GREG WILLS
TIME AND ALLY FINANCIAL HONOR TWIN FALLS DEALER
Greg Wills Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments at NADA Show
(New York, NY, October 21, 2019) – The nomination of Greg Wills, dealer principal at Wills Toyota in Twin Falls, Idaho, for the 2020 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.
Wills is one of a select group of 50 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 103rd annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on February 15, 2020. The announcement of this year’s annual award was made by Susanna Schrobsdorff, chief partnerships officer, TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Auto Finance for 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. Wills, 67, was chosen to represent the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 50 auto dealers nominated for the 51st annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.
“Our Wills dealership has been a mainstay in Twin Falls since 1946,” nominee Wills said. “What’s most rewarding is being able to give back to the community that has helped us prosper and grow for more than 70 years.”
After earning a degree in business from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, in 1974, Wills joined the dealership, which was originally founded by his grandfather, father and uncle as Wills Motor Company selling Nash cars. Nash eventually became the American Motors Corporation and different lines were added to the dealership. In 1991, the Wills family became a single-point Toyota dealer.
Wills gained experience in many different areas of the dealership, from selling vehicles to overseeing F&I (Finance & Insurance) to handling marketing and advertising, before becoming dealer principal in 2008. He and his cousin Chris Wills own the business today, and his son, Hank, is the next generation to join the company.
“I believe I've been successful because of my focus and dedication to the job at hand,” he said. “And I believe that a great work atmosphere is a must. Our employees enjoy their jobs and positions –and they like working in the environment we've created.”
Wills has served on the board of directors for the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association since 2006 and the CSI (College of Southern Idaho) Foundation from 2008 to 2014. “The CSI Foundation raises and maintains monies for student scholarships,” he said. “While on the board, I helped increase the amount given out annually, enabling hundreds of students to go to the school who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. It was an honor to serve on the board.”
He also contributes to his community in a variety of ways, donating to an average of 50 individuals, associations and clubs yearly. “In the last three years, we've given a new Toyota Corolla, Camry and RAV4 to the Twin Falls schools,” Wills said. “In addition, each summer we help sponsor five charity golf tournaments by providing a new Toyota as the hole-in-one prize.”
Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. 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.
In its ninth year as exclusive sponsor, Ally 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.
“It’s an incredible honor to recognize these dealers for their business accomplishments and their unwavering commitment to ‘Do It Right’ by helping others in their communities,” Timmerman said. “They are extraordinary auto leaders who care and go the extra mile to give of themselves to make their communities stronger. Ally is proud to support and celebrate their achievements.”
Wills was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Kevin Hanigan, vice president and executive director of the Idaho Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Sue, have three children.