(New York, NY, October 24, 2013) – The nomination of Gary Brown, dealer principal at Brown's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat in Patchogue, New York, for the 2014 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.
Brown is one of a select group of 57 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 97th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 2014. The announcement of this year’s nominees was made by Jed Hartman, group publisher, Time Inc. News and Business, and Tim Russi, president of Auto Finance for Ally Financial.
“The dealers nominated for this award are community heroes, as well as economic and civic leaders, who have time and again shown their dedication to making a difference,” said Russi. “Ally is pleased to once again be supporting these dealers in their efforts to create vibrant, thriving communities.”
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In its third year as exclusive sponsor, Ally will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s charity of choice. Nominees will also be recognized on the recently launched website, AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of auto dealers across the U.S.
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. Brown, 54, was chosen to represent the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 57 auto dealers from 17,000 nationwide – nominated for the 45th annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.
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“My most meaningful civic achievement has been the success of the dealership over the past 20 years, which has enabled us to support many local charities” nominee Brown said of the business started by his grandfather in 1917.
Brown prepped cars and pumped gas at the family’s Brown’s Garage while attending Bellport High School in Brookhaven, New York, where he graduated in 1977. He then studied mechanical engineering and received a B.S.M.A. in 1981 from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Following college, Brown was a production engineer at Allied Chemical and production supervisor at Allied Signal in Hopewell, Virginia, where he learned leadership skills that served him well when he joined the family dealership as general manager in 1987, buying a 33 percent stake from his uncle and partnering with his father. He purchased the remaining shares in 1992 and today is sole owner.
“As a third-generation owner, I've changed the family business from a gas station repair shop to a large, single-point Chrysler facility,” Brown said. He moved the business twice to better locations and added brands to his portfolio. His daughter is now the fourth generation of Browns to be part of the organization.
Brown noted, “It’s very rewarding to continue my family's legacy in this area. When I started in 1987 with my father, we had 12 employees and we now employ more than 100. During the downturn of 2008 and 2009, we didn't reduce staff. We gambled by advertising more to keep the same level of business and, hence, the same number of employees.”
In addition to boosting the local economy while growing his business, Brown is also proud of his contributions to the auto industry and area causes. He currently serves as chairman of Chrysler's National Dealer Council, which he considers both an honor and a privilege. “I was asked by my fellow Chrysler dealers in 2009 to help the Chrysler leadership pull out of bankruptcy and be competitive again as a franchise.”
On the community front, Brown was recognized by Brookhaven Hospital in 2011 for his many years of service on the board of trustees and for his financial contributions. He has received the Paul Harris award from Rotary, a Good Deed award from Suffolk County Boy Scouts and has been honored for his support of the annual Fuoco Memorial Golf “Feastival,” which raises money for Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck in Center Moriches, New York, a haven for children and young adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Brown has also supported many service organizations, including Rotary, Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the American Cancer Society and its Relay For Life event, YMCA and Habitat for Humanity.
Brown was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Lynn, have three children.
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About Ally Financial Inc.
Ally Financial Inc. is a leading automotive financial services company powered by a top direct banking franchise. Ally's automotive services business offers a full suite of financing products and services, including new and used vehicle inventory and consumer financing, leasing, inventory insurance, commercial loans and vehicle remarketing services. Ally Bank, the company's direct banking subsidiary and member FDIC, offers an array of deposit products, including certificates of deposit, savings accounts, money market accounts, IRA deposit products and interest checking. Ally's Commercial Finance unit provides financing to middle-market companies across a broad range of industries.
With approximately $150.6 billion in assets as of June 30, 2013, Ally operates as a bank holding company. For more information, visit the Ally media site at http://media.ally.com or follow Ally on Twitter: @Ally.
