ORLANDO, Fla. -

Each member of the the next group of nominees watched their fathers build customer relationships at their dealerships, but one was gearing up to be a football coach before a detour took him to store management.

In the next group of profiles of nominees for theTIME Dealer of the Year Award, these store executives all share what’s important to them — in and out of the showroom.

The awards program, which is produced in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association and sponsored by Ally Financial, aims to recognize the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.

All of these dealers are profiled on a special website for the award:
allydealerheroes.com/nominees/all

Auto Remarketing plans to share some of these nominee profiles from allydealerheroes.com between now and when the winner is announced during the NADA Convention and Expo that runs next month in Orlando, Fla.

George “Bal” Ballentine Jr., George Ballentine Ford Lincoln Toyota, Greenwood, S.C.

“We have been very fortunate to have a loyal customer base that has allowed us to be very successful, which in turn has allowed us to give back to our community,” said nominee George “Bal” Ballentine Jr.

And that steadfast local following began in 1950, when George Ballentine Sr., founded the George Ballentine Motor Co. in Greenwood, S.C. Ballentine learned the business by working in the service and parts department throughout high school. He then studied business administration at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., which helped prepare him to take over the family enterprise. In 1979, four years after graduating from college, he was named general manager.

“I have done all of the different operations — finance, sales and used cars,” he said. “For the last 30 years, I really focused on the used car and truck department, handling most all of the purchasing and marketing.”

Ballentine’s, lifelong commitment to his hometown is evident in the business initiatives and charitable causes he has championed. He has served as president of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce and board member for Self Regional Hospital, Lander University Foundation and the Greenwood Genetic Center. Since 1996, he has been on the board of directors of County Bank.

“Our focus over the last several years has been to help with the revitalization of downtown Greenwood,” Ballentine said. “We have contributed to the new library, arts center, museum and theater. We have also sponsored Music on Maxwell and the downtown music festival.”

One of his most gratifying achievements was being elected president of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association in 2007, as the honor recognized both his service to the automotive industry and his community.

“Living in a small town with unemployment over 10 percent, we often face many difficult challenges,” he said. “Since 2000, we have been able to give more than $1 million to local charities and organizations that have enabled our citizens to live a little better.”

Ballentine was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by Sims Floyd, executive vice president of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Kathryn, have three children.

Michael Basil, Basil Toyota, Lockport, N.Y.

“The most rewarding part of my career is the people,” nominee Michael Basil said of his tenure in the auto industry, which started at age 11 when he first washed cars at his father’s store on Saturdays. He also apprenticed with mechanics and body shop technicians in his younger years, giving him a solid knowledge of the workings of a dealership.

A 1975 graduate of Canisius High School in Buffalo, N.Y., Basil went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Northwood Institute in Midland, Mich. As president of Basil Toyota, he is part of the Basil Automotive Group, which has eight locations in western New York. His parents and five brothers are all active in the business.

“I value the relationships I’ve built over the years,” Basil said. “I enjoy watching the people I work with grow, prosper and develop. I also relish the relationships with our customers and our friends at Toyota and in the automotive community. And the relationship with my wife, my family, my brothers and my parents continues to increase in depth and meaning as we grow older.”

Basil has developed a strong bond with the community as well, contributing to Toys for Tots, Canisius High School Capital Foundation, St John’s Outreach, Down Syndrome Parents Group, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Catholic Charities, United Way, Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, Make-A-Wish Foundation and various local sports programs.
His involvement with Toys for Tots started 11 years ago and has since grown into a huge venture involving all of the Basil stores. The company partnered with the local NBC affiliate and Toys “R” Us to enhance the program, which includes an annual car giveaway to a lucky individual who donates an unwrapped toy. The Basil Family of Dealerships has become the largest toy donators in Erie, Niagara, and Chautauqua counties with more than 45,000 toys collected to date, according to Basil.

“When we started we never could have imagined how big this has become and how it changes the lives of so many people during the holidays,” Basil said.

His greatest honor was receiving the Family Business of the Year awards from both Niagara University and the Barnabite Founders. “Being recognized in our community by these two great institutions was very humbling,” Basil said. “Our family has worked very hard to perform well in the automotive world, but to be honored in our community for our other contributions was such a pleasant surprise and quite an honor. Receiving these honors with all five of my brothers and my mom and dad really was incredible.”

Basil was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by Paul Stasiak, president of the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association. His wife’s name is Faith.

Wayne Bentley, Howard Bentley Buick GMC, Albertville, Ala.

“Creating a business that is providing a stable and significant source of income for 80 plus families who work for our dealerships is my most rewarding experience in the automotive industry,” nominee Wayne Bentley said. “Being able to do this while at the same time keeping the interest of our customers first and foremost is a tribute to our employees.

In addition we have always been community oriented by participating and giving to many local organizations in our city, county, and state. Having the time and resources to be an active contributor to my community, only add to the satisfaction of being a new car dealer.”

Bentley graduated from Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Ala., in 1978; Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Ala., in 1981, and Athens State University in Athens, Ala., in 2001, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business management. He began his automotive career in 1983 at his father’s dealership in Fayetteville, Tenn., starting in the parts department and later in the service area before completing an automotive management program at General Motors in 1988 and becoming co-owner of what is now Howard Bentley Buick GMC in Albertville, Ala.
After the death of his father this past April, he assumed the role of owner/dealer for the Fayetteville store.

“Throughout my 30 years in the automotive industry alongside my father we have always had the business philosophy to build and retain our customer base from the strength of our fixed operations,” Bentley said. “This approach has proven to provide stability for our company during industry downturns and helped us to be even more prosperous during good economic times.” Both his wife and mother work for the organization.

Bentley is very involved with the Rotary as a club member since 1997 and as president and president-elect. He led a drive that increased membership by 30 percent and, for the first time in the club’s 40-year-history, women were invited to join. “Having been heavily influenced by my mother, grandmother and my wife over the years, it has helped me develop my philosophical approach to life,” he said. “In addition, having two daughters of my own, I could not imagine women not being included in any organization.”

He has also contributed his time and talents to the Albertville Chamber of Commerce, Albertville City Schools Foundation, Marshall County Leadership Council, D.A.R.E. and Snead State Community College. He has contributed to the Marshall County Christmas Coalition, United Way, Hospice of Marshall County, American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Big Oak Ranch. For all this work on behalf of his city, it was fitting that Bentley was named Albertville Citizen of the Year. “This award is meaningful to me since I was nominated by my peers at the chamber of commerce who recognized my dealership's service to its customers and the community,” he said.

Bentley was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by Thomas Dart, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Alabama. He and his wife, Kathy, have two children.

Michael Joe Cannon, Cannon Motors, Oxford, Miss.

“There are many rewards when you are dealing with people and the public,” Michael Joe Cannon said. “I am blessed to have a thriving business, committed employees and loyal customers.”

But owning a dealership was not Cannon’s original choice of occupations. He was a standout football player and served as captain at both Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia and at the University of Memphis in Tennessee where he graduated in 1980 and 1982, respectively. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education and was carving out a coaching career at Northwest Mississippi Community College and then at the University of Mississippi in Oxford in 1986 when he received news that his father had passed away.

“My father owned a small used car dealership in Calhoun City, Mississippi,” he explained. “I stopped coaching and moved there to manage my father’s car lot, as requested in his will, thinking I would eventually return to coaching. After 26 years, I realized that the auto industry would be as close to coaching as I would ever get.”

After 15 years of selling pre-owned vehicles, Cannon purchased a new car dealership in Greenwood, Miss. Today, he has eight retail stores throughout the state, selling a range of brands as well as pre-owned models.

And just as he embraced the auto industry, he has equally offered his talents to the community. Cannon has served as president of the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce, the Boys Club and the United Way, as well as taking the reins as chairman of the United Way fundraising drive. He received the Paul Harris Fellow award from Rotary in 2012.

“This award meant a lot to me because of (Rotary founder Paul Harris’) commitment to eradicate polio and help people around the world,” Cannon said.

His association with the United Way of Leflore County has also been an inspiration for Cannon. “It has been a life-changing experience for me because of the number of people and organizations (the United Way) affects,” he said. “I'm proud to say I am a part of the United Way and will continue to help personally and financially as I am able and also recruit others to do the same.”

Cannon was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by W. E. Lehman, president of the Mississippi Automobile Dealers’ Association. He and his wife, Cheryl, have three children.

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