SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 23, 2015) - Tears showed in the eyes of Scott McCandless and his wife, Melissa, of Aurora, Colo., when he received a standing ovation for being named the 2015 Truck Dealer of the Year today at the 52nd annual American Truck Dealers Convention & Expo.

McCandless, who is president of McCandless Truck Center, was chosen from among six dealers nominated from across the country. The national award is sponsored by ATD, Heavy Duty Trucking magazine and Procede Software.

"What a complete honor," McCandless said, as he admired the award. "It is especially humbling to be selected from such a select group of dealers."

Brian Bruckner, president of Bruckner Truck Sales, Amarillo, Texas, 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.

The ATD convention, which runs concurrently with the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo, concludes Jan. 25.