NIADA 2010 National Quality Dealer—Paul Claborn

LAS VEGAS — Albertville, Ala., automotive retailer, Paul Claborn, has earned his industry’s highest honor, the 2010 National Independent Automobile Dealers Association Quality Dealer of the Year Award, during a ceremony at the NIADA Convention and Expo here last month.

Claborn, the Alabama IADA Quality Dealer of the Year, was one of 21 dealers vying for the title of the nation’s top independent dealer.

Claborn owns two dealerships in Albertville, E-Z Terms Car Company, a buy here-pay here operation, and Wholesalecars.com, which employ some 22 people. A dealer for 29 years, he sells used vehicles to both retail and buy here-pay here customers as well as to other retailers with his wholesale operation.

His buy here-pay here store sells about 28 units a month and has acquired a $3.5 million portfolio. His retail operation moves 30 units a month. In addition to his retail operation, his wholesale business moves about 130 units a month.

Claborn said Wholesalecars.com has been in business since 1981 and has been successful in keeping customers happy and having them come back again and again. The retail operation moved into its current 2-acre facility in 1994, which keeps about 75 units on the lot. It has eight service bays. Both facilities keep about 200 units on the ground at any given time.

Tony Wilkerson, longtime executive director of the 750-member Alabama IADA, could be heard yelling “Roll Tide!” upon hearing Claborn had earned the national title.

“This is the sixth time in the history of this event that an Alabama dealer has earned this honor,” said Wilkerson, who has been the association’s executive director since 1977. “Paul is very deserving of this award. He’s an excellent dealer and conscientious businessman. He gives back to the community. I’m doubly blessed that this year’s honoree is from Alabama and he’s also from my hometown of Albertville.”

Claborn said the Quality Dealer nod came as a “total surprise” to him.

“I was sitting with a fellow Leedom Twenty Group Member, Phil Lathrop, who had earned the Texas IADA award,” Claborn said. “I was certain I was seated with the winning dealer.”

Claborn said he’s been a member of the Alabama IADA for more than 25 years. While not an active participant in the IADA, he has been a big supporter. He thanked Wilkerson for his support over the years and later thanked his Leedom Twenty Group moderator, Chuck Bonanno, for his support and guidance over the past eight years he’s been a member of a Leedom Twenty Group.

“Chuck and my fellow Twenty Group members are a big reason I earned this award,” Claborn said. “They prod you, cajole you, and work with you to be a better operator.”

Bonanno said there is no more deserving dealer in the country to earn this title.

“Paul Claborn epitomizes what is right about this industry,” Bonanno said. “He has worked for three decades to build a fine organization that is stable and profitable and will be for many years to come.”

Chris Leedom, CEO of the Leedom Group, said he offered his heartfelt congratulations to Claborn, and expressed satisfaction that each NIADA National Quality Dealer for the past six years has had a relationship with the Leedom Group.”

“Paul Claborn is well-deserving of this award and as a fellow dealer I tip my hat to him,” Leedom said. “On behalf of the entire Leedom Group organization, we wish you continued success. Thank you for letting us serve you as a client.”

Claborn began his career detailing cars in high school. By working two jobs, he eventually got a home equity line of credit he used to buy and sell vehicles through classified ads. When the manufacturing plant where he worked closed its doors, Claborn said he “was forced to start my automotive business.”

The Albertville, Ala., retailer is very active at his local church, and with a number of community programs, including Kairos Prison Ministries. He takes an active role in preaching the Christian Gospel during long weekends at Alabama’s prisons.

“These people are murderers and rapists and have very little chance of ever being free again,” Claborn said. “We bring them the Word of God and some peace. We’ve had nearly a 100 percent conversion rate.”

Claborn is also active in the Stepping Ahead Drug Outreach Program, and has donated a van for the program’s use. This ministry’s goal is to get people off drugs, rehabilitated and to once again become productive members of society.

“We have been selling quality pre-owned cars, trucks, SUVs and vans over the Internet since 1997,” said Claborn, an early adopter of technology and the Internet.”

Claborn said he was humbled by the Quality Dealer award and noted it was a testament to his managers and team members and the hard work they put forth every day.

“This award is truly an honor,” Claborn said. “We pride ourselves on our customer satisfaction and it’s a direct result of the 100 percent effort our employees give us every day.”

“Our company philosophy is quite simple,” Claborn said. “We do what we say we’re going to do every time. Approximately 50 percent of our vehicles are one-owner vehicles and the remainder are hand picked by one of our professional buyers.”

Claborn joined a Leedom and Associates Twenty Group in 2001 and hasn’t missed a meeting in the subsequent eight years.

Fellow Twenty Group member Jerry Enis, owner of Val-U-Sales in Tupelo, Miss, said he’s honored to have shared ideas and suggestions with Claborn for more than five years.

“Because Paul is a wholesaler, he is always up on what the latest auction and book values are,” Enis said. “That’s tremendously helpful to the rest of the group. We always look forward to his ideas. I just hope now that he’s a Quality Dealer, he doesn’t think he’s too important to come to the meetings,” Enis laughed.

Another fellow Twenty Group member, Gene Koury, owner of Gene Koury Auto Sales in Leesville, La., said he and Claborn joined their Twenty Group just three months apart.

“Paul’s a super person and a great dealer,” Koury said. “He brings a lot to the table. I didn’t hear about the award until I got this call, and my next call is to Paul. I’m very pleased to hear he earned this award.”

The award is considered the most prestigious member honor sanctioned by the 20,000-member trade association, according to Michael R. Linn, NIADA’s CEO.

“I am proud of the standards our members meet and Paul epitomizes the quality of dealer professionalism that our members strive to reach,” Linn said. “Paul earned the right to be called NIADA’s Quality Dealer of the Year for his efforts both in his dealership and in his community.”

NIADA Quality Dealer candidates are judged on a variety of factors including contributions to the automotive industry and community involvement. Northwood University provides a panel of judges to help select the top dealer.

Claborn and wife Jo Lynn have one son. He has been a member of the Alabama IADA since 1983. Claborn said he loves the retail automobile business and said while the recent economic downturn has been hard on everyone, hard work, perseverance and a strong focus on controlling costs has lead to continued success for his operations.

“We live in the most wonderful country on the face of this earth. This country, like no other, affords us one guarantee, the pursuit of happiness. It’s up to us as individuals as to how much effort we want to put into this pursuit,” Claborn said.

Through the dealerships Claborn has donated personal scholarships to three local high schools. Claborn also and has provided mentoring for a young fatherless boy over the past three years.