Grand Forks Subaru Kia dealership owner Matt Bredemeier among nominees for national award
Oct. 21—GRAND FORKS — A national media company has announced that a Grand Forks automotive dealer is in the running for a nationwide award.
Matt Bredemeier, owner of Grand Forks Subaru Kia, will be among a group of 48 nominees from across the United States who will be honored at the National Automobile Dealers Association Show Jan. 27 in Dallas, Texas.
The announcement was made Friday by TIME, the 99-year-old media brand behind magazine and digital platforms.
"Along my career path, I have had the opportunity to work for some outstanding mentors," Bredemeier said in the media release. "I learned so many different things from them and was always taking notes so I could put those experiences to work in my own dealership. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not try to learn something new."
The 1994 graduate of Mayville State University earned a bachelor's degree in business administration before entering the field of finance after college. He later moved into auto sales and today he is sole owner of Grand Forks Subaru Kia.
The Dealer of the Year Award is sponsored by TIME and Ally, a financial services company.
A multiple recipient of the Subaru Love Promise Customer & Community Commitment Award, Bredemeier's dealership has been recognized for its commitment to customer service and for being a positive force in his community, according to the TIME release. Bredemeier is chairman of the board of the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota.
Dealers are nominated for the Dealer of the Year Award by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. One finalist will be selected from each of the four NADA regions, prior to naming a national Dealer of the Year.
The three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.
Bredemeier was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Matthew Larsgaard, president and CEO of the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota.
Bredemeier and his wife, Michelle, have one daughter.
"I think being able to help others is the most rewarding aspect of my retail automotive career," he said in the news release. "Partnering with Subaru and helping our hometown charities every year during the Subaru Share the Love Event has been very fulfilling. The money that Subaru contributes and then the money we add to that has made a tremendous impact in our community."
According to the TIME release, some of the organizations that have benefited include Circle of Friends Animal Shelter; Make-A-Wish; Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office Shop with a Deputy (Christmas gift program); North Dakota Museum of Art (sponsor of Concerts in the Garden series); Altru Health System (delivered fleece blankets and notes of support to cancer patients); Grand Forks Park District (planting trees on Arbor Day); Grand Forks Senior Citizens Center Meals on Wheels, United Way Backpack Program (providing food for the children in our community), Disabled Veterans, Sunshine Hospital Home, and Hope Inc.
