International Truck and Engine Corp. recognized Tom Thayer of International Truck Sales of Richmond, Richmond, Va., as its recent 2005 Dealer of the Year at its 26th Annual Circle of Excellence black-tie awards ceremony, held at the Four Seasons Resort Wailea, Maui, Hawaii. International also honored Gerald Tallman, dealer principal at Kemptville Truck Centre headquartered in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada as a recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Circle of Excellence was established to honor International dealerships that best exemplify commitment to the International Diamond Standards Program. The program measures dealer performance in terms of operating and financial standards, market representation and, most importantly, customer satisfaction. Thayer is the seventh recipient of the honor, awarded annually based on strict performance criteria to only one of the more than 350 International dealers and distributors throughout the world.
“Our annual Dealer of the Year recognizes the ‘best of the best’ from a very elite group,” says John Whitnell, International’s vice president of dealer operations. “In order to earn this recognition, a dealer must be a consistent Circle of Excellence honoree, achieve extraordinary market penetration in new truck sales, realize strong growth in parts sales, demonstrate strong commitment to the leasing business, earn top customer satisfaction scores and have a facility plan that effectively represents the International brand. It is a rigorous test that ensures only the cream rises to the top. From the inception of his tenure as a dealer, Tom Thayer has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to his employees and customers. As a result, he has achieved outstanding market representation and accelerated profitable growth.”
International Truck Sales of Richmond is a full-service dealership with three locations serving Richmond and its surrounding counties. “On behalf of the employees of International Truck Sales of Richmond, I’m honored to receive this award from International,” Thayer says. “Each day, our team strives to create loyal relationships by providing measurable service excellence in our marketplace.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to those dealers whose consistent record of achievement and humanity throughout the course of their career has provided a role model of excellence while enriching the value of the International brand among their customers and communities.
“Gerald Tallman’s quiet, unassuming personal demeanor masks his very aggressive business character when it comes to attacking his marketplace,” Whitnell says. “He is a dominant force in his area of responsibility and his dealership has a record of consistent excellence. In 2004, Kemptville Truck Centre earned the highest rating in North America from International’s Diamond Standards program. Gerald is also a strong leader in his community.”
Today, the Kemptville Truck Centre is a full-service dealership serving major markets from six locations in Kemptville, Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, Ottawa and Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Kemptville Truck Centre is one of the largest International dealerships in Canada.
“It is very exciting to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award,” Tallman says. “Over the years, International has given me and my family numerous opportunities to grow our business. I attribute our success to our outstanding group of employees, now numbering 262, who provide excellent service to our loyal customers on a daily basis.”
