News
We had a Great Time at Kindle with our Friends from Roar to the Shore
TIME & Ally Financial Honor Cape May Court House Dealer - Cape May County Herald: Business
TIME & Ally Financial Honor Cape May Court House Dealer
Press Release | Posted: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 12:29 pm
TIME Dealer of the Year
Bill Kindle Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments at NADA Convention
NEW YORK – The nomination of Bill Kindle, president and treasurer of Kindle Ford Lincoln Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, for the 2016 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.
Kindle is one of a select group of 50 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 99th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 1, 2016. The announcement of this year’s nominees was made by Meredith Long, publisher, TIME, and Tim Russi, president of Auto Finance for Ally Financial.
“The TIME Dealer of the Year award nominees are business leaders and pillars of their communities, who have each given generously to support important charitable causes,” said Russi. “Ally is proud to honor these dealers and to recognize their commitment to making a difference.”
In its fifth 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, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.
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. Kindle, 62, was chosen to represent the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers in the national competition – one of only 50 auto dealers from 16,000 nationwide – nominated for the 47th annual award. 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.
“It’s enough for any father to see his son grow up to be a healthy and productive member of the community,” nominee Kindle said, “but it’s especially rewarding to see our family legacy continue as my son, Steven, comes forward with the interest, talent and dedication to help carry on our dealership.”
And Kindle himself carried the torch for his father, Bob, who first opened Kindle Ford in southern New Jersey in 1957. Kindle, a 1971 graduate of Middle Township High School in Cape May Court House, attended La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, graduating in 1975 with a B.S. in zoology. He entered the family business in 1976, holding positions in sales and service before running the entire operation. His son now serves as vice president. “Steven has worked hard to become deeply engaged in all aspects of the business at every level,” Kindle said. “He has brought forward fresh ways to build the Kindle brand, improve the sales and service experience and increase customer satisfaction.”
One innovative program that Kindle’s son has initiated is the Kindle Community Challenge, which allows customers to decide where the company’s charitable contributions are directed. “We’ve highlighted more than 50 charitable, educational and civic organizations doing good work in our community,” Kindle said. “With a public pledge of ‘You Decide, We Donate,’ we gave more than $100,000 last year to 100 organizations in a public celebration.” Recipients included the Wounded Warrior Project, American Cancer Society, Cape May County Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, Love of Linda Cancer Fund, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlantic & Cape May Counties and the John R. Elliot Hero Campaign for Designated Drivers.
“The bottom line is I just like helping people,” Kindle has said. “I think that was inherited from my father. He was always looking to help somebody; in fact, we used to call him ‘Red Cross Bob.’”
Kindle, a pilot, also contributes by working with Angel Flight Northeast to transport cancer patients and others seeking life-saving treatment to medical facilities. He has flown more than 50 patients and is at the ready to help those in need. He also has used his zoology training to save marine life in peril through the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, providing trucks and expertise to rescue stranded whales, dolphins, turtles and seals. Each year, he sponsors the Turtle Run, a motorcycle ride that raises money and generates awareness for turtles that are killed crossing roads during the hatching season in Cape May County.
In addition, he donates two cars annually to local driver’s education classes and has been an active member of the Cape May Chamber of Commerce. He has received numerous awards for his community involvement and business leadership, including Business Person of the Year from Middle Township Chamber of Commerce in 2011 and Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Betterment Award in 2014. Kindle is most proud to have been selected by Ford Motor Company for its “Salute to Dealers” program last year. “Each year, Ford honors six out of approximately 5,000 dealerships globally for outstanding products, services and community involvement,” he said.
Kindle was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by James Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers. He and his wife, Dona Leider, have three children and two grandchildren.
Jan 25, 2014
2014 Salute to Dealers Winners
William Kindle, Kindle Ford Lincoln; Cape May Court House, N.J., United States
Kindle Ford Lincoln has a long, stormy history in Cape May Court House, N.J. In 1957, Bill Kindle’s father Bob opened a small Ford showroom on Route 9, just minutes from the ocean. After a strong storm wiped out the dealership five years later, it moved just down the road to Wildwood. In 1989, Kindle Ford Lincoln moved back to Cape May Court House, and has been serving customers and the community ever since.
“The bottom line is I just like helping people, and anytime I hear of someone who needs something, the first thing that comes to mind is, ‘How can I help them?’” Kindle said. “I think that was inherited from my father. He was always looking to help somebody; in fact, we used to call him ‘Red Cross Bob.’”
In the spirit of “Red Cross Bob,” Bill Kindle inherited his father’s strong connection to the beautiful seaside community. When he met Bill Elliott at a business function, the two men found something in common – the tragic loss of their sons in a car accident. Elliott’s son, Navy Ensign John Elliott, was traveling home for his mother’s birthday when he was struck and killed by a drunken driver. That prompted the Elliotts to create the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, a foundation that seeks to end drunken-driving tragedies by promoting the use of safe and sober designated drivers.
Kindle Ford Lincoln supports the annual HERO walk fundraiser, which attracts 2,000 people to the Ocean City boardwalk every fall.
Bill Kindle also has helped save the lives of marine mammals and sea turtles along New Jersey’s waterways by flying rescue missions in his plane. A zoologist by training, Kindle backs a motorcycle ride each year to save turtles from being run over by cars during hatching season. He also supports the mission of Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Since the center’s founding in 1978, staff and volunteers have responded to more than 4,000 calls for distressed whales, dolphins, sea turtles and seals.
Bill Kindle’s love of flying also made him a perfect candidate for Angel Flight Northeast, an organization that provides free air transportation to families in need of critical medical care. Kindle has logged 20,000 miles and more than 50 flights to get patients to the treatment or surgeries they need. Everything from fuel to expenses is donated.