
Â
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â
     Â
 Contact: TIME Dealer of the Year Hotline  Â
Â
   Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
     Â
(212) 522-5518
    Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
    William
SepicÂ
Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
   Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers
Association
Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
      Â
 (608) 251-5577
TIME AND ALLY FINANCIAL HONOR WAUSAU
DEALER
Keith Kocourek Wins National Recognition for Community
ServiceÂ
and Industry Accomplishments at NADA
Convention
(New
York, NY, October 24, 2016) - The nomination of Keith Kocourek, owner and
president of Kocourek Chevrolet in Wausau, Wisconsin, for the 2017 TIME Dealer
of the Year award was announced today by TIME.
Â
Kocourek is
one of a select group of 49 dealer nominees from across the country who will be
honored at the 100th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)
Convention & Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 27, 2017.
The announcement of this year's nominees was made by Meredith Long, SVP : GM,
News & Luxury, TIME, and Tim Russi, president of Auto Finance for Ally
Financial.
"We are
excited about the extraordinary group of nominees that are in the running for
the 2017 TIME Dealer of the Year award," said Russi. "These dealers
have been recognized for the ways that they 'do it right' in their communities,
and we look forward to sharing their stories over the next few months and
celebrating their accomplishments at the NADA convention in January."
In
its sixth 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. Kocourek, 54, was chosen to represent the Wisconsin Automobile
& Truck Dealers Association in the national competition - one of only
49 auto dealers from 16,000 nationwide - nominated for the 48th 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.Â
"I
enjoy participating in someone's journey, discovering their talents and potential
and encouraging personal growth," nominee Kocourek said. "I am
touched to play such a significant role in building the careers of my team
members. What may have started as a job has thrived into a supportive,
rewarding profession."
A
1980 graduate of Lincoln High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Kocourek earned
an management degree at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, in 1983. He
understood at an early age the value of hard work. "My parents operated a
restaurant in which I was expected to work and, like many good Wisconsin
citizens, we also had a small farm, where I learned the invaluable lessons that
only throwing bales of hay can provide," he
said.
His first job in
the automotive industry was as a detail technician for Pietroske Inc. of
Manitowoc at age 16. He worked at the dealership for nine years, reaching the
position of service manager, before moving to Wausau in 1988 and taking a job
with Jim Carter Chevrolet. "Jim Carter was formerly a Green Bay Packer,
and he ran a business just as he played on the field - full out and hard,"
Kocourek said. "He taught me more about the business than I could have
learned anywhere else. He was and remains to this day my greatest mentor."
Kocourek was named a partner in 1991 and in 1999, became full owner. Today, he
owns six dealerships and a body shop in Wausau and employs 265
individuals.
Kocourek
believes that "improving the lives of our neighbors is both a
responsibility and privilege." To that end, he is an enthusiastic
supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northcentral Wisconsin, an experience
that has forever changed his life. That is where 27 years ago he met 6-
year-old, Charlie Sann. Â "Over the years, I have watched Charlie
grow up, go to college and develop a successful career within my business, as
well as start a family," he said. Today, Charlie is the sales manager at
Kocourek Chevrolet.
To
help other children's charities, Kocourek founded the Kocourek Kids Foundation
in 2008. "A percentage of the profits earned each month from the
dealerships is contributed to the foundation and, personally, I match any
donation from team members and outside sources," he said. "Since its
commencement, there has been more than $250,000 donated to this fund." The
foundation supports the local Boy Scouts, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys
& Girls Club, as well as The Neighbors' Place in Wausau, which offers a
"hand up" to people in need in Marathon County.Â
"My
daughter, Paige, and I have wonderful memories of filling shuttle vans with
food and delivering it to The Neighbors' Place," Kocourek said. "We
spent time together and she then learned the importance of helping
others."
An avid
pilot, Kocourek volunteers for Angel Flight, an organization that provides free
transportation to individuals in crisis. He has also donated his leadership to
the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, serving on its board for
six years.
"The
Wausau community has supported me and it is a right, privilege and
responsibility to be able to return the gesture," he
said.
Kocourek was
nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by William Sepic, president and
CEO of the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association. He has one
daughter.
About Time
Inc.Â
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the
world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over
120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million
visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include
People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as
well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United
Kingdom.
About Ally
Financial Inc.
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a
leading digital financial services company and a top 25 U.S. financial holding
company offering financial products for consumers, businesses, automotive
dealers and corporate clients. Ally's legacy dates back to 1919, and the
company was redesigned in 2009 with a distinctive brand, innovative approach
and relentless focus on its customers. Ally has an award-winning online bank
(member FDIC), one of the largest full service auto finance operations in the
country, a complementary auto-focused insurance business, a growing digital
wealth management and online brokerage platform, and a trusted corporate
finance business offering capital for equity sponsors and middle-market
companies.
Â
The company
had approximately $157.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2016. For more
information, visit the Ally press room at //media.ally.com  or
follow Ally on Twitter: @AllyFinancial.