Ziebart International Corp., the global leader in automotive detailing, films and protection services, has announced its “North American Dealer of the Year” and honored its top sales, service and performance leaders for 2014.
DETROIT, Michigan – Ziebart International Corp., the global leader in automotive detailing, films and protection services, has announced its “North American Dealer of the Year” and honored its top sales, service and performance leaders for 2014.
The North American Dealer of the Year – the company’s highest annual award – was presented for the second straight year to Ziebart franchise owners Tim and Evelyn Shinkle of Warsaw, Indiana. The annual award is presented to the dealer that exemplifies the best overall Ziebart business operations for the year. The award, presented by Ziebart International Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. Wolfe, is based on overall achievement for the year on multiple criteria including implementation of the company decor program, advertising, local marketing participation, promotions, service training and sales growth.
Ziebart International Corporation hosted owners from across the country on September 12th and held the awards banquet at the Greektown Casino and Hotel in Detroit. Some 200 people attended the seminar and ended the night with a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park.
“This is a very meaningful award for us and for the Ziebart store owners,” said Wolfe. “It demonstrates that we all must strive for excellence in every aspect of providing our customers with the very best vehicle care products and services in the world. We are thrilled to honor – for the second year in a row – Tim and Evelyn Shinkle for taking care of their customers and going the extra mile to build the Ziebart brand.”
What does the North American Dealer of the Year mean to Tim Shinkle? “It means we have a motivated, dedicated team of employees who care about our customers,” he said. “Winning the award last year was a motivator to us. I asked corporate what we had to do to win it again and they kind of laughed and said to sell the new product Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film. Well, our sales of Z-Shield were astronomical.”
“I think we sold more Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film than almost any other store in the country,” Shinkle said. “The Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film product is a natural in the Ziebart line-up of protection services. We can rust proof a car, we can make faded paint look new and now we can prevent that paint from getting chips and scratches. It really puts drivers at ease, they say ‘now I can drive my car without worrying about getting stone chips or scratches’ – our customers really love the Z-Shield product.”
“A lot of hard work by my family and our employees paid off again this year,” said Shinkle, who has operated the store for eight years. “We exceeded our sales goals for the year and for each of the past eight years. This award is great but it’s not why we do what we do everyday. We do it for our family, our employees’ families and for our customer. We are motivated everyday to do a good job for our customers and it pays because they keep coming back and giving us referrals to family and friends.”
Shinkle said he also really wants to thank the Ziebart International Corporation and management team for running a great franchise business and investing to make products better. “I am proud to be a Ziebart franchise owner because the company puts so much into every product like Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film to make it the best it can be to help boost sales for franchise stores by providing a superior product and excellent installation training.”
What’s next for the Indiana Ziebart franchise owner, is a three-peat in the forecast? “We asked what we had to do to really be a special store and win it for a third year in a row. They laughed again, but we’re serious – about pursuing another award -- not for the award itself but for what it represents in serving our customers. That’s what it’s really all about,” said Shinkle.
The North American “New Dealer of the Year” was awarded to operators of the Ziebart Corpus Christi, Texas store Rick Saenz and Monica Silva. The Texas store has been operational for less than 2 years but has exceeded all corporate criteria for the facility, brand promotion, all trade services and outstanding sales growth.
“We are thrilled to have been honored as the New Dealer of the Year,” said Rick Saenz, Co-owner. “A lot of really hard work by myself and our entire group paid off. We are in the showroom or working on customer cars every day and we must be doing good work because they come back and refer their friends.”
Saenz said the wide array of Ziebart products and services is a huge draw and sets the standard in the industry.
“I have been in the vehicle care service for a long time before establishing the Ziebart franchise. We are drawing people from all over the great State of Texas and the Ziebart name alone brings people in,” Saenz said. “Once they experience the products and our service, they become Ziebart fans.”
Saenz said his entire team was thrilled about the awards honor and it has motivated them to strive to win again next year for serving their growing customer base. “We are very happy with Ziebart and glad that we made the investment in the franchise. Ziebart cares about its store owners.”
Ziebart Corporation operates company-owned stores in select locations around the Midwest. Fridley, Minnesota Store Manager Joe Simonsen was named “Store Manager of the Year” for increased sales, overall sales of Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film and his commitment to customer service.
“It’s a great honor, a big ‘atta boy’ and really great to know that our hard work and dedication has been recognized,” said Simonsen of the award. “We had a really good year with sales up some 28% over the previous year. We expect a great fall season as people are readying their vehicles for winter with rust protection, Z-Shield® Paint Protection Film and other products and services we offer.”
Kurt Ziebart, the corporation’s founder, rust protected his first vehicle in 1954 and established the business in Michigan in 1959. From the early days of rust protection, Ziebart International Corporation has diversified its products and service offerings over many decades.
Ziebart International Corporation represents a global franchise network of vehicle appearance and protection services for over 55 years. The company was founded on rust protection in 1959 and currently operates 400 locations in 32 countries with over 800 processing centers worldwide. Ziebart is the world’s leading name in automotive services that protect, preserve and enhance the appearance of cars and trucks. For location and franchise information, visit Ziebart.com.