Mark Pellegrino, President and Dealer Principal at Pellegrino Auto Group, was recently selected as New Jersey’s 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year (TDOY) award winner. Mark is recognized for his exceptional industry accomplishments, as well as his commitment to community service. He will be honored at the 108th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 25, 2025. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Mark was one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.
“I am grateful and humbled that I was nominated for this honor and chosen to represent New Jersey dealers on the national stage,” said Mr. Pellegrino. “Pellegrino Auto Group is a family owned and operated dealership group, that has built its reputation one customer at a time and our success is fueled by the dedication of our team of hardworking employees who embody our motto – Our People Make the Difference!”
Growing up, Pellegrino had been familiar with the automotive industry from his father’s success as a used truck dealer specializing in heavy duty trucks. At the age of 16, he and his brother, Matty, sold their first used car out of a gas station parking lot, which led to wholesaling vehicles at local auto auctions, and working at a used car lot in Riverton, New Jersey. Mark’s father, Matthew, mentored him and his brother through their early years and he continues to be a great asset for Mark to look to for advice.
Pellegrino earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Villanova University in 1988. When he was a junior, Mark and his brother took over the Riverton used car dealership, relocated to Palmyra, and renamed the business Interstate Truck Sales. From 1986 to 1995, their business grew to a volume of more than 1,500 vehicles per year between wholesale and retail. The brothers felt their next step was to expand into the new car business, so they began their search, but unfortunately Matty suddenly passed away in 1995.
Pellegrino was able to fulfill their dream a few years later, in 1997, when he acquired his first dealership with a partner, Nino Paleologus, which they named Pellegrino Chevrolet. In 2005 Pellegrino bought out his partner and purchased a Pontiac Buick GMC dealership in Williamstown, New Jersey, currently known as Pellegrino Buick GMC. In 2007, Pellegrino Auto Group continued to grow after he and a partner, Stan Singer, purchased a Chrysler Jeep dealership, which they named Pellegrino Chrysler Jeep. Ten years later his original partner (Stan) retired, and today Pellegrino works alongside two partners, Russell Abate and Vince Baldino, in Pellegrino Chrysler Jeep. He is also fortunate to work with his daughter, Amanda, who is a recent NADA Academy graduate, and his sister, Stacia, who started with him at Interstate Truck Sales in 1995. Both family members are managers within Pellegrino Auto Group.
“The Pellegrino Auto Group has long been one of the most respected auto retailers in New Jersey,” said New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) President Jim Appleton. “I’ve known Mark for many years, and he is very deserving of this honor. Not only has he run a successful business, Mark treats his employees and customers with respect and is incredibly involved in his community.”
Mark has supported dozens of local organizations, schools and charities throughout his career, but none is closer to his heart than the Matthew P. Pellegrino II Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by Mark, his family and close friends in honor of his brother Matty. Over the last 27 years, the foundation has raised nearly $1 million to benefit more than 25 children’s organizations.
Pellegrino, and his wife, Leslie, have been happily married for 34 years. Together they have three daughters (Morgan, Amanda and Courtney), three sons-in-law (Dan, Jonathan and Mark), three grandchildren (Ava, Daniel and Roman) and a fourth grandchild expected in November. Although work consumes a lot of his time, Mark always makes time to be present to support his children, and now his grandchildren, at school functions, sporting events, milestone moments, and all family gatherings.
Mark is incredibly involved in his community, he is very active as a leader and operator of all three dealerships, and he always has time to spend with his family and friends. Mark values his relationships with his family, friends, partners, team of employees, and customers, and it is quite evident in how he operates his business and lives his life each day.
Dealers are nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year, who will be announced on January 25, 2025 at the NADA Show in New Orleans, Louisiana. Three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.