Overland Park, KS —NCM Associates, a leading provider of automotive 20 group, retail operations consulting, training, and operations Benchmark® analysis services to franchised and independent auto dealers, today announced the launch of ten new Dealer 20 Groups for franchised auto dealers. Two of which will launch in June:  a Kia 20 Group will launch June 14-15 at the NCM corporate offices in Overland Park, KS;  and a Western Ford 20 Group will launch in Irvine, CA, June 14-15. Five new groups will be holding organization meetings later this summer, while three new groups were formed earlier this year:  a Mega Dealer 20 Group; a Honda Dealer 20 Group; and a general franchise General Sales Manager 20 Group.  For more information call:  800-756-2620 or email info@ncm20.com.

NCM’s newest Kia Dealer 20 Group will conduct its organizational meeting at NCM Associates’ headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, which will be moderated by Jeff Bethel.  The new Western Ford Dealer 20 Group will conduct its organizational meeting in Irvine, California, facilitated by Kevin Cunningham.   Bethel and Cunningham are highly-regarded NCM Executive Conference Moderators and also serve in executive management positions at NCM Associates.

“NCM already has several Kia and Ford Dealer 20 Groups,” said Cunningham, who is also the director of 20 Group operations for NCM.  “But because our Groups are comprised of non-competing dealerships, and due to the increased interest by these particular franchised dealers, we were compelled to add more groups,” he explained.

“Getting in on the ground floor of any NCM 20 Group is a real bonus.” Bethel added.  “As charter members, the dealers attending these first meetings will shape the groups’ membership profile and by-laws; they will also define the format, location and schedule of future meetings.”   Bethel explained that once the groups have formed and conducted their inaugural meetings, new members must be voted in.   Bethel, who also serves as NCM’s director of research and development, went on to explain that a distinguishing feature of NCM’s program is that members may also customize their Group composite, the operational analysis tool used to compare and contrast the member dealerships’ operating performance.

The NCM^® 20 Group peer collaboration process concept is smart and simple: bring together similar, non-competing dealers from a broad cross-section of the country to exchange best practices, experiences, ideas and strategies. Being part of an interactive NCM 20 Group is like having some of the best performers in the industry working directly for the dealership. Their expertise, insights and experiences can be a valuable part of any operation, just as each dealer’s input is important to them.

Key benefits for dealer participants include:

• Dealers meet with peers for one-and-a-half to three days several times per year to analyze composites, compare notes, fine-tune processes and look for new ways to maximize profits.
• 20 Group members enjoy monthly financial composites to compare performance against each other and industry benchmarks, as well as innovative communication tools to keep in touch between meetings.
• Professional NCM Moderators facilitate the meetings, and members build the agenda with topics that are relevant and important to them.

Paul A. Faletti Jr., president and CEO of NCM Associates, stated,  “NCM Associates is excited to be forming these  new Dealer 20 Groups in response to industry demand; it’s yet another positive sign of the current robust growth in the auto industry.  As well, our 20 Group clients know the value of Group participation to their personal and leadership development.  Today’s best performers are in a constant state of evaluation and review, even when metrically they appear massively successful.  Gone are the days of periodic evaluation.  With the tools, resources and access to information today, it’s now a fluid and daily exercise.”

The additional five upcoming Dealer 20 Groups include:  Acura, Internet/BDC, Volkswagen, Chrysler, and FIAT.  Exact dates and locations of the groups’ organization meetings will be announced later this summer.

Interested dealers and managers may complete an interest form at www.ncm20groups.com or call 877-803-3627 to reserve a seat.

For more information about NCM Associates and its programs for automotive dealers including 20 Groups, in-dealership automotive Consulting, industry-leading management training, and innovative Benchmarking tools, call 1-800-756-2620 or visit www.ncm20.com.

About NCM Associates, Inc.

NCM Associates, Inc. is the originator of the automotive industry 20 Group peer collaboration process and has been providing dealership Benchmark® analytics, Education and Retail Operations Consulting services to the industry since 1947. Located in Overland Park, KS, NCM provides a robust suite of services designed to drive dealership profitability using its proven, operations-focused Benchmark® for Success program with new and pre-owned U.S. automotive dealerships, as well as with dealerships in more than 20 other industries. NCM Associates is proud to be 100% employee-owned.  For more information about NCM Associates, visit www.ncm20.com or call 800.756.2620.