Massachusetts store owner Gary Rome named TIME Dealer of the Year at NADA 2023

Gary Rome, president of the Massachusetts based Gary Rome Auto Group, was given TIME Magazine’s Dealer of the Year award at the 2023 NADA convention.

Rome, who runs both Kia and Hyundai storefronts, has been in the automotive retail business since 1997. His dealerships carry new and used and vehicles, and are located in Holyoke and Enfield.

Rome was nominated by the vice president of his state’s dealers association, Robert O’Koniewski, who based his nomination on the retailer’s charitable donations and community support. The dealer’s storefronts have become hotspots for fundraising events which benefit nonprofits, local businesses and the Holyoke community. The award comes with a $10,000 check dedicated to a charity of the winner’s choosing, which Rome said would be chosen after he received input from his employees.

Speaking to NADA attendees at the award ceremony in Texas, Rome expressed that while he appreciated the recognition, his business’s success was the product of his team’s hard work and dedication. “…It’s not about me it’s about our employees who are the backbone of our success, and it’s about what they do day in and day out that makes the difference…” he explained.

Rome was selected from a candidate pool of 48 dealers by judges from the University of Michigan’s Tauber Institute for Global Operations. The NADA, Ally Financial and TIME sponsored the contest, with Ally supplying the $10,000 donation money. The award is intended to recognize store owners for the support they provide their communities and the quality of their business services.

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