(New York, NY, February 15, 2020) – The nomination of Natalie Tindol, dealer principal at Tindol Ford Subaru ROUSH in Gastonia, North Carolina, was named one of four regional finalist for the 2020 TIME Dealer of the Year award today. Tindol is one of a select group of 49 dealer nominees from across the country that was recognized at the 103rd annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on February 15, 2020. The announcement of this year’s annual award was made by Susanna Schrobsdorff, Executive Editor, TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Auto Finance for 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.
Tindol, 54, was chosen to represent the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 51st annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.
“Growing up in the car business created a sense of appreciation of the hard work, integrity and dedication that my father, Earl Tindol, demonstrated daily,” nominee Tindol said. “And by watching his efforts in the community, I learned the value of making a difference in the lives of others.”
Tindol did not plan to enter family business, which was founded in 1974 when her father acquired the Ford dealership in Gastonia. After earning her BA in recreation administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987, she headed to Florida to work in a resort with the goal of becoming a cruise director.
“I worked in the dealership to earn some extra money and soon realized that the car industry was much more than just cars,” she said. “Instead, it was helping the people that bought the cars as well as the employees that worked hard at the store to make that happen. It was about making a difference in other people’s lives.”
For the next eight years, Tindol experienced every position and every department in the dealership. She was promoted to general manager in 1995 and, when her father retired in 2002, she took over the business.
“I bought the store and never looked back,” she said. “With the help of countless people, my dreams have come true, as I am the cruise director of our store. I have fun helping our community, and I try every day to do things that make a positive difference for others.”
Tindol is active in both her state and local dealership associations, having served as chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer of the Greater Charlotte Automobile Dealers Association, as well as chair of the group’s annual Charlotte International Auto Show from 2011 to 2013. “The proceeds from this event allow us to deliver more than $300,000 each year to nonprofits in our area, including the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, food pantries, shelters and many others,” she said. “These funds make a huge difference in the lives of countless Carolinians.”
Also, Tindol was one of the founders of the North Carolina Hometown Heroes program, created by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, which honors first responders and members of the military. “We have hosted several events and dedicated an entire wall in our showroom for these heroes to sign their names in honor of their service to others,” she said.
A member of the Gaston County Education Foundation since 2000, Tindol is proud of the group’s support of teachers. “We fund more than $50,000 in teacher grants each year,” she said. “The difference that this funding will make in the generations ahead may create the largest impact of all.”
Tindol has served on the board of the Gaston County YMCA since 2014, where she is also a group fitness instructor. She was troop leader for the Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Council for more than 13 years and even brought members of her troop to Costa Rica to deliver school supplies and improve schools thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association.
For her community involvement, Tindol has won numerous awards but was most proud to be named a Salute to Dealers honoree by the Ford Motor Company in 2017. This prestigious award recognizes dealers that utilize their resources and time to help those in need. “To be one of only six honorees from across the globe is extremely humbling,” she said. “Through it all, the gratitude I have for my father in allowing me the opportunity to lead our dealership and employees, is the foundation for all that we have done in the community.”
Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. 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.
In its ninth year as exclusive sponsor, Ally 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.
“The award applauds the incredible effort each of these dealers put into their businesses and their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, President of Auto Finance at Ally. “They are influential business leaders and admired ambassadors for worthy causes. It’s an honor for Ally to recognize their generosity and impact in cities and towns across America.”
Tindol was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Robert Glaser, president of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. She and her husband, John Davis, have four children. About TIME USA LLC
TIME is a global multimedia brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world. A trusted destination for reporting and insight on the people, places and issues that matter, TIME captures the events that shape our lives. TIME’s major franchises include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, Genius Companies, World’s Greatest Places, and more. With 45 million digital visitors each month and 40 million social followers, TIME is one of the most trusted and recognized sources of news and information in the world. About Ally Financial Inc. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading digital financial-services company with $181.5 billion in assets as of September 30, 2019. As a customer-centric company with passionate customer service and innovative financial solutions, we are relentlessly focused on "Doing It Right" and being a trusted financial-services provider to our consumer, commercial, and corporate customers. We are one of the largest full-service automotive-finance operations in the country and offer a wide range of financial services and insurance products to automotive dealerships and consumers. Our award-winning online bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) offers mortgage-lending services and a variety of deposit and other banking products, including savings, money-market, and checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Additionally,we offer securities-brokerage and investment-advisory services through Ally Invest. Our robust corporate finance business offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures. 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.
