Ann Arbor, MI - Tauber Institute for Global Operations faculty selected Richard DeSilva, Jr. of Liberty Subaru in Emerson, NJ as the 52nd TIME Dealer of the Year. The TIME Dealer of the Year program honors new-car dealers who exhibit exceptional performance in their dealerships and perform distinguished community service.

History of the TIME Dealer of the Year Award

TIME Dealer of the Year DeSilva says, "There are so many aspects of my career that I find rewarding, but the best part is being in the grocery store or at a restaurant wearing something with a Liberty Subaru logo and having people stop me to tell me about a great experience they had buying or servicing their car with us. For customers to have such strong, positive feelings about buying or servicing a car tells me that the extra effort we make to do things right is paying off.”

DeSilva received the prestigious award at the virtual National Automobile Dealers Association convention on February 9, 2021. The award is presented by TIME in partnership with Ally "to celebrate the many ways auto dealers are doing it right in their industry and giving back with extraordinary contributions to their community."

Forty new car dealers - out of more than 16,000 dealers nationwide - were nominated for the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year award. A faculty panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan evaluated the nominees, then selected four regional finalists and the national award winner. In appreciation, TIME and Ally have established an annual scholarship for the Tauber Institute's business and engineering graduate students.

Meet the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year Winner, Finalists, and Nominees:

2021 TIME Dealer of the Year Regional Finalists:

Christine Alicandro Karnolt | Marty's Buick GMC | Kingston, MA

Timothy Crenwelge | Crenwelge Motors | Kerrville, TX

Mike Molstead | Mike Molstead Motors, Inc.| Charles City, IA

Christina Dawkins | Co's BMW Center | Loveland, CO

Meet all the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year Nominees.

Learn more about the Tauber Institute's participation in selecting the award winners from Managing Director Diana Crossley.

About the Tauber Institute for Global Operations:

The Tauber Institute for Global Operations is a joint venture between the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Michigan Engineering, working together with industry partners to facilitate cross-disciplinary education in global operations management. In addition to a broad array of core and elective courses, the innovative LeadershipAdvantage Program provides students with the tools to ascend to major operations leadership roles. Well-designed and managed team projects form the cornerstone of the Tauber Institute experience and allow students to apply their knowledge to real-world settings. The students, with faculty support, work at a sponsoring company to address substantive operations, supply chain and/or manufacturing challenges. Visit www.tauber.umich.edu to learn more.

Contact:

Theresa Ceccarelli, 734-647-0308, [email protected]