(New York, NY, November 8, 2021) – The nomination of Erik Day, partner at West Broward Imports, LLC in Davie, Florida, for the 2022 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.
Day is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 105th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on March 11, 2022. The announcement of this year’s annual award was made by Viktoria Degtar, Global Chief Revenue Officer, TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Dealer Financial Services, Ally Financial.
The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Day was chosen to represent the Florida Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 53rd annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.
“The ability to create new opportunities that allow people to grow and develop into greater levels of success is what I find most rewarding,” nominee Day said. “A rising tide lifts all boats, and I believe everyone has something great to achieve if given the chance.”
Day earned a B.S. from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, in 1992, and an M.B.A. in international business and finance from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, in 1995.
In his 28 years in the automotive business, Day has gained a wide range of knowledge and experience while working in credit/finance, retail and for an automaker. Today, he is partner at Lamborghini Broward and vice president and CFO of the dealership’s parent company, Warren Henry Auto Group.
“I have provided oversight on both strategic and tactical operational matters involving sales, service and parts for the last 16 years,” he said. “I oversee the day-to-day operations with respect to finance, accounting, legal, information technology, real estate, human resources, payroll, benefits and insurance, compliance, treasury, risk, corporate strategy, as well as factory and banking relationships for all 14 franchises spanning five locations with close to 500 employees.”
Day traces his business acumen and entrepreneurship back to age 11, when he spent time at his grandfather’s entertainment venue in New York State.
“My grandfather was a former FBI agent turned entrepreneur and he left an indelible mark on my character at an early age,” he said. Day also credits his time as a top baseball player for teaching him about discipline, commitment, communication, loyalty and teamwork.
“I received a baseball scholarship to pitch for a Division 1 college and was being sought after to play professionally until an elbow injury later turned my focus to pursue the game of business,” he said.
Analytical and technologically savvy, Day is heading up the dealer advisory board for STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), a consortium of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), technology vendors and dealers. “Our goal is to design and implement an industry first standard for an open API [Application Programming Interface] that supports unified, secure and seamless data integration and interoperability throughout the ecosystem,” he said.
Day has served in leadership positions for the Florida Automobile Dealers Association and the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association. “My role with the associations has allowed me to have a broader industry impact by seeing firsthand how legal and regulatory efforts work to enhance and support auto dealers,” he said. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside my colleagues at the state and metro level and was heavily involved in introducing legislation that was enacted into law.”
In the civic arena, Day is on the boards of the Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County; the Miami Herbert Business School (University of Miami); and the Florida Chamber of Commerce (board of governors).
“Helping to make the community safer and create opportunities for the betterment of all has been a passion of mine, and these organizations are a great outlet for making a difference,” he said. “Civic duties are a great way to think beyond yourself and your immediate surroundings to understand and help others.”
Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive an additional $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.
In its eleventh year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will also be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.
“In cities and towns across the country, auto dealers make a big economic impact—going the extra mile to strengthen their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, president of dealer financial services, Ally. “It’s an incredible achievement to be nominated for TIME Dealer of the Year. The program not only recognizes leadership in business and customer service, but also a commitment to giving back and doing it right.”
Day was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Ted Smith, president of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Denise, have two children.
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About TIME
TIME is a global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world. A trusted destination for reporting and insight, TIME’s mission is to tell the stories that matter most, to lead conversations that change the world and to deepen understanding of the ideas and events that define our time. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the immeasurable trust of consumers globally, an unrivaled power to convene, TIME is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands with renowned franchises that include the TIME100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, World’s Greatest Places and premium events including the TIME100 Summit and Gala, TIME100 Health Summit, TIME100 Next and more.
About Ally Financial Inc.
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to “Do It Right” for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.
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About the NADA Show
The annual NADA Show brings together more than 20,000 franchised dealers and their employees, industry leaders, manufacturers and exhibitors to learn about the latest auto industry tools, trends, products and technologies.