Zeigler Auto Group Names Celebrity Judge Choice Winner and #TEAMZEIGLER People’s Choice Winner at the 12th Annual Product Knowledge Competition
Zeigler Auto Group has chosen its two winners for the 12th Annual Product Knowledge Competition from five top candidates. Devon Rainwater of Zeigler Plainwell Ford took home the Celebrity Judge Choice Award, while Hunter Spitzer of Jaguar Land Rover was chosen for the #TeamZeigler People's Choice Award.
Kalamazoo, Michigan (October 12, 2023) - Zeigler Auto Group's 12th Annual Product Knowledge Competition has two new winners. Hunter Spitzer of Jaguar Land Rover was announced today as the first-ever #TeamZeigler People's Choice Winner, and Devon Rainwater took home the Celebrity Judge Choice award during today's final round.
(Celebrity Guest panel with 2023 Product Knowledge Champion Devon Rainwater)
"This honestly means the world to me. Being able to compete in this competition and win was an amazing accomplishment. It also goes to show how far Zeigler is willing to go to not only recognize its "dealership family members," but also that they are all about investing in the growth of them. Having only started with Zeigler in June, I know this is exactly where I want to be. I can't wait for what the future has in store," said Rainwater, this year's Product Knowledge Champion.
The contest started with sales professionals across the auto group competing at a store level first, then the semi-finals last week where five top contenders rose to top.
This year's top five finalists were Devon Rainwater from Zeigler Plainwell Ford, Hunter Spitzer from Jaguar Land Rover of Schaumburg, Miguel Ortiz from Zeigler Racine Honda, Ted Rabourn from Zeigler Grandville, and Miles Garn from Zeigler Lowell. All top five contestants, and their spouses, were invited to a celebratory dinner at Tinley Park Convention Center, where the event was live-streamed internally by Zeigler.
A panel of celebrity judges-which included Aaron Zeigler, Nascar racer Josh Bilicki, Dan Scheid, Joe St. Germain, and David Putz- scored walk-arounds.
The format from the store-level, semi-finals, and finale was the same with each contestant doing a 10-min walk around of a vehicle.
(Celebrity Guest panel with 2023 Product Knowledge #TEAMZEIGLER People's Choice Winner Hunter Spitzer)
"I'm extremely honored to be the peoples choice winner, and it just goes to show you what an incredibly supportive team and community we have at Zeigler. That's something that I've always felt set us apart not only as a Jaguar, Land Rover dealer but as an auto group has a whole; the sense of community and family is alive and well here, " said Spitzer, Zeigler's first-ever Team Zeigler People's Choice winner.
Zeigler's panel of celebrity judges scored contestants based on the professional's tech and product knowledge, and passion and enthusiasm; while being able to highlight the car's appearance/styling, advantages, safety features, performance details, value and utility. Also judged will be customer involvement with the presentation as well as uniqueness in a real-world scenario. New this year is the inclusion of the Z-Guard Promotion with the option to mention interior and exterior advantages of the product.
This year's winners received a 5-day all-expenses paid trip for two to any Ritz-Carlton in the US.
About Zeigler Auto Group
Zeigler Automotive Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all of the domestic and the majority of the imported manufacturers.
Besides its extensive automotive portfolio, the organization owns and operates Zeigler Motorsports, an 85,000-square-foot motorsports dealership and action park, offering 19 different powersports brands, plus its own onsite restaurant: Trak Houz Bar & Grill. Additionally, Zeigler Motorsports houses the Elevate Leadership & Team Building Academy, an executive training company.
The Kalamazoo-based dealer group also owns and operates Zeigler Pre-Owned of Chicago, three Byrider franchises, three finance companies, several insurance firms, and a leasing firm.
Founded in 1975, the organization employs over 2,500 people, ranking among the top 1% of automotive dealers in the nation with estimated annual sales of $2.2 billion for 2022.
The family-owned and operated company is well known for its commitment to both customer service and employee satisfaction. Zeigler is regularly recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation, also earning similar accolades in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Michigan. Besides these prestigious accolades, Zeigler is also one of Glassdoor's 100 Best Places to Work in the U.S. for 2023, and among Glassdoor's top 10 U.S. companies for work-life balance.