
First Place: Auto Dealership; Automotive Service; Automotive Detailing; Automotive Salesperson - Ernie Doeden
Honorable Mention: Automotive Salesperson - Dakota Even and Jordan Myers; Oil Change Service (Quick Lane)
Bill Colwell Ford, located in Hudson, wants to thank all their loyal customers for voting their dealership the Cedar Valley’s No. 1 overall dealership to do business with year after year. And they’re extremely honored to be recognized as the Best of the Best in Automotive Service, Automotive Detailing, and Automotive Salesperson with Ernie Doeden. They also want to recognize Dakota Even and Jordan Myers as honorable mentions in the Automotive Salesperson category, along with Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center as honorable mention for Oil Change.
If you ask Bill what the success of Bill Colwell Ford can be attributed to, he would simply reply with two words, “our employees.” The growth that this company has seen in the past 37 years is from the consistent hard work from their employees. Bill set a standard of how to take care of their customers and the employees have followed it, and because of that they have built a repeat loyal business.
Bill Colwell said, “All of our employees know that our customers can buy a car or get their oil changed anywhere, which is why we have to go above and beyond when it comes to customer service.”
Our customers may have plenty of options when it comes to purchasing and servicing their vehicle, but they choose Bill Colwell Ford year after year. On average the Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center performs 50 oil changes a day, which is around 1,300 a month. And over the past 37 years Bill Colwell Ford has sold over 47,500 vehicles to customers spanning four generations.
Bill Colwell has been in the car-selling business his whole life, first working with his father's dealership in the 1970s before purchasing the Keith Motor Company's Ford franchise in Hudson in 1984. He built Bill Colwell Ford on the belief that treating his customers and his employees with respect and fairness was the only way to go. Now that Bill Colwell Ford has grown from six to over 60 employees, this dedicated staff still believes in making our customer satisfaction second to none.
Since 1984, their location on the corner of Highway 63 and Waterloo Road in Hudson has changed quite a bit. In 2012, the dealership began building a new facility directly behind the original dealership, which had been built in 1960. In October of 2013, they transitioned into the new construction and the Grand Re-Opening of Bill Colwell Ford was held. In July of 2016, Bill Colwell Ford added the Cedar Valley Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center. And in 2019 they completed a remodel of their service drive.
Although much of the past year seemed like it was put on hold due to the pandemic, Bill Colwell Ford’s business continued to be strong, with 2020 closing out with record vehicle sales. Part of their success for the year was due to their rapid shift to offering new stay-at-home services, such as free local pick-up and delivery for service appointments, video chats with sales staff by request, at-home test drives, and delivery of purchased vehicles. These new options were so popular with customers that they will continue to be offered just for convenience.
In the past spring the dealership also saw its highest number of donations in their Fill a 50 drive for the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs food pantry in April, and they hosted their most well-attended Cars & Coffee event in May. “People are ready to get out again,” said Blake Colwell, General Manager. “After a tough year, everyone seems eager to see and do things in person, whether it’s something like Cars & Coffee, taking road trips, visiting family, or going back to the workplace. So they’re looking for that newer vehicle to take them where they’re going. And though car makers have had difficulties keeping up with demand this year, we have managed to source enough inventory to offer our customers a good selection.”
Looking forward, Bill Colwell Ford has an exciting year ahead of them with the launch of several new vehicles from Ford, including the Mustang Mach-E, the Bronco and Bronco Sport, the F-150 Lightning, and the Maverick. New vehicles are always fun to see, and the sales and service staff are continuously training to stay on top of the latest technology being offered so they can answer any questions and address any maintenance requests that customers bring in.
With 37 years of putting people first, it’s no surprise that the dealership has won its fair share of awards. Bill Colwell Ford has won numerous customer satisfaction awards, including the prestigious President’s Award from Ford Motor Company three times. The award recognizes dealers for excellence in providing outstanding customer service and satisfaction. In 2019 and 2020 they were named a Top 100 Dealership in the United States for their reputation score on Reputation.com. Locally they have also been voted the Best of the Best multiple times in the Cedar Valley.
Even with everything going on at Bill Colwell Ford they still are able to find time to give back to the community. In the past year, Bill Colwell Ford held two “Fill a 50” item drives to collect food and personal supplies on behalf of Iowa Storm Help after the derecho that hit the area last August, and the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs food pantry. The dealership has also worked with other local organizations for previous “Fill a 50” events, including the Cedar Valley Hospice, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Cedar Bend Humane Society, House of Hope, and the Friends of the Family.
“Being able to give back to those who have given us a chance to earn their business is what keeps our business going. The Cedar Valley is a great community and we’re happy to give back and be a part of it,” said Bill Colwell.
If you are in the market for a new, pre-owned, or Certified Pre-Owned vehicle feel free to give Bill Colwell Ford a call or visit their website. If you’re not in the market for a new vehicle, they also have an outstanding Ford Service Department and Quick Lane to help maintain your current vehicle, no matter the make and model. Of course, you can always stop by the dealership to get assistance with any automotive need, or just to say hi and enjoy a cup of coffee.