A few weeks ago, I flew to Atlanta and met with Jim Ellis to interview him for our annual Ward's Dealer of the Year award. After spending most of the day with him, I am convinced he is one of the classiest and ethical people in the business. The Ellis group is one of the great organizations in automotive retail. 
Read the entire story here.
In 2001, Ward's created the award to help shine a light on dealers who are sharp business people, great at selling cars and who are phenomenal people within the community.
It's my favorite story of the year to write - that's why I haven't handed it off to others here to write. It's an opportunity to spend time with great people in this industry. And there are many.
The toughest part is deciding who to name as the Ward's Dealer of the Year. Past winners include Bert Boeckmann, Galpin Automotive; Jerry Reynolds, former owner of Prestige Automotive Group; Herb Chambers, Herb Chambers Automotive; Lloyd Chavez, Burt Automotive Group; Shau-wai Lam, DCH Automotive Group; Bob Pietroske, Pietroske Automotive Group; and Annette Sykora, South Plains Ford Lincoln Mercury and South Plains Ford Lincoln Mercury Dodge Jeep Chrysler.