The nomination of Jack Kain, Sr., founder of Jack Kain Ford in Versailles, Kentucky, for the 2022 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced by TIME.
Kain is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 105th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on March 11, 2022. The announcement of this year’s annual award was made by Viktoria Degtar, Global Chief Revenue Officer, TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Dealer Financial Services, Ally Financial.
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. Kain was chosen to represent the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 53rd annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.
“I built my dealership on a foundation of honesty and integrity,” nominee Kain said. “We treat every visitor as an honored guest and put customer satisfaction and transparency first – both before and after the sale.”
Kain served in the United States Air Force and earned a B.A. from the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 1951. He grew up on a dairy farm and while in college, he began to sell cars part-time at a local dealership. Kain realized he had a knack for sales and a passion for the retail automotive business.
He acquired a DeSoto-Plymouth store in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1953, and launched his first Ford store in Frankfort in 1959. He later moved his Ford operation to Versailles in 1979, added another Ford store in London, Kentucky, and bought and sold Chevrolet, Chrysler and Nissan dealerships over the years. Kain built his current state-of-the-art facility in Versailles in 2003 and sold the Ford dealership in London in 2012.
Today, he owns Jack Kain Ford in Versailles with family members. Four of his children – Bob, Patrick, Bill and Vickie Kain-Fister – work for the dealership and are the next generation to carry on his legacy.
“My children are making their own positive impact on this business and on the level of service provided to customers,” Kain said. “I’ve seen many changes in vehicles over the course of my career. The sheer inventiveness and technology now are amazing, and the choices provided to consumers are great. This industry is always interesting, and I am proud to say I sell cars.”
As a trailblazer in the retail automotive sector, Kain was called on to serve in leadership positions on the state and national level. He was president of the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association in 1982 and held numerous executive positions at NADA, including chair (2005), vice chair (2004), treasurer (2003) and secretary (2002), as well as contributing to the board of the NADA Foundation.
“My finest moment serving NADA was in 2005 when we visited Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by the automotive industry for individuals and workers at dealerships who were devastated by the storm,” Kain said. “It was the highlight of my time in this business and as a board member for NADA.”
And while Kain chose a career in the auto industry over a life of farming, he never forgot his roots. “My car business has enabled me to help a lot of farmers keep their farms going,” he said.
My car business has enabled me to help a lot of farmers keep their farms going.
Kain also gives back to his community and has coached youth sports, including baseball, basketball and football. He consistently sponsors local school events and educational programs for Versailles and supports numerous organizations in his local area, the county of Woodford and central Kentucky.
“I have worked to achieve a better quality of life for all through improved schools, cleaner water, better healthcare options and more activities,” he said.
Kain has contributed his time, talent and resources to Woodford County Public Schools: Northeast Woodford Water District (district leader since 1959); Jack Kain Ford Military Support Fund; Hope Center in Lexington; St. Leo Catholic Church and St. Leo School in Versailles; Versailles Area Chamber of Commerce (founder); Kentucky Community & Technical College System; Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust for Life (program to raise awareness and encourage organ and tissue donation); and United Way of the Bluegrass, to name a few. But perhaps his most profound impact on the Woodford County Community was in serving on the Economic Impact Committee which brought 100’s of jobs to the area and rejuvenated historical downtown Versailles.
“The retail automotive industry has given me the opportunity to give back to my community in many ways,” he said.
Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. 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. Three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive an additional $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.
In its eleventh year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also 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.
“In cities and towns across the country, auto dealers make a big economic impact — going the extra mile to strengthen their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, president of dealer financial services, Ally. “It’s an incredible achievement to be nominated for TIME Dealer of the Year. The program not only recognizes leadership in business and customer service, but also a commitment to giving back and doing it right.”
About TIME
TIME is a global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world. A trusted destination for reporting and insight, TIME’s mission is to tell the stories that matter most, to lead conversations that change the world and to deepen understanding of the ideas and events that define our time. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the immeasurable trust of consumers globally, an unrivaled power to convene, TIME is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands with renowned franchises that include the TIME100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, World’s Greatest Places and premium events including the TIME100 Summit and Gala, TIME100 Health Summit, TIME100 Next and more.
About Ally Financial Inc.
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to “Do It Right” for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.
For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.
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About the NADA Show
The annual NADA Show brings together more than 20,000 franchised dealers and their employees, industry leaders, manufacturers and exhibitors to learn about the latest auto industry tools, trends, products and technologies.
