BENNIE F. RYBURN III WINS HIGHEST HONOR FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES AND INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT NADA CONVENTION
 

ORLANDO, Fla. (February 11, 2006) Bennie F. Ryburn III, Dealer Principal, Ryburn Motor Company, Inc., a Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Toyota and Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealership in Monticello, Arkansas, was named the 2006 TIME Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year today. The announcement was made at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Orlando. Ryburn and other award winners were honored at the opening business meeting of this year's convention, attended by more than 25,000 individuals involved in the automobile industry.

The TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Award is the automobile industry's most prestigious and highly coveted award for car dealers. TMQDA recipients are among the nation's most successful auto dealers. However they must also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to effective community service. Ryburn was selected to receive this highest honor among 66 automobile dealers, from more than 19,500 nationwide, nominated for the 37th annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME Magazine in association with Goodyear, and in cooperation with NADA.

A panel of faculty members from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration selects TMQDA finalists.

A native of Monticello, Ryburn is a third-generation auto dealer and began appearing in ads for the family dealership when he was one year old. He began helping out around the business at age 13, washing cars and cleaning up around the shop in the afternoons. After working in all departments and one year of college, Ryburn quit school and purchased the dealership from his father and grandfather in 1984 at the age of 21. He moved the dealership to a newer facility and purchased the Toyota franchise in 1991, and added a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealership in 1997. He moved the dealerships together in 2002 to a new and modern facility where it is currently housed.

In addition to his business successes, Ryburn and his dealership have also supported a wide range of local organizations and causes. He is the President of the Monticello Economic Development Commission-the source of his greatest civic achievement. "I was able to work with city officials and local banks to clean up lots and make available financing for affordable housing," Ryburn said.  "It's very rewarding to see the less fortunate get ahead in life through these efforts."  He is also Chairman of the Monticello Airport Commission. He was also appointed by Arkansas' governor to the University of Arkansas at Monticello's Board of Visitors.

Nominated for the annual TMQDA by Dennis Jungmeyer, President of the Arkansas Automobile Dealers Association, Ryburn lives in Monticello with his wife, Carita, and their two daughters. Published since 1923, TIME is the world's leading weekly news magazine reaching more than 30 million readers each week. TIME's online edition, TIME.com, attracts six million unique readers per month.