Scott McCandless, president of Aurora, Colorado based McCandless Truck Center, LLC, was named the 2015 Truck Dealer of the Year at the 52nd annual American Truck Dealers (ATD) Convention & Expo held last week in San Francisco. The national award focuses on excellence in dealership performance, as well as industry and community leadership.
ATD, a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association, represents 1,800 medium and heavy duty truck dealers.
Brian Bruckner, president of Bruckner Truck Sales, Amarillo, Tex., was named the finalist for the award.
The four other nominees were: Kevin G. Holmes, president and CEO of Tri State Truck Center Inc., Shrewsbury, Mass.; Robert A. Neitzke, president of GATR Truck Center, with multiple locations in Iowa and Minnesota; Kari J. Rihm, president and CEO of Rihm Kenworth, with multiple locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin; and James Sayre Jr., president of G.L. Sayre Inc., Conshohocken, Pa.
State, metro and national association leaders selected the nominees for the annual award. They were evaluated on dealership performance, industry leadership and civic contributions. A panel of professors from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business chose the winner and finalist.
McCandless started his career at his father’s International Truck dealership in Las Vegas in 1972. By holding positions in almost every department of the dealership, McCandless had the opportunity to learn the business from the ground up—from entry level to management.
“My father showed me that this business is about taking care of customers, being involved in the community, and developing good working relationships with employees and suppliers,” said McCandless.
To illustrate the commitment to his customers, McCandless insists on meeting with customers and suppliers in-person. Also, McCandless rode with the parts delivery and outside parts and truck sales people for six months in order to learn more about the shop-side of their customers’ businesses and how their parts and service representatives interacted with customers.
As a member of the International Truck Product Advisory Board, McCandless played a role in the development and launch of the International ProStar, and he previously served as the chairman of the International Truck Executive Dealer Council. McCandless has fostered and promoted open dialogue with Navistar leaders, which has created a stronger foundation for collaboration and the important work of addressing mutual opportunities for growth.
“Scott’s knowledge and industry experience have helped him to build and develop a great team that is dedicated to customer service and high performance,” said Richard Ryan, president, Carolina International Trucks, Inc. “Growing up in the truck dealership environment, Scott learned that every interaction with a customer is important and he instills that philosophy throughout his organization.”
In the community, McCandless has served as president of the Fremont County Rotary Club and a member of the Denver Chamber of Commerce. As president of the Rotary Club, he led fundraising to support the organization’s mission to eradicate polio worldwide; he volunteered to give polio shots to disadvantaged children, and supported many of their initiatives such as community refuse cleanups. McCandless is also a vocational volunteer who continues to express the importance of the trucking, transportation and diesel technician fields in the local community.
“Our dealers consistently go beyond the truck itself to provide exceptional service and support that customers demand and deserve,” said Bill Kozek, Navistar president, Truck and Parts. “We are proud of the McCandless Truck Center team; their professionalism, dedication to the community and their ongoing commitment to outstanding customer service is what sets them apart.”
McCandless has had a distinguished career recognized with numerous corporate and industry awards, including the International Truck Circle of Excellence, Warranty Efficiency Award, Service Dwell Time Award, and Diamond Club Parts Sales Achievement Award. In addition, he has been recognized by Idealease as an Idealgold recipient since 2001.
