Matthews Auto nominated for Dealer of the Year

VESTAL, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – A local car dealer has been nominated for a prestigious national award.

Rob Matthews, President of Matthews Auto Group, is one of 48 dealership owners who will be honored by the National Automobile Dealers Association at their annual show in Dallas in January.

One will be selected as the TIME Magazine and Ally Bank Dealer of the Year.

Matthews says the recognition is based both on business success and community involvement.

On the business side, Matthews is credited with launching the group’s upfront pricing approach that eliminates haggling along with a robust rewards program that honors loyalty with discounts.

He says that has led to steady, long-term organic growth.

Matthews says, “Really, it’s a dealership award to me. We have an incredible team. We can have great ideas, senior management as far as strategy, but I’m not the one who sells the car, I’m not the one that services the car. It’s the team we have that can execute on a vision and give great customer service which allows us to then have this success.”

In terms of community service, Matthews Auto Group donates to charities large and small, totaling over $250,000 each year.

That includes $1 from every oil change in the Southern Tier going to the American Heart Association’s Southern Tier Heart Walk.

And they launched the Matthews Auto Walk-A-Thon in 2019 which this year raised $90,000 for 10 different local children’s charities.