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Environmentally friendly

FD Toyota dealership honored for their efforts; Becomes only second in US to receive award

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Matt Johnson, center, the dealer and director of happiness at Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota, holds the Dealer Environmental Excellence Program Award the dealership received Tuesday from Toyota. He is joined by Geoff Schick, left, who handles market network planning and dealership facilities for Toyota Motor North America Inc., and Casey Johnson, co-owner of the dealership. The local dealership is only the second one of the 1,238 Toyota dealerships in the country to receive the award.

About 15 employees of Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota spent part of a scorching summer day pulling junk out of the Des Moines River.

Those employees work in a facility that is illuminated by energy saving LED lights and warmed in the winter by a heating system that burns the waste oil left over from oil changes.

That combination of community commitment and environmentally friendly technology has resulted in the dealership becoming just the second one in the nation to receive a prestigious award from Toyota.

That honor — the Dealership Environmental Excellence Program Award — was presented Tuesday morning by Geoff Schick, who traveled to Fort Dodge from Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano, Texas.

Schick, who handles market network planning and dealership facilities, presented the award — a large disc — to Casey Johnson, the dealership’s co-owner, and Matt Johnson, the dealer and director of happiness. He also addressed the staff, which was assembled in the showroom.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Geoff Schick, center, from Toyota Motor North America Inc., presents the Dealer Environmental Excellence Program award at Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota Tuesday morning. Dealership co-owner Casey Johnson applauds at left while Matt Johnson, dealer and director of happiness, watches. The dealership is only the second Toyota dealership in the country to receive the award.

He said there are 1,238 Toyota dealerships in the country and the local one is only the second one to receive this award.

The award, he said, is the result of the staff’s attention to detail and continuous efforts to improve.

“It’s all intentional efforts from you,” he said.

“I think there’s no better store than Fort Dodge,” he added.

Matt Johnson said he feels “so blessed” to be able to work with such a dedicated staff.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
The staff of Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota joins with Toyota corporate representatives following the presentation of the Dealer Environmental Excellence Program Award Tuesday morning. Geoff Schick, of Toyota Motor North America, center, holds the award. Next to him is dealership co-owner Deb Johnson, holding her grandson Max. Abigail Johnson is behind Schick, while dealership co-owner Casey Johnson and Matt Johnson, the dealer and director of happiness, are to the right of Schick.

Casey Johnson thanked all of the employees for their work that resulted in this honor.

After the presentation, Schick said dealerships are evaluated for the award based on their energy conservation practices, water usage, waste reduction, and community efforts. He said dealerships are not required to take part in the environmental program.

He said the award for Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota was two years in the making.

Nancy Lombard, the dealership’s controller, plays a key role in coordinating all the environmental-related work, according to Matt Johnson.

“She’s really taken the lead on facilitating,” he said.

The river cleanup was held on Aug. 6. Organized by Webster County Conservation, the effort was called Picking Up While Paddling Down.

Matt Johnson said the cleanup was a good way to build camaraderie, get engaged with the community and be good stewards of the environment.

“I believe it’s everybody’s responsibility to take care of our natural resources,” he said.

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