Raymond Farabaugh, president of D-Patrick in Evansville, Ind., has been named 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year.

The award, in its 56th year, is presented in partnership with Ally Financial and the National Automobile Dealers Association, recognizing the nation’s most successful dealers with a longstanding commitment to community service.

Farabaugh was selected from 49 nominees from among the more than 16,000 franchised dealers in the U.S. He received the award from TIME CEO Jessica Sibley and Ally president of dealer financial services Doug Timmerman during a ceremony at last week’s NADA Show in New Orleans.

TIME and Ally cited Farabaugh’s “outstanding achievements in the auto industry and his unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in his community,” noting he has served as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and is currently on the board of directors of the Automobile Dealers Association of Indiana.

His auto group has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in contributions and sponsorships for charitable and community organizations, including the Ark Crisis Children’s Center, Boone County Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Club of Evansville, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ohio Valley, Special Olympics Indiana, Tri-State Food Bank and Walk to End Alzheimer’s Southwest Indiana, among others.

“The TIME Dealer of the Year award celebrates the country’s top dealers who understand that their businesses thrive when they give back and help their communities grow,” Timmerman said, “and Raymond truly embodies those qualities that make this award so special.

“Raymond and all of the TIME Dealer of the Year nominees stand out for doing it right in their industry and investing in their communities and dealership teams.”

Farabaugh was chosen by a panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan from a group of finalists that also included Sean Baxter of Kayser Ford in Madison, Wisc., George Haddad of Haddad Toyota in Pittsfield, Mass., Con Paulos of Con Paulos Chevrolet in Jerome, Idaho, and Cathy Stender of Woody Anderson Ford in Huntsville, Ala.

Ally will donate $10,000 to the charity of Farabaugh’s choice and $5,000 to a nonprofit organization selected by each of the finalists, as well as $1,000 to a charity selected by each of the 49 nominees. The company said it has made donations totaling nearly $1 million in connection with the program.

Lithia & Driveway back in acquisition mode

Lithia & Driveway is up to its old tricks: acquiring dealerships.

The dealer group announced it has purchased Stohlman Subaru in Sterling, Va., from Stohlman Automotive Family.

“This acquisition strengthens our presence in the dynamic Mid-Atlantic market and reflects our continued focus on creating seamless experiences across our omnichannel platform,” LAD president and CEO Bryan DeBoer said in a news release. “We look forward to creating customer loyalty and continuing to unlock the potential of the LAD platform alongside the Stohlman team.”

The company said the acquisition adds expected annualized revenue of $80 million and was financed using existing on-balance sheet capacity.

Lithia, which operates more than 340 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., was perhaps the most aggressive buyer in the dealership buy-sell market in 2024, adding multiple stores in all three countries. But it ended the year as a seller, selling Carson Nissan in Carson, Calif., to David Massoudi of Mass Auto Group in December.

In a news release, the company said it has deployed $107 million since the end of the 2024 third quarter to repurchase shares at an average price of $372. Under the current share repurchase authorization, LAD said, about $454 million remains available.