Automotive - Green and Selling Machines

NADA honors 20 dealers for energy initiatives

Of those dealers taking the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Energy Star Challenge, 20 were honored in September by the national organization. Dealers each reduced electricity or natural gas by 10% or more since the beginning of 2007. The NADA and United States Environmental Protection Agency estimate that if all dealerships reduced energy consumption 10%, they would save $200 million while cutting about one million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Dealers honored for their efforts were ranked at three levels. Gold dealers cut energy by 30% or more, silver dealers by 20-29% and bronze dealers from 10-19%. Gold dealers included George Haddad, Haddad Toyota, Pittsfield, Mass.; Jim Hand, Hand Motors, Manchester Center, Vt.; and John Lambert, Lambert Auto Sales, Claremont, N.H.

Silver-level winners were Bill Currie, Bill Currie Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Tampa, Fla.; Bill and Bob Weiss, Crest Chevrolet and Crest Chrysler, North Conway, N.H.; Jeffrey Wall, George Wall Lincoln Mercury, Shrewsbury, N.J.; Jim Fyles, Gil's Jeep, Stratham, N.H.; Dennis Roberts, Hillsboro Ford, Hillsboro, N.H.; David Lynch, Lynch Chevrolet, Burlington, Wis.; and John McEleney, McEleney Auto Center, Clinton, Iowa.

Bronze-level dealers were Dennis J. Gaudet, AutoServ Tilton, Tilton, N.H.; Karl Wuesthoff, Concours Motors, Glendale, Wis.; Ed Reilly, Ed Reilly Subaru, Concord, N.H.; Paul Holloway, Holloway Mercedes-Benz, Greenland, N.H.; Rich and Linda Lovering, Lovering Volvo at Nashua, Nashua, N.H.; Susan McFarland Moynahan, McFarland Ford, Exeter, N.H.; Chuck Dupler, Nissan of Keene, Swanzey, N.H.; Doug and Greg Grant, State Motors, Manchester, N.H.; and Dan Enxing, Subaru of Nashua, Hudson, N.H.

One interesting trend in the winners for 2008 was the disproportionate number of New Hampshire dealerships, as over half of those represented were from the Granite State. The New Hampshire success was credited to the state automobile dealers association, which voted to embrace the initiative in October 2007. Twenty-nine of its 160 members are enrolled in the program, and almost half of those participating are already showing award-level success.
More than 750 dealers nationwide are participating in the Energy Star challenge, but only four of the 20 winners were located outside the northeast — one each for Florida and Iowa and two in Wisconsin.