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2025 Automotive Amplifiers Contest

About the Contest

The automotive industry is resilient! And that's not by chance.
It's because of the individuals who implement new ideas both in the industry and in their communities. It's time we celebrate the individuals who are amplifying automotive. It's time we celebrate you!
Do you have a best practice you've implemented in your dealership? If so, we can't wait to hear about it! Keep an eye out for the opening of the 2026 Automotive Amplifiers Contest submissions so you don't miss a chance to share your best practice with our amazing industry so we can all get better together.

What’s in it for you?

The goal of this contest is to share innovations and best practices throughout the automotive industry. The only way we can get better is by learning from one another!
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All finalists will receive a VIP ticket to Reynolds Retail Summit: Amplify. This includes flight, accommodation, meals, and full access to workshop sessions.
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Winners will receive a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice, plus a trophy to display at their dealerships!
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All contributors will be featured in the annual Amplify Automotive magazine. There are also opportunities to share ideas and the impact they’ve had through our newsletters and podcast.

Meet This Year's Judges

Yuriy Demidko

Yuriy Demidko

Chief Information Officer, DP Fox Ventures | Fox Motors
Jeremy Reardon

Jeremy Reardon

Service Production Manager | Westside Lexus
Sam Darc

Sam D’Arc

Chief Operating Officer, Zeigler Auto Group | Host, Daily Dealer Live Podcast
Yuriy Demidko

Yuriy Demdko
Chief Information Officer, DP Fox Ventures | Fox Motors

Yuriy Demidko is a forward-thinking CIO with extensive experience in full-stack development, cloud infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. He began his career in data management and dealership operations, holding positions at leading organizations. At Apple, he contributed to cutting-edge application development and data solutions. At DP Fox Ventures, he spearheaded key advancements in dealership systems, and at Datastax, he drove the adoption of NoSQL technologies in large organizations. With a passion for leveraging technology to improve operational efficiency and customer experience, Yuriy has successfully implemented advanced operational solutions, business intelligence tools, and data analytics to modernize dealership operations.

In his current role, Yuriy drives innovation and strategic growth by integrating scalable IT solutions that align with business objectives. His expertise in relational and NoSQL databases, application development, and AI tools enables him to effectively connect technology with the automotive industry’s needs. Looking ahead, Yuriy envisions a future where data-driven insights and AI-powered tools redefine the automotive landscape, creating seamless, customer-centric experiences.

Jeremy Reardon

Jeremy Reardon
Service Production Manager | Westside Lexus

Jeremy Reardon has been the Service Production Manager with Westside Lexus for 12 years, with a total of 25 years in the business. Prior to this, he was a service drive manager with Honda for 13 years and started out as a porter in high school. His current shop has 112 service bays and 64 technicians, 45 of which have been developed from local high schools and colleges. Jeremy was a winner of the 2024 Automotive Amplifiers Contest for his best practices around recruiting and training local talent.

Sam Darc

Sam D’Arc
Chief Operating Officer, Zeigler Auto Group | Host, Daily Dealer Live Podcast

Sam D’Arc is the dynamic Chief Operating Officer of Zeigler Auto Group, one of the nation’s top privately-owned dealership groups with over 42 locations across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. A bold strategist and culture-first leader, Sam has helped drive Zeigler’s exponential growth through operational excellence, digital innovation, and a relentless focus on people and performance.

In addition to leading one of the industry’s most progressive retail teams, Sam is the high-octane host of Daily Dealer Live, the widely-followed livestream and podcast produced by Car Dealership Guy. There, he interviews automotive leaders, uncovers market-shifting trends, and delivers real-time insights to thousands of dealers across the country.

Known for his high energy, sharp insights, and unfiltered approach, Sam brings a rare combination of executive experience and street-level dealership knowledge to every stage, screen, and conversation. Whether he’s on the lot, in the boardroom, or behind the mic, Sam’s passion for the auto industry is impossible to miss and impossible to ignore.

See the Best Practices from Last Year's Winners

Jeremy Reardon

Recruiting Technicians From Local High Schools and Colleges

Jeremy Reardon - Service Production Manager at Westside Lexus

The Problem: Technician shortages.

Results: The culture in our service department has totally changed, and the support our experienced techs are able to give to the next generation is amazing. New technicians are rotated through the shop to work with other teams, leads, and advisors, and they’re encouraged to build their own brand/way of working on a vehicle. Currently, 68 percent of our 62 technicians grew from within. Change is typically difficult to implement, but after seeing the benefits of our recruiting program, everyone seems excited for the next rotation and to learn the next thing!

Jeremy’s donation was split between the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Cypress, Texas and the Miller Career & Technology Center in Katy, Texas.
James Dieli

Going Paperless in Service

James Dieli - Warranty Administrator at Beau Townsend Ford Lincoln

The Problem: Giving customers a modern retail experience without the environmental impact of a traditional paper process.

Results: In two years’ time, we transitioned to a fully paperless service department, and we’re quickly on our way towards paperless sales. The transition has been instrumental in a nearly 100 percent increase in labor sales. We’ve seen a drastic decrease in paper and toner cost, as well as lower levels of stress on our team. Paperless dispatching has removed several points of contention we had previously about work distribution. We’re able to completely control our schedule using our shop capacity, we are rarely overbooked. With the time we’ve been able to save, we’re able to focus on other areas where we can improve our performance. 

James’ donation went to The WaterWheel Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports various environmental, social, and charitable efforts.
Justin Rash

Creating a Completely Paperless Finance and Sales Process

Justin Rash - F&I Manager at Beau Townsend Ford Lincoln

The Problem: Messy paperwork in variable ops – forms that print incorrectly and little clarity on what happens to that information as it makes its way to other departments.

Results: We began the process of reworking internal dealership processes to focus on automated and paperless systems. We focused on how everything would make it to the digital deal jacket, and the most foundational change we made was having the best e-forms library possible. This is important because forms that don’t originate from the e-forms library will have to be scanned into the deal jacket. Our F&I team no longer has to worry about incorrect forms or knowing workarounds to get them to print correctly. They’re spending less time fighting forms and more time selling. Our accounting and title office is getting correctly filled out title forms, meaning they spend less time re-working and re-signing contracts. This gives them more time to focus on getting customers their titles fast. We used to quote up to 45 days for our clients to get their titles, now they’re getting them in two weeks or less. And our clients aren’t being asked to re-sign incorrect paperwork, so it’s a smoother transaction overall.

Justin’s donation went to the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics, a historical building and museum in Maria Stein, Ohio.