Mal Barber of Barber Motors was named as the Ambassador Laureate by the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), as part of their dealer excellence laureate awards.
The announcement follows a list of 15 finalists that was revealed by CADA and the program’s exclusive sponsor iA-SAL on June 5.
“Once again, we are proud to announce the winners of the CADA Laureate recognition program,” said CADA President & CEO John White. “These individuals have truly distinguished themselves from the crowd with their exceptional work in the dealer environment and their service to their community. We look forward to honouring them for this achievement with our annual Laureate dinner and the presentation of the Laureate jackets.”
The winners were selected by the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.
Barber was selected for his extraordinary service to the community and industry. According to the judges: “As an integral member of the Weyburn and District Hospital Foundation, he helped raise over $20 million for a new hospital. Through his Rotary Club connections, Mal has also created a hygiene building improvement program in India.”
The CADA Laureate award is the most exclusive recognition a dealer can receive over the course of their career. Only three individuals are recognized annually among more than 3,200 new car and truck dealers across Canada.
The Laureate award recognizes one dealer in each of three categories, including Ambassadorship, Business Innovation and Retail Operations. In the Ambassadorship category, which Barber was selected for, has five areas which form the criteria for consideration for the award.
The areas include community relations, industry relations, business relations, social responsibility and environmental responsibility.
Under community relations, the dealer is active through local chambers of commerce, board participation, business improvement areas and other activities. The dealership is known for sponsoring local teams and events, and is highly visible in the community. The dealer has been recognized for his contribution through community service awards. (Barber was recently recognized by the Chamber with the Golden Spike Award.) Also, the dealer has held positions of responsibility outside of the industry, such as political, education or other offices.
Under industry relations, the dealer is active in local, provincial, national or other dealer associations, has participated on committees, councils or other groups in support of his manufacturer. The dealer has contributed to the success of the Canadian Automotive Institute or other industry-oriented educational institutions.
For business relations, the dealer believes in promoting from within and can provide examples of employee success stories. The dealership is known for its employee satisfaction, retention and employee-development programs, and is in good standing with all regulatory bodies and consumer associations.
For social responsibility, the dealer contributes to charities through financial donations and hands-on participation. The facility is completely accessible to disadvantaged customers, and has a full suite of modern amenities for customer benefit. The dealer is an equal opportunity employer and has females and visible minorities in positions of importance.
For environmental responsibility, the dealership conforms with all manufacturer, association, community and government environmental programs. The dealership has a recycling program, and is in good standing with all regulatory bodies and environmental associations.
