NCM® Associates, MOTOR TREND® and EasyCare® Announce an Alliance to Create MOTOR TREND Certified Dealer 20 Groups

NCM® Associates, the leading provider of 20 Group, Retail Coaching, Education and operations Benchmarking services to the automotive industry; MOTOR TREND®, a stalwart in international automotive publishing; and EasyCare®, a premier vehicle service contract provider and the exclusive provider of the MOTOR TREND Certified program, announce an alliance to create MOTOR TREND Certified Dealer 20 Groups. The new 20 Groups will provide a platform for this select group of MOTOR TREND Certified operators and used vehicle managers to collaborate with their peers around operating performance excellence and profit maximization using NCM's proven Benchmark® for Success program. The first Group meeting will be hosted by MOTOR TREND at their headquarters in Los Angeles on December 6-8, 2010.

Overland Park, KS (PRWEB) November 4, 2010 -- NCM Associates, MOTOR TRENDand EasyCare are aligning their respective strengths as they jointly kick off the first MOTOR TREND Certified Dealer 20 Group in Los Angeles this December. This inaugural meeting begins with a reception on December 6th at the Motor Trend Garage, hosted by MOTOR TREND and EasyCare executives. Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND Magazine Editor-in-Chief, and Ira Gabriel, SVP, Group Publisher, MOTOR TREND, will participate throughout the event. The group's members include dealer principals from top franchise dealerships that have passed the rigors of the certification process to earn the badge of MOTOR TREND Certified Dealer, and the right to offer MOTOR TREND Certification on their OMM (other Make and Model) vehicles. These ambitious operators are now looking to tap into the benefits of peer collaboration and operations Benchmarking that will lead to higher-performing, more profitable operations.

NCM Associates is well known in the automotive industry for its 20 Group program, which it pioneered in 1947 with a group of successful Ford dealers. From that group, the NCM Benchmark for Success process was developed, which combines peer performance analysis and operations Benchmarking with best practice sharing and accountability to improve total dealership profitability. "Since our earliest days, NCM recognized the power of peer collaboration and operations Benchmarking toward the development of high-performing dealerships," said NCM President and CEO, Paul A. Faletti, Jr. "Over the years, our services have evolved to include innovative online products and mobile solutions, but we've never lost sight of the fact that personal interaction and peer accountability are vital to achieving the greatest performance improvements--and that is what being part of an interactive NCM 20 Group provides," he explained.

Faletti praised the leadership of MOTOR TREND and EasyCare for embracing the 20 Group program on behalf of their certified dealers and for recognizing NCM's leadership in this space. "We share their desire to help their dealers succeed, and they share our enthusiasm for our 20 Group platform as a proven path to success. And the participating certified dealers will have the support of three industry leaders behind them--it's a great fit all around."

"We are pleased to provide the value of the 20 Group program to our MOTOR TREND Certified dealers, as we firmly believe in the NCM process and platform and know that it will accelerate the success these dealers are already having with the program," says Ira Gabriel, Publisher of MOTOR TREND Magazine.

Larry Dorfman, Chairman/CEO of EasyCare, adds, "Motor Trend Certified dealers are industry leaders to begin with, among the first in recognizing the significant value of OMM certification as a complement to their OEM certification. Having this many innovators in one meeting at one time will bring incredible value to the whole group and to the customers they serve."

MOTOR TREND Certified dealerships provide consumers with the added assurance that all of their vehicles meet the strict standards of the MOTOR TREND program, as well as providing other benefits typically associated only with luxury vehicle purchases. MOTOR TREND Certified participation is made available only to a select group of dealers across the country who have been thoroughly vetted and trained by EasyCare, under Motor Trend's national specifications, to deliver a noticeably better buying and ownership experience in accordance with the requirements of the program. These dealers agree to ongoing training and monitoring of the consumers' experience to ensure the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any certified program available.

About NCM® Associates, Inc.

NCM Associates, Inc. is the originator of the automotive industry 20 Group peer collaboration process and has been providing dealership Benchmarking, Education and Consulting services to the industry since 1947. Located in Overland Park, Kan., NCM provides a robust suite of services designed to drive dealership profitability using its proven, operations-focused Benchmark® for Success program with new and pre-owned U.S. automotive dealerships, as well as with businesses in more than 20 other industries. For more information about NCM Associates, visit www.ncm20.com or call 800-756-2620.

About MOTOR TREND® and Source Interlink

MOTOR TREND magazine, a publication of Source Interlink Media, LLC, was founded in 1949 and has a circulation of 1.1 million and a total readership of 7.6 million. Internationally recognized as the leading brand in automotive publishing, MOTOR TREND comprises MOTOR TREND magazine, the award-winning web site www.motortrend.com; MOTOR TREND Radio; Truck Trend; a MOTOR TREND channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/motortrend), MOTOR TREND International Auto Show; internationally syndicated content; and the renowned MOTOR TREND Car, Sport/Utility and Truck of the Year Awards Program.

About EasyCare®, an Automobile Protection Corporation - APCO brand

Founded in 1984, Automobile Protection Corporation - APCO is the leading independent provider of automotive benefits specifically created to enhance a consumer's vehicle buying and ownership experience in ways that create long-term bonds between the consumer and their dealership. APCO's benefits are provided under the EasyCare brand as well as on behalf of some of the most preeminent manufacturers in the automotive industry, including Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda and Volvo. EasyCare benefits include Vehicle Service Contracts, Dent Removal Coverage, GAP Insurance, Key Replacement Coverage and Personal Concierge Service.

EasyCare is the only vehicle service contract to have been designated both a "MOTOR TREND Recommended Best Buy", and to maintain a Better Business Bureau rating of A+ and is the recipient of two Atlanta BBB Torch Awards for Customer Service and Community Service. With over 2.8 million contracts currently in force, APCO has paid over $2 Billion in claims on behalf of contract holders. EasyCare is the exclusive provider of the MOTOR TREND Certified program, "a better way to buy a better car," that allows franchise dealers to provide a highly valued certification program for their OMM pre-owned vehicles. Please visit www.easycare.com and www.motortrendcertified.com.

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