NORWAY – Eugene N. Benner, president and treasurer of Bessey Motor Sales in Paris, was recently honored for his nomination for the 2008 Time Magazine Dealer of the Year award.

Benner was one of a select group of dealers from across the country honored at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in San Francisco.

The Time Magazine Dealer of the Year award recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers. Benner was chosen to represent the Maine Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition, one of 51 automobile dealers, from more than 19,500 nationwide. The award is sponsored by Time Magazine in association with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration selects each finalist.

Benner bought Bessey Motor Sales in 1994. Under his ownership, Bessey Motors has earned outstanding customer service scores and received several industry awards, including the Five-Star Award of Excellence.

Benner and his dealership have supported area organizations and causes and he has served as chairman of the board for Norway Savings Bank and, in 2002, was a Paul Harris Fellow, the top honor given by Rotary International to recognize a non-Rotarian for community service.

Benner lives in Norway with his wife.