TIME AND ALLY FINANCIAL HONOR BLOOMINGTON DEALER

Cary Curry Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments

(New York, NY, October 14, 2026) – The nomination of Cary Curry, owner and chairman of the board of Curry Auto Center in Bloomington, Indiana, for the 2027 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.

Curry is one of a select group of 48 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 110th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Orlando, Florida, on February 19, 2027.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Curry was chosen to represent the Automobile Dealers Association of Indiana in the national competition – one of only 48 auto dealers nominated for the 58th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

“This nomination is an incredible honor, and I am grateful to represent our employees, customers, family and Indiana’s automotive community,” Curry said. “Curry Auto Center has endured and grown because generations of people have believed in the importance of perseverance, community and teamwork.”

Curry earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1981. His automotive career began in 1974, when he started working for his father at Curry Auto Center. He became president of the company in 1994 and has devoted more than 50 years to building upon the foundation established by three generations of his family.

“My career has been one of perseverance,” Curry said. “I was fortunate to learn from my father and from the history created by the generations before me. Each generation encountered different challenges, but all of us understood that the strength of the dealership would always depend on how well we served our employees, customers and community.”

Curry Auto Center traces its roots to 1915, when Curry’s great-grandfather founded Curry Buick Company. His grandfather guided the business through the Great Depression, and his father, an accomplished salesperson, took the risk of relocating the dealership from its original site to its current Bloomington location.

“We are caretakers of a legacy that began more than a century ago,” Curry said. “My responsibility has been to respect what the previous generations built while preparing the organization to succeed in a rapidly changing industry.”

Curry currently owns 45 percent of the dealership, while his son, Joseph Curry, owns 55 percent. In January 2026, Joseph assumed responsibility for running the company, allowing Curry to transition into his current role as chairman of the board.

“Watching Joseph take the lead has been one of the proudest moments of my career,” Curry said. “Preparing the next generation is about giving people room to lead while remaining available to share experience, perspective and support. I am confident that Joseph and our leadership team are prepared to take the company to the next level.”

“A successful transition requires thoughtful planning and trust,” Curry said. “Our new leadership team combines a respect for the values that have sustained us with the ability to embrace the innovations that will shape automotive retail in the years ahead.”

The dealership has also invested in its facilities and technology. Curry Auto Center added a stateof-the-art collision repair operation, Curry Collision Center, and completed a major remodel of its main facility. It was also among the first dealerships in Southern Indiana to make the infrastructure improvements required to support General Motors’ growing electric-vehicle portfolio.

“We have remained in business for more than 100 years because we have never stopped adapting,” Curry said. “Whether the change involves the facility, technology or the way customers prefer to do business, we want to move forward without losing the personal service that defines Curry Auto Center.”

Curry considers guiding the dealership through the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic among his most significant professional accomplishments. Throughout both crises, he ensured that no employee was furloughed, laid off or left unpaid as a result. His leadership focused on protecting the organization, supporting its employees and positioning the company to continue serving the community.

“Difficult periods reveal the character of an organization,” Curry said. “Our team responded to uncertainty with resilience, compassion and a shared commitment to one another. Emerging from those challenges together reinforced my belief that people are the foundation of every successful dealership.”

Curry Auto Center employs 90 people, including 27 who have served the organization for more than a decade and 13 with more than 20 years of service.

“Our longtime employees carry the dealership’s culture forward,” Curry said. “They have built relationships with generations of customers, mentored new employees and helped maintain the standard of service our community expects from the Curry name.”

The dealership partners with Indiana University Health and other local and regional organizations to offer employees onsite wellness checks, vaccinations, CPR certifications, workshops and Medicare training.

“We want employees to know that we care about them as people, not simply as members of a workforce,” Curry said. “Supporting their health, education and professional development helps create a stronger organization and a healthier community.”

Curry Auto Center has placed particular emphasis on developing the next generation of automotive professionals. Through a longstanding partnership with Hoosier Hills Career Center at Bloomington High School North, the dealership introduces students to career opportunities in automotive retail and provides hands-on apprenticeship experiences.

The dealership currently employs at least six apprentices and has hosted more than 10 at one time. It also invests in employees through paid General Motors training and paid certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair.

“Young people need to know that the automotive industry offers fulfilling careers and the opportunity to make a great living,” Curry said. “Apprenticeships allow students to gain practical experience, learn from talented professionals and see the many paths available within a dealership.”

Curry Auto Center encourages its employees to support nonprofit organizations, participate in Bloomington’s arts and cultural community and engage with athletics at Indiana University. The dealership helps offset some of the costs associated with these activities. Employees serve organizations that include the Indiana University Auditorium Advisory Board, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington, local building associations and business networking groups.

“When employees lend their experience and energy to local organizations, the impact extends far beyond our dealership,” Curry said. “We are proud to support team members who want to become more deeply involved in the life of our community.”

In 2025, Curry Auto Center sold 762 new vehicles and 568 used vehicles. Through July 2026, the dealership sold 510 new vehicles and 365 used vehicles.

“Our performance is the result of a culture built around service and trust,” Curry said. “Every vehicle sold represents an opportunity to build a relationship, and we never take for granted the confidence a customer places in our team.”

Curry has been a member of NADA since 1985. His civic leadership includes service on the boards of German American Bank, Monroe Hospital, Christian Student Fellowship at Indiana University and the Indiana University Auditorium Advisory Board.

“Board service has allowed me to work alongside people who are deeply committed to improving the quality of life in Bloomington,” Curry said. “Those experiences have strengthened my appreciation for collaboration and for the progress that becomes possible when local leaders unite around a shared purpose.”

Throughout his career, Curry has worked with numerous organizations serving Bloomington, Monroe County and the broader Southern Indiana region. The dealership’s community partners have included Bloomington Health Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington, Centerstone of Indiana, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Community Kitchen of Monroe County, Habitat for Humanity, Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Indiana University Auditorium, Indiana University Health, Indiana University Foundation, The Stride Coalition and Summit Hill Development Corporation.

“Our community has supported Curry Auto Center for generations, and we have a responsibility to return that support,” Curry said. “Through financial contributions, strategic partnerships, mentorship and personal service, we want to help build a stronger Bloomington and a stronger Southern Indiana.”

Curry has also devoted time to counseling and mentoring emerging community leaders. He considers preparing the next generation – both within his dealership and throughout Bloomington – an essential part of his legacy.

“Leadership is not only about what you accomplish during your own career,” Curry said. “It is also about the people you encourage, the opportunities you create and the foundation you leave for those who follow.”

Among the most rewarding moments of Curry’s career was celebrating Curry Auto Center’s 100th anniversary, a milestone achieved by relatively few dealerships. “Reaching our 100th anniversary was a celebration of far more than the Curry family,” Curry said. “It honored the employees, customers and community partners who sustained the dealership through generations of change. Their support made that milestone possible and renewed our commitment to continue investing in the community for generations to come.”

As Curry Auto Center enters its 112th year in business, Curry believes the organization’s future remains grounded in the same values that guided its founders. “My hope is that our legacy will be defined by caring for others,” Curry said. “If we continue supporting our employees, serving our customers with excellence and investing in our community, Curry Auto Center will be positioned to thrive for another century.”

Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.

In its 16th year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.

“The TIME Dealer of the Year program recognizes dealers who pair excellence in the automotive industry with an enduring commitment to the communities they serve,” said Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME. “TIME is proud to partner with Ally to celebrate their achievements and spotlight the standard of leadership they set across the country.”

"Great dealerships are built by people, and the 2027 TIME Dealer of the Year nominees prove it," said Doug Timmerman, President of Dealer Financial Services, Ally Financial. "These leaders invest in the teams who help customers through one of the biggest purchases of their lives and show up for the communities they call home. We've seen it firsthand at Ally, where dealers who lead this way do it not for recognition, but because it's who they are. That's what it means to do it right, and we're proud to celebrate it."

Curry was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Marty Murphy, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Indiana. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons: Joseph and James.