T TIME and Ally Financial Honor Martinsville Dealer The nomination of Barry Nelson, dealer and President at Nelson Ford Mazda in Martinsville, Virginia, for the 2024 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced by TIME. Nelson is one of a select group of 49 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 107th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 3, 2024. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a longstanding commitment to community service. Nelson was chosen to represent the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 55th annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide. “Seeing the personal and professional growth of our company’s team members has been undeniably the most rewarding aspect of my career,” nominee Nelson said. “We started at very humble beginnings, and as we scaled to new heights, witnessing the progress of our team was invigorating.” After graduating from George Washington Carver High School in Martinsville in 1975, Nelson started working at his family’s Ford store in Basset, Virginia, which was owned by his father, G.R. Nelson. “I learned the car business from the ground up and worked in every position at the store,” he said. “My on-the-job training in each department gave me the necessary insights and operational experience to manage a dealership and eventually lead our auto group.” Nelson and his father began to expand their business footprint by adding franchises and acquiring stores. Today, Autos by Nelson encompasses multiple new-car dealerships in Virginia, representing Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Honda, Kia, Mazda, Subaru and Toyota. “The key to our success is our team members, who consistently strive to be better,” he said. “I am also thankful for the great mentors who have helped me along the way. Through hard work and determination, we have achieved so much, and we continue to grow.” As a longtime member of his community, Nelson’s passion for sports drives his philanthropic giving. He coached American Legion Baseball for 16 years and continues to donate to the Martinsiville Community Recreation Association in support of the baseball program. He is also a board member and local supporter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “Coaching and mentoring young people has given me a platform to positively affect their lives in ways that I would not have been able to otherwise,” he said. Nelson was also instrumental in creating the Patrick & Henry Community College (PHCC) baseball program, where he was a coach for five years, as well as leading the charge to build Hooker Field, a turf field used by PHCC baseball and the Martinsville Mustangs, a local team that competes in the Coastal Plain League. “The program I founded has led to a vast expansion in opportunities for athletes and for the college,” he said. “PHCC has now grown to become part of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), which has brought hundreds of studentathletes to the school and has helped increase enrollment.” Beyond athletics, Nelson has worked with the Martinsville Henry County Chamber of Commerce and the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to attract businesses and jobs to the area. Barry Nelson Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments 6 Virginia Auto Dealer
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