NEFF WINS TIME CAR DEALER AWARD

Robert G. Neff, vice president and managing partner of Ford Groves Co., has been honored by Time Magazine.

Neff of Cape Girardeau has been selected as a finalist of the 1977 Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award.

As a finalist Neff's business is one of the "Top 10" in the nation.

Neff assumed charge of Ford Groves in 1987, and 10 years later, it is the largest dealership in Southeast Missouri.

Neff is the youngest dealer ever to be selected in the 28-year history of the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, which is sponsored by Time and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Neff's announcement came last weekend during the NADA Convention, held in Atlanta.

Neff and other award winners were honored at the opening business meeting of the convention, attended by more than 20,000 people involved in the automobile industry.

Winners were announced by Jack Haire, publisher of Time magazine, and Bill Brophy, vice president of tire sales at Goodyear.

Finalists are selected by a panel of faculty members from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration. In acknowledgement of the university's participation, Time makes an annual grant to the graduate school in the names of Time, Goodyear, NADA and all TMQDA recipients.

Neff considers the awards as one of his most meaningful.

"This is great," said Neff Saturday. "This award is for the top 10 dealerships -- not just Ford -- in the country. It's the highest honor bestowed on an automobile dealer."

Neff was nominated for the award by the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association. He has been a member of that organization since 1987, and served as a director since 1992. He has also been an active member of NADA 20 years.

Nominations for the award come from throughout the United States.

Neff has received the Ford Motor Co. Chairman's Award, given to 96 of 5,600 dealers; the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Business of the Year award and the Gold Medallion awards for outstanding performances by parts, service and sales departments.

Milestone dates and accomplishments are many for Ford Groves, the city's oldest auto dealership. The business was started in November 1914 when the late Frederick A. Groves incorporated the Ford Groves agency.

Ford Groves moved from its Sprigg Street site to 1501 N. Kingshighway in 1989.

The company has more than doubled its sales and revenues since then, said Neff, who assumed the manager's position here in 1987 after more than a dozen years in the auto sales industry, three of them at McMann Ford.

"The operation is a family business," said Neff, who is a partner here with his father-in-law, William Schicker, who also owns McMann Ford and McMann Lincoln Mercury in St. Louis and Barreth Chrysler Plymouth at Washington, Mo.

Another goal was reached when a branch facility was opened at Jackson in late 1986.

Neff is pleased with the traffic and sales activity at the Cape Girardeau and Jackson facilities.

Neff is active in his community, where he is member of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees, who voted him one of the "10 Most Outstanding Missourians." He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundations and has served as chairman of the Tree of Lights for the Salvation Army. He is also active in the American Cancer Society, Southeast Missouri State University, American Heart Foundation and other groups.