MADA is pleased to announce that Jim VandenBerg, former operating owner and general manager of Maple Hill Auto Group in Kalamazoo, has been nominated for the 2027 TIME Dealer of the Year award.
After studying geology and business at Hope College, VandenBerg originally planned to pursue a career in medicine and geology. However, the economy changed his focus and he ended up in automotive retail, eventually become an owner-operator of a Chrysler, Volvo and Hyundai dealership in Kalamazoo. Renamed Maple Hill Auto Group, the dealership later operated franchises representing Subaru, Hyundai, Genesis, Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi.
Maple Hill employed 125 people, including 21 with more than a decade of service. With a focus on employee retention, VandenBerg developed several programs to provide employees with greater financial stability and career mobility. Maple Hill provided aspiring technicians with starter toolboxes at no cost, which became theirs after three years of employment. The dealership also paid for state, ASE and manufacturer training and enrolled managers and aspiring managers in NADA Academy development programs.
“Investing in tools and education removes barriers for people who want to build automotive careers,” VandenBerg said. “When employees can see a path forward, they are more likely to grow with the organization and become the next generation of leaders.”
Community service was also central to VandenBerg’s leadership at Maple Hill. The company’s Maple Hill Loves to Give Fund is an employee-managed charitable fund administered through the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. Employees elect to contribute a set amount from each paycheck, and Maple Hill matches those contributions in full. A board elected by participating employees determines which local nonprofit organizations receive support.
The fund has supported college scholarships, neonatal echocardiography equipment for a children’s hospital, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes and the SPCA of Southwest Michigan. It holds more than $150,000, including a $50,000 personal contribution from Jim and his wife, Monie VandenBerg.
MADA is honored to recognize Jim VandenBerg for his remarkable contributions to this industry and the community. He will be honored at the 110th annual NADA Show in Orlando, Florida, on February 19, 2027.
Ally, TIME and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) team up every year to recognize auto dealers for the many ways they give back to their communities and act as examples of what it means to do it right. TIME Dealer of the Year is an annual celebration of the finest representatives of our industry and their relentlessly charitable spirit.
