The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) announced that West Palm Beach, Fla. and Colo. auto dealer Michael E. Maroone is the recipient of the 2022 David F. Mungenast Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented by AIADA’s board of directors annually to an industry leader who possesses a similar community spirit and devotion to the auto industry as its namesake.
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Mike perfectly embodies the community-minded, forward-thinking spirit of this award,” said AIADA President and CEO Cody Lusk. “The auto retail industry in the U.S. owes a great deal of thanks to Mike and dealers like him who have spent their careers improving the lives of others and raising the bar for how vehicles are sold in the U.S.”
Maroone got his start in auto retailing in 1975, where he joined his father, Al Maroone, with the New York and Florida-based Maroone Auto Group. Under their leadership the group grew to nine franchises in six locations with 900 associates. In 1997 Maroone began an 18-year career as president, COO, and director of AutoNation, Inc., a Fortune 500 automotive retailer. In 2017 he returned to auto retailing, founding Maroone USA, where he now serves as CEO, operating automotive franchises in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Longmont, Colo. his brands include Chevrolet, Honda, Ford and Volkswagen.
Supporting the community has always been a cornerstone for Maroone. He is a member of various boards and organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic enterprise board of directors and the board of Cleveland Clinic Florida where he serves as chairman. The Maroone Cancer Center is located at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Fla.
“It’s an honor to be receiving this prestigious award,” said Maroone. “For more than 45 years, it has been our family’s passion to be the best place to work and shop. We believe deeply in developing our associates to deliver the best automotive experience and value to our guests as well as partnering with the communities we serve through our philanthropic efforts. We look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come.”
Recognition of his contributions to the automotive industry include being honored by Automotive News as an All-Star and one of the industry’s 50 Visionary Dealers of all time, receiving Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance. Florida Atlantic University honored Maroone as Entrepreneur of the Year and he is a member of the Nova Southeastern University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. automobile Dealer