F&I and Showroom magazine and contest sponsor Innovative Aftermarket Systems released the names of the five category winners for the F&Idol contest. One of them will be named the overall winner during a special ceremony on Monday, Sept. 10, at Industry Summit 2012.
In July, readers were asked to submit their best on-camera pitch in the following categories: GAP, Key Replacement, Vehicle Service Contracts, and Tire and Wheel. F&I producers also had the option to compete in a new category this year, which allowed them to submit their pitch for a product category of their choosing.
Video entries had to be less than five minutes long, and show the producer handling at least two customer objections. Entries were then reviewed by a panel of eight judges, including Bob Corbin of IAS, F&I and Showroom magazine’s Gregory Arroyo and “Mad” Marv Eleazer, celebrated F&I trainer Ron Reahard, Great Lakes Companies’ Steve Veldkamp, CNA National’s Alan Miller, compliance expert Robert Harkins, and United Development Systems’ Randall Crisorio.
From the large pool of applicants, the judges selected:
GAP: Raymond Borg of Suburban Toyota, Troy, Mich.
Key Replacement: Joe Lawrence of Metro Imports, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Vehicle Service Contracts: Dina Wilson, Timbrook Automotive, Cumberland, Md.
Tire and Wheel: Chris Bell, Freehold Buick GMC, Freehold, N.J.
Other (Prepaid Maintenance): Jeremy Johnston, Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, Mich.
All of the finalists received a cash prize of $1,000, and were provided airfare and hotel accommodations to Industry Summit 2012. The overall winner, who will receive a $2,500 cash prize, will be announced at the conference, scheduled for Sept. 10-12 at the Paris Las Vegas.
