2026 TDOY Nominee

Jonathan Allen is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, NV on February 5, 2026.. 

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Allen was chosen to represent the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 57th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.  

Allen, 43, is a third-generation dealer who has spent his life carrying forward a proud family legacy while modernizing its mission. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Management and Marketing from Northwood University in 2007 and began his career in sales and service before returning home to Gulfport to join the family business. 

“Car dealers are often the biggest small businesses in their communities — pillars of the local economy and culture,” Allen said. “For me, it’s always been about more than selling cars — it’s about investing in my community and making it stronger.”  

That philosophy has guided him since purchasing the dealership from his late father’s estate. “I was young, short on resources and had just lost our longtime GM,” he recalled. “But I felt a deep responsibility to provide a foundation where our team could continue to grow and build great lives for themselves and their families. We stuck together, and we made it happen.” 

J. Allen Toyota, founded in 1987 as Bert Allen Toyota, now employs 126 people. Under Allen’s leadership, the store has grown steadily and added Ford and Mazda franchises, while investing in upgraded facilities, employee wellness programs and digital innovation.  

“I approach the business differently than my father and grandfather did,” Allen explained. “Our job today isn’t just to run a dealership — it’s to create opportunities for our employees and customers, and to build something that lasts.” 

A hallmark of his leadership has been giving others room to shine. “The single biggest risk I ever took was stepping back and turning day-to-day operations over to someone else,” he said. “I realized my job was to provide opportunities for others to lead. That GM is now my operational partner, and others from that original group are future partners. The risk was totally worth it.”  

Innovation has also been central. After expanding into Ford and Mazda in 2023, Allen grew a robust mobile service operation that now completes more than 500 repair orders per month. “Meeting customers where they are is the future,” he noted. “Our goal is 1,000 mobile service orders a month by 2026 — proving that flexibility, trust and convenience define modern automotive retail.” 

Allen has long believed that supporting children and families is one of the most meaningful ways a dealership can serve. “Supporting local schools and team sports has been a passion of mine,” he said. “I believe in giving kids the chance to be part of something bigger than themselves.”  

One of his proudest recent efforts has been bringing Project SEARCH to J. Allen Toyota, making the store the first automotive partner in the world to host the program. “The goal was to provide young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities real-life workplace experience,” Allen explained. “The measurable result was the successful graduation of two participants who are now productive members of our team. That is the kind of impact that goes beyond business — it changes lives.” 

His team has also remained deeply engaged in civic leadership. Allen has served as president of the Rotary Club of Gulfport, chairman of the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association and board member for the Boy Scouts of America. He also chaired the American Heart Association Heart Walk and has sponsored countless youth sports leagues, food drives and charitable events.  

“Car dealers were once seen as larger-than-life community figures,” Allen reflected. “I want to carry that tradition forward — not for myself, but to show our employees, our families and our customers that a dealership can be a pillar of hope, pride and opportunity.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic proved one of Allen’s most defining leadership tests. “Our first priority was the health and safety of our associates,” he said. “We voluntarily closed for three weeks but continued to pay everyone and maintain benefits. We never laid anyone off.”  

He and his team redesigned operations to emphasize digital retailing, remote transactions, and vehicle delivery. “We became experts at serving customers under entirely different circumstances,” Allen said. “That experience didn’t just get us through the crisis — it transformed us into a more flexible, resilient business.” 

Allen was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association.