Published: May 09, 2008 09:20 pm            

Boyd County Ford gets President’s Award

ASHLAND — There were a lot of smiles in the showroom at Boyd County Ford on Thursday as corporate officials presented the local dealership with the President’s Award, the company’s highest honor.

“This award truly recognizes excellence in every aspect of the dealership,” Mike Breen, Ford Regional Marketing Manager, said.

He said the award is primarily based upon customer surveys regarding the dealership’s performance from the sales lot to the service department, as well as meeting or exceeding Ford’s expectations for sales performance.

“Boyd County Ford has done a great job representing the Ford Motor Company,” Breen said.

“It’s not just about selling cars and trucks,” he added, noting the local dealership involvement in community activities “in good times and challenging times,” specifically saluting Boyd County Ford’s support of local military service personnel and their families.

Ken Blanton, President of Boyd County Ford and a veteran of the local automotive sales industry for more than four decades, was obviously pleased to receive the distinction.

“This is the greatest award we could ever win,” Blanton said with a big smile as a large crowd milled about the showroom early Thursday evening for a Business After Hours event by the Ashland Alliance.

Blanton cited Ford’s product quality as a major reason for customer satisfaction, noting the company’s cars and trucks are now considered equal or superior to the products of any import brand.

“In the last four or five years Ford has come so far,” he said, citing improvements from engineering to workmanship and marketing and expressing his excitement about Ford’s plans for new products to be released during the next three years.

Above all, Blanton said the people who work at Boyd County Ford deserve the most credit for the recent recognition.

“In the 40 years I’ve been in this business this is the best staff I’ve ever had,” he said, explaining many associates have been there for years and years. “They’ve just been here forever. They are just good, dedicated people. They know we only do business one way and that is the right way.”

Ford Motor Company’s President’s award is earned by an elite group of dealerships, with a few more than 400 of the brand’s nearly 5,000 dealerships receiving the prestigious honor.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.

        

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