2026 TDOY Nominee

Nolan Campbell is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109^th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, 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. Campbell was chosen to represent the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 57^th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

Campbell began his Bell Ford career in 1994 as an appearance technician. While a good student, a few events changed Campbell’s decision to stay in high school. After much consideration, Campbell decided to pursue his HSED/GED at Madison Area Technical College. By age 19, he was promoted to service manager, then advanced through sales manager and general manager roles before becoming dealer principal in 2013. Founded in 1931, Bell Ford now employs 75 and serves customers across south-central Wisconsin.

“We may be a single-point dealer in a town of 830, but we think big about people, process, and service,” Campbell said. “Pick Up & Delivery has been a game-changer for our guests, and our investments in facilities, training and culture all point to one goal —do the right thing, fast, every time.”

Since taking the helm, Campbell has modernized and expanded the operation: a new 18,500-square foot state-of-the-art facility in 2014 (a $4M investment); land acquisition and parking expansion in 2016; a 5,000-sqare foot large truck service addition in 2019; and a stand-alone 17,000-square foot, 15-bay service center in 2024 (a $7.5M investment). The latest expansion supports 18 technicians and helped drive a 44% year-over-year increase in labor sales (July 2024 to July 2025).

“Buying the store in 2013 and immediately committing to a new facility was the biggest risk of my career,” he said. “I was 35, a husband, a young dad, and signing as a personal guarantor — but I believed in our people and this community. That belief still guides every decision we make.”

Relentless about convenience, Campbell launched a high-capacity Pick Up & Delivery program — backed by $105,000 in vehicles and software — that now averages ~600 door-to-door service appointments monthly and consistently ranks Bell Ford among the Top 5 Ford dealers in the Chicago Region for this metric.

“Our customers’ time is priceless. If we can save them a trip and fix it right, that’s a win for everyone,” Campbell noted.

Bell Ford has also doubled down on culture — partnering with a third-party trainer for leadership, guest experience and sales training, implementing flexible scheduling, expanding PTO and investing more than $240,000 in employee special events, bonuses and wellness programs over the past five years.

“I’ll never judge an employee for trying to do the right thing for a customer,” Campbell said. “Our team is empowered to act — because ‘It’s What We Do.’”

A longtime champion of technician pipelines, Campbell serves on WATDA’s The Foundation (Board Member since 2020, Chairman 2023). Through The Foundation and Bell Ford, he has co-sponsored youth transportation showcases, Nitro X summer camps, and scholarships — contributing nearly $20,000 in matching funds for four student awards and donating ~$40,000 directly to scholarships. Campbell is also the District 10 Representative of the WATDA.

Community giving is anchored by Bell Ford’s annual Santa & Reindeer celebration, which has grown from a few dozen neighbors to ~800 guests — providing $8,000 in gifts so each child goes home with something, a free pancake breakfast, library-van book giveaways, firetruck tours and matched donations for the local food pantry.

“This event has nothing to do with business and everything to do with family and the spirit of Christmas,” Campbell said. “Arlington and the surrounding communities show up for us all year — this is our way of showing up for our communities.”

“Decisions set you on a path — what you do along that path matters most,” he added. “I started cleaning cars while earning my GED. Mentors believed in me, and now my job is to invest that same belief in our team, our customers, and our community.”

Bell Ford’s performance has been recognized with Ford’s President’s Award (multiple years, most recently 2024) for customer satisfaction, as well as Medallion Elite – Service honors (First place out of 250 dealers in 2003 and 2005).

Campbell was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by the Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association. He and his wife Wendy have two daughters, Raelyn and Paige.