MIAMI BEACH, Fla., July 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive and the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) presented the second annual Innovation Award to Carlos Liriano, Dealer Principal at Lost Pines Toyota in Bastrop, TX. The 2015 NAMAD & Cox Automotive Innovation Award honors a leader in the industry who has positively impacted their organization and the industry, and Liriano was selected for his leadership in environmental and energy efficient design and operations. Cox Automotive's Kevin Filan presented the award to Liriano during an awards dinner on July 9 as part of the 2015 NAMAD Conference, held at the Fontainebleau from July 7-10, 2015.

"I am deeply inspired by Bastrop's commitment to the environment and preservation, and I believe that a facility that embodies a community's core values has the potential to touch thousands of lives," Liriano commented. "It was this idea that led us to design and build Lost Pines Toyota with a focus on environmental and energy efficiency standards, ensuring that the impression we leave is a positive, lasting one. This is a huge undertaking that wouldn't be possible without my tremendous team that is equally as committed to seeking new ways to decrease its environmental footprint and reflect positively on our community in Bastrop County."

Since opening the dealership in 2012, Liriano kept a strong focus on being on the forefront of the green initiative and revolutionizing the way car dealerships do business. Today, his dealership is the only Gold LEED Certified dealer serving the Austin market, and one of just a few dozen around the country. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a premier certification process that evaluates building projects on their environmental efficiency. Beyond the green aspects of the building itself, the focus on being environmentally friendly continues through the actions of the staff. Under Liriano's leadership, the staff has been striving to operate as efficiently and as greenly as possible, eliminating paper consumption by 66% by relying on digital tools and technology.  

"Dealerships play an immeasurable role in their communities, and it is heartening to see how Carlos and his staff have built a strong foundation and successful business that embodies the ideals of their local community," said Kevin Filan, vice president of customer and industry marketing  at Cox Automotive. "So to Carlos, we say thank you for being an inspirational example of how thoughtful innovation can have a lasting impact."

During the selection process, NAMAD leadership recommended members who embodied this award, and representatives from Cox Automotive voted on a recipient based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrates the ability to innovate, inspire and lead their organization and effect change, relevant to the industry
• Demonstrates the ability to create and implement a vision for their organization, and drive insights and opportunity through technology
• Demonstrates success at implementing or promoting technology, and applying it to people and processes, impacting customer value

NAMAD President Damon Lester added, "Carlos' story is one of inspired leadership, and we are pleased to hold him up as an example of how an innovative spirit can make a real difference inside and outside of the dealership."

Beyond the architectural and functional design of the store, which earned it the LEED certification, the dealership is also focused on how they can conserve and recycle throughout their day-to-day operations. At Lost Pines Toyota, the staff recycle and reuse as much as they can, including recycling used oil, lubricants and filters, anti-freeze, tires, batteries, all metal parts and wheel weights, as well as paper and cardboard.  They use energy efficient lighting, low flow plumbing and low VOC paints and sealants.  To eliminate as much paper waste as possible, they rely on scanning and electronically storing data like vehicle inspections, finance contracts, vendor invoices, and signed file copies. 

About National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (www.namad.org/)
The National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area. Founded in 1980, NAMAD is committed to increasing opportunities for ethnic minorities in all aspects of the automotive industry. NAMAD seeks to ensure the presence of a meaningful, representative number of minority entrepreneurs and employees in the retail sales, supplier and service sectors, and the manufacturing ranks.

NAMAD is committed to working closely with domestic and international nameplate manufacturers to achieve win/win, sound business arrangements designed to create reciprocal trading partnerships. Over the past year, astute automobile manufacturers have joined forces with NAMAD to work together to advance the nation's efforts to promote equal opportunity and access for all Americans. These partnerships have uncovered new markets, new ideas, new talent and new capital - all to the benefit of automobile manufacturers, entrepreneurs and consumers.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is a leading provider of vehicle remarketing services and digital marketing and software solutions for automotive dealers and consumers. Cox Automotive, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, includes Manheim, Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, vAuto, NextGear Capital, and a host of global businesses and brands serving customers such as auto dealers, manufacturers and financial institutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Cox Automotive employs nearly 24,000 employees in over 150 locations worldwide. The company partners with more than 40,000 dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, and touches over 67 percent of all car buyers in the U.S. with the most recognized brands in the industry. Cox Automotive unites more than 20 brands in this space, providing an end-to-end solution to transform the way people buy and sell cars every day.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most visited third-party car shopping site, with the most engaged audience of in-market shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today’s empowered consumer looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader’s comprehensive marketing solutions guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience.

Autotrader is wholly owned by Cox Automotive which owns Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com^®), Manheim Auctions, Dealertrack^® and a portfolio of software companies that optimize inventory and advertising online. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

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SOURCE Cox Automotive