Alabama Truck Dealer Wins National Award

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of truck dealers stood up and cheered as Drew Linn, Jr., president of Southland International Trucks in Homewood, Ala., accepted the national award for Truck Dealer of the Year.

Although some recipients of various high-level awards in other industries use their acceptance speeches to boost their own accomplishments, Linn used the platform to commend his employees.

"We're very proud of the entire dealership," Linn said at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Convention and Expo. "It's an accomplishment made possible by our 200 dealership employees."

"I spend more and more of my time coaching all these people, because the team's getting bigger," Linn said in remarks prior to the award presentation. "I love the interaction with customers, but I love even more the interaction with the people [with whom I work]. The older I get, the more gratifying it is to see them become successful."

The award is co-sponsored by ATD and Heavy Duty Trucking magazine. Linn was selected from an elite group of truck dealers, including Steve Bacalis, president & CEO of Tom Nehl Truck Co. in Jacksonville, Fla., who was named a finalist.

"Drew Linn exemplifies the contribution of American truck dealers to our nation's businesses and its economy," said Lynn W. McGee, chair of the 2013 selection committee. "For his consistent, exceptional performance during his more than 46 years in the industry, he was selected as the national winner."

Nominees for the award are evaluated on several categories, including dealership performance, civic contributions and industry leadership. The winner was chosen by a panel of professors from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

The NADA and ATD conventions run Feb. 8-11 at the Orange County Convention Center. For up-to-minute news coverage, visit www.nadafrontpage.com/NADA2013.xml.

About ATD

The American Truck Dealers represents about 2,000 medium- and heavy-duty truck dealers. ATD members share in NADA's programs, services and benefits. ATD hosts an annual convention for dealers and dealership managers. For more information, visit www.atd.org.

The NADA Story

The NADA story began in 1917 when 30 auto dealers traveled to the nation's capital to convince Congress not to impose a luxury tax on the automobile. They successfully argued that the automobile is a necessity of American life, not a luxury. From that experience was born the National Automobile Dealers Association. Today, NADA represents nearly 16,000 new-car and -truck dealers, with 32,500 franchises, both domestic and international. For more information, visit www.nada.org. Follow NADA on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE National Automobile Dealers Association