Tom Lane Named 2019 ‘Dealer of the Year’
May 10, 2019 – Tom Lane, Dwayne Lane’s Auto Family, Everett, received the “Robert P. Mallon Dealer of the Year” award at the Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA) annual convention. Selected by a committee of his peers, the Association’s most prestigious award recognizes Tom’s contributions to the auto industry, quality dealership operations and outstanding community service.
At age 12, Tom started working in the dealership founded by his father, Dwayne Lane, first washing cars and then taking on part-time responsibilities during high school and college. By the age of 24, Tom was general manager of Dwayne Lane’s Arlington Chevrolet, and became dealer principal at age 27.
Tom remains committed to the community where he grew up, and the friends and neighbors the family business has served for over 47 years. Today, Tom oversees six Washington dealerships in Arlington, Burlington, Everett and Sedro-Woolley, representing a diverse portfolio of car brands across two counties and employing over 250 people.
Like his father, Tom believes in giving back to his community and is a longtime member of the Rotary Club, and has held board positions with the Coastal Community Bank board of directors and the Economic Snohomish County board of trustees. He also served as a coach for youth soccer, basketball and lacrosse.
In recognition of all that Tom does for WSADA and his community, the Association made a $1,000 contribution in his honor to the Everett Gospel Mission whose goal is to provide emergency shelter to families and offer training programs that provide a transitional environment, for people who need assistance with employment, housing and financial freedom.
“As a longtime, loyal WSADA member and Association leader who is committed to serving his industry, customers, and community, we consider this contribution to be a particularly meaningful way to celebrate Tom’s receipt of our Association’s most prestigious award,” said Vicki Giles Fabré, WSADA Executive Vice President.
When receiving the award, Tom thanked the individuals who helped shape and support his career in the automotive retailing business, including his wife, Kjersti, and their five children.
The award is named for the late Robert P. Mallon, a former Tacoma dealer, who was WSADA President in 1966/67, a past President of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), served 30 years as Washington State’s NADA Director, and founded the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation.
Founded in 1920, the Association’s 294 dealer members serve 70 cities and towns across Washington and are responsible for annual sales volume totaling $18.1 billion. Together, they employ over 22,000 people with a combined payroll of more than $1.4 billion. An average dealership creates 74 local jobs, each paying on average over $59,000 per year plus benefits. Their dealership sales total 16.4% of the state’s retail sales, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for state and local governments through sales, corporate, and payroll tax revenue.