Hartford auto dealer David Moore has been nominated for the prestigious 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year award.
Moore, owner of Moore Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, will be recognized at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas on February 5.
“The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors,” a release about his nomination reads. “The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.”
Moore joined the family business after earning a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky, and he became a dealer in 2000. Today, his 32-employee dealership in Hartford emphasizes transparency and modernization, introducing Moore Value Pricing, paperless transactions, and digital delivery while maintaining the personal service expected in Ohio County.
“My career has been a family journey from day one,” Moore said in the release. “My dad was a man of few words, but the one that stuck was: ‘You have to work for someone — it might as well be your brother.’ I didn’t realize then how much that simple advice would shape a lifetime in this business.”
Moore said purchasing the dealership 25 years ago was a defining moment.
“On April 1, 2000, I took the biggest risk of my career and bought a Ford–Chrysler–Dodge–Jeep–Ram store,” he said. “I wasn’t chasing a title; I wanted to build a dealership that reflected my values and served a small Kentucky community. That leap changed everything — our store became a true community cornerstone.”
Beyond his dealership, Moore has played a key role in moving Kentucky’s automotive industry forward. According to the release, as chairman of the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association (2024–25), he helped lead statewide implementation of electronic titling, coordinating with county clerks, sheriffs, and industry partners.
“Modernizing titling in Kentucky took a coalition,” he said. “We brought stakeholders to the same table to make transactions faster, cleaner, and more secure for every Kentuckian.”
Moore has also focused on growing the automotive workforce. He supported the relaunch of the automotive technician program at Owensboro Community & Technical College, investing more than $75,000 and partnering on interviews, placements, and advocacy — efforts that have helped place dozens of technicians in regional shops.
“The technician shortage won’t solve itself,” he said. “We put real dollars, real time, and real opportunities into young people — and the impact is showing up in shops across the tri-state.”
Inside the dealership, Moore prioritizes employee well-being, offering wellness center memberships, mental health support, scholarship programs, and paid volunteer time.
“Wellness isn’t just a gym membership,” he said. “It’s a culture of respect, balance, and listening — because the way we care for our people is the way they’ll care for our customers.”
That philosophy shows in moments like a recent Friday, when a young local driver experienced trouble with an “as-is” pre-owned vehicle. Moore’s team brought the car in, sourced parts locally, and a technician stayed late to complete repairs at no charge, according to the release.
“Paperwork matters, but people matter more,” Moore said. “Our advisors and techs saw someone in a tough spot and chose to do what was right. That’s who we are.”
Moore said past crises — including the 2008 economic downturn — shaped his approach to leadership.
“In 2008, many dealers held their breath waiting for a FedEx envelope to decide their future,” he recalled. “We were spared, and it cemented a mindset: every day we earn our place by meeting goals, serving customers, and taking care of our people.”
Moore and his wife Kelly have two daughters, Kaitlyn Cunningham and Kendall Jagoe.
Moore was nominated for the award by the Kentucky Automobile Dealers Association. He is among a group of 47 dealers nationwide nominated for the award.
A panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select regional finalists and a national winner. In its 15th year as exclusive sponsor, Ally Financial will donate $1,000 to each nominee’s charity of choice, with additional charitable awards for finalists and the national winner.
