2025 TDOY Nominee

Elyse Puklich is one of a select group of 49 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 108^th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 25, 2025.

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. Puklich was chosen to represent the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota in the national competition — one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56^th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

“Our foundation is built on a family-owned and family-run dealership that takes great pride in the care and success of our team members,” nominee Puklich said. “I discovered that to be a car dealer and a good employer, I needed to listen to and empower our employees to do their jobs.”

Puklich, a 1993 graduate of Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead) in Moorhead, Minnesota, worked as an elementary education teacher for four years before returning to the dealership founded by her father, Stan, in 1983.

“I was 14 years old when my father originally bought the dealership, and I wanted to work there right from the start,” she said. “He told me I had a job for as many hours as I wanted, but had to promise there would be no grumbling.”

Puklich worked during summers in all different departments, from the central office to service to finance to the parts department.

“I was the only female parts truck driver in Bismarck,” she said. “I was fortunate to have been raised by a parent that instilled in me the value of hard work to achieve any goal I set.”

In 1997, after moving back from Jamestown, North Dakota, where she was a teacher, Puklich was named general manager and became dealer principal in 2010, the same year her father passed away.

“I have been lucky to be surrounded by good people, and I learned early on that if I asked good questions, others would help me improve and grow,” she said. “I went to the school of hard knocks and never gave up my integrity while building our business. I am fortunate to have allowed people to work alongside me and not for me, fostering loyalty among employees and creating a culture where everyone has the power to succeed.”

Puklich is a very active member of the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota and has served as a director and board chair. She is proud of several key legislative items that she was able to accomplish during her tenure.

“We improved dealers’ ability to collect repair money when a customer abandons a vehicle at a dealership after the repair is completed,” she said. “I also worked with the board to craft and pass legislation requiring auto manufacturers to pay a fair warranty cost. In addition, we are in the process of testing e-titling in our state to improve accuracy, speed, and overall customer service for consumers.”

In the area of community service, Puklich is a strong partner with the Missouri Valley Family YMCA, where she was a board member from 2008 to 2019. She helped create and co-chair a Color Splash Fun Dash as part of the group’s family 5K run/walk.

“Many of our employees volunteered during the planning and execution of the event, which featured colors being splashed on participants along the route,” she said. “The average community participation was around 2,500, making it one of the best-known events in our community and raising more than $150,000 over five years.”

Puklich is also president of Bismarck Aquastorm, a swim team that provides a year-round opportunity for swimmers and divers of all ages and ability levels to engage in the joys and competition of swimming. She and her youngest son are volunteers at Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue, an animal shelter that she also supports through fundraising and showcasing animals in need of adoption.

“I have a strong belief in helping the communities in which we live and work, making that a guiding principle of our company,” she said.

To that end, Puklich supports Brave the Shave which is a fundraiser to fight childhood cancer, Bismarck Parks and Recreation District (specifically funds for baseball field improvements and new ice arena), El Zagel Shriners which benefits the children’s hospital and the Bismarck Cancer Center.

“We have donated $400,000 to the local Bismarck Cancer Center which directly helps cancer patients with uncovered expenses,” she said. “We are proud to host our annual events, Why Pink and Spook Out Cancer, to support this amazing facility that provides state-of-the-art care.”

Puklich was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Matthew Larsgaard, president and CEO of the Automobile Dealers Association of North Dakota. Puklich and her husband, Dan Ketterling, have two children.