2025 TDOY Nominee

Sean P. Baxter 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. Baxter was chosen to represent the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56^th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

“I find it most rewarding to be a part of a world-class team of compassionate and dedicated individuals who are focused on making each other better and answering the call of our Kayser guests every single day,” nominee Baxter said.

Baxter earned a B.S. in real estate at Arizona State University in Tempe in 2000. Then in 2003, he attended the NADA Academy. After college, he returned to Wisconsin and began working at the thriving family auto group which was originally founded in 1925. This is also when Paul A. Kayser started selling Ford Model Ts in Madison. Then Baxter’s father, Pat Baxter, purchased the business in the 1980s and expanded its footprint substantially.

“My first job came in 1988 when I was 10 years old and involved picking up cigarette butts out of the rocks around the entrances to the showroom,” he said. “This ‘dirty job’ not only laid the foundation for my automotive career but made me a nonsmoker for life!”

Baxter succeeded his father as president in 2014 and today, he runs the Kayser Automotive Group with his brothers, Ryan and Brendan. The three brothers oversee eight dealerships in Wisconsin, representing brands Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Lincoln, and Ram.

“I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants, starting with the thousands of people who have put on the Kayser uniform for almost 100 years,” he said. “Thanks to the leaders before me, I am shepherding a company with a rich history of personal success, community service, and industry leading guest experiences. I’m humbled to pick up the torch, carrying on the Kayser legacy for the next generation of employees, guests, and communities.”

Baxter and his team instituted the Kayser Promise and Car Buying Made Simple, which reinvented how they market and sell vehicles. These two initiatives promote transparency by offering a three-day moneyback guarantee, no commission for salespeople for a stress-free buying experience, and free home delivery.

“For me, my tenure is just a small chapter in Kayser's illustrious story, but I'm honored and privileged to have the chance to steer the ship, if only for a moment,” he said.

Baxter has also brought creative energy to his positions at the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association, where he has served on the board and on the executive committee. He has advocated to block direct sales from manufacturers to consumers on behalf of dealers statewide. He also worked with Wisconsin Ford Dealers and Ford Motor Company to donate $1 million to a scholarship program for technicians through the association’s foundation.

“For decades, there has been a dramatic decline of young people entering the trades, specifically automotive technicians, while our need for these workers continues to increase,” he said. “The scholarship fund supports individuals pursuing a career in automotive technology at a technical college and will help dealers fill their staffing needs in the future.”

In the area of community service, Baxter is director and treasurer of the Patrick and Lee Baxter Family Foundation, which was established by his family in 2014.

“Since its inception, we've supported 14 community organizations with more than $720,000 in total giving, benefiting kids and families in Wisconsin,” he said.

Baxter has served on the board of the SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation-Madison since 2009 and was named chair from 2018 to 2021. He and his wife, Amanda, helped establish the Ronald McDonald Family Room at the hospital. This room provides a living space with bedrooms, kitchen, and laundry for families to use while their sick child is in the pediatric unit.

He has also been involved with leadership at the Rotary Club of Madison, United Way of Dane County, YMCA of Dane County, and the Police & Fire Commission of Fitchburg, Wisconsin (currently a commissioner).

A few of his many community partners include Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, Overture Center for the Arts, Pulaski Community School District’s Community Pantry, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Badger Honor Flight, March of Dimes, Madison Children’s Museum, as well as numerous schools, hospitals, and local sports programs.

Baxter was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by William A. Sepic, president of the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association. Baxter and his wife, Amanda, have four children.