F&I and Showroom Names 2013 F&I Pacesetters
Torrance, Calif. — F&I and Showroom selected its six F&I Pacesetters of the Year. These operations are now in the running for the F&I Dealer of the Year award.
Profiles of each F&I Pacesetter will appear in the September issue of F&I and Showroom magazine. Each winner will be sending a representative to the Paris Las Vegas this September for the F&I Conference and Expo, where one of them will be named the 2013 F&I Dealer of the Year.
“Selecting the six finalists is never easy, and this year was no exception,” said Gregory Arroyo, editorial director. “Each of them had a great story to tell and clearly demonstrated their ability to balance performance with customer satisfaction.”
The F&I Dealer of the Year award, sponsored by The Warranty Group, is handed out annually to a dealership with a highly profitable F&I department that demonstrates a commitment to regulatory compliance. This year’s winner will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 17, during a special lunchtime ceremony.
Past winners of the F&I Dealer of the Year award include Dick Hannah Dealerships, Tuttle-Click Automotive, The Suburban Collection and Lithia Motors. Here are this year’s F&I Pacesetters:
Cable Dahmer Automotive Group, Independence, Mo.
First Texas Honda, Austin, Texas
Ken Garff Automotive Group, Salt Lake City, Utah
Kings Toyota, Cincinnati, Ohio
Serpentini Chevrolet of Strongsville, Ohio
Star Dodge Chrysler Jeep/Hyundai, Abilene, Texas
The F&I Conference and Expo is one of three shows being hosted at Industry Summit 2013, which is being held at the Paris Las Vegas hotel Sept. 16-18. For more information, visit www.industrysummit.com.
More Industry

Penske Auto Group Deal a Record
The deal to take the dealership and transportation services company private sets a new pace for industry buy-sell transactions.
Read More →
War Toll a Damper on Used Auto Prices
Cox Automotive found wholesale depreciation to be elevated in September amid high fuel prices and this year's unusual hurricane season.
Read More →
Bridge the Maintenance Gap
With many drivers missing recommended maintenance, service departments offering transparency and efficiency have a better chance of reaching financially strained consumers.
Read More →
California Store Has New Owner
The longtime dealership in the northern part of the state is known for robust fleet sales and has served the state capital for 115 years.
Read More →
BMW Plant Pursues Cleaner Energy
BMW Group Plant Leipzig has utilized hydrogen to help power its production since 2013, but a new pipeline is planned to take it to another level.
Read More →
Auto Affordability Inches Up
The latest Cox Automotive and Moody’s Analytics index shows a slight increase in new-vehicle affordability despite high prices.
Read More →
Ohio Auto Group Under New Ownership
After 79 years with the Schluter family, Mansfield Auto Group has been acquired by Missouri-based Clement Auto Group.
Read More →
RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint
Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.
Read More →
Agent Acumen
An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.
Read More →
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →