. Will Green, president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association who nominated Giles for the award, will also select a charity recipient. In recognition of their achievements and generosity, Ally also gave $1,000 to the charities of choice for each of the 47 nominees.
For more information on the nominees, visit AllyDealerHeroes.com.
