Brent LeBlanc Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments

Media Contact: Katherine Carver, 225-615-7152

NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 14, 2026) – The nomination of Brent LeBlanc, dealer principal of Price LeBlanc Toyota in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the 2027 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.

LeBlanc is one of a select group of 48 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 110th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Orlando, Florida, on February 19, 2027.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. LeBlanc was chosen to represent the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 48 auto dealers nominated for the 58th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

“This nomination is an incredible honor, and I am grateful to represent our employees, customers, family and Louisiana’s automotive community,” LeBlanc said. “Price LeBlanc Toyota’s success has always been a shared effort, and this recognition belongs to everyone who has contributed to our dealership.”

LeBlanc earned an associate degree in automotive marketing from Northwood University in Cedar Hill, Texas, in 1987. He began working for Price LeBlanc Automotive in 1983 and has spent more than four decades helping lead the family-owned company.

LeBlanc entered the automotive business when it was still a closely run family operation. While attending college, he received a call asking him to accelerate his studies and return to Baton Rouge as his older brothers prepared to open a new dealership.

After returning, LeBlanc helped address significant organizational and leadership challenges by rebuilding much of the dealership’s management team. He focused on assembling employees who shared a commitment to integrity, accountability and customer service.

“I learned early that leadership requires more than making decisions,” LeBlanc said. “It means setting an example, treating people with respect and creating a culture where employees understand that doing the right thing is always the right choice.”

LeBlanc credits his father with shaping his approach to leadership and community service.

“My father taught me through his actions,” LeBlanc said. “One lesson I have never forgotten is that if you do not care about other people, you cannot truly care about yourself. That belief has guided how I approach our employees, customers and community throughout my career.”

Price LeBlanc Toyota was founded in Baton Rouge in 1969 and has remained a multigenerational family business. LeBlanc shares ownership with an extended family that includes his brothers, Price and Clifton, his sisters, Nancy and Lori, and the next generation.

“Our family has been part of the automotive business for generations, and each generation has a responsibility to protect the reputation built by those who came before us,” LeBlanc said. “That means taking care of our employees, treating customers with respect and making decisions that will keep the business strong for the future.”

“Having the next generation involved makes the work even more meaningful,” LeBlanc said. “It gives us an opportunity to share what we have learned while also listening to new perspectives and preparing the company for its next chapter.”

Price LeBlanc Toyota employs 149 people, including 39 who have worked at the dealership for more than a decade. Nineteen employees have remained with the organization for more than 20 years. Price LeBlanc Toyota is one of a group of six dealerships in south Louisiana employing 456 associates.

“Our longtime employees have helped shape the culture and identity of Price LeBlanc Toyota,” LeBlanc said. “Their experience allows them to build genuine relationships with customers and mentor newer team members. That continuity is one of the greatest strengths of a family-owned dealership.”

The dealership frequently hires people who are new to the automotive industry and invests in their training, mentorship and professional development. LeBlanc prioritizes character, integrity, attitude and a commitment to serving others when selecting new employees.

“We believe technical skills can be taught, but character and work ethic must come from within,” LeBlanc said. “When we find people who share our values, we provide the training and support they need to build successful, rewarding careers.”

The dealership also supports employee wellness with a fully equipped fitness center and shower facilities. It has matched employees’ contributions to charitable organizations and provided opportunities for employees to volunteer during company time.

Price LeBlanc Toyota employees participated in the first weeklong Habitat for Humanity home build in Baton Rouge completed entirely by dealership associates. The company has also encouraged employees to assist with disaster-relief efforts following hurricanes and floods.

In 2025, Price LeBlanc Toyota sold 1,536 new vehicles and 995 used vehicles. Through July 2026, the dealership sold 919 new vehicles and 679 used vehicles.

The dealership has strengthened its use of technology and data to improve inventory acquisition, pricing and turnover. It has also streamlined sales processes and enhanced customer follow-up, increasing average monthly sales per salesperson from approximately 10 vehicles to more than 13.

“Sales performance is important, but the numbers only tell part of the story,” LeBlanc said. “Every sale represents a customer who placed their trust in our team. Our responsibility is to honor that trust before, during and long after the purchase.”

LeBlanc was named the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association’s 2026 Dealer of the Year in recognition of his industry leadership and community involvement.

Throughout LeBlanc’s career, Price LeBlanc Automotive and its ownership group have contributed more than $30 million to charitable organizations and community causes. Those contributions have helped generate millions more through matching campaigns, fundraising events, sponsorships and dealership volunteerism.

“Giving back has never felt like an obligation for our family; it has always been part of who we are,” LeBlanc said. “The communities that have supported our dealerships have given us opportunities beyond anything we could have imagined, and we believe success comes with a responsibility to give back.”

This past year, the LeBlanc family received the Outstanding Philanthropist award for the Greater Baton Rouge area. LeBlanc’s wife, Jolie, received the Volunteer Activist award for the Greater Baton Rouge area for her work making Baton Rouge a better place, and LeBlanc’s example has helped inspire the next generation’s involvement in philanthropy.

Through its partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, the company has helped raise more than $16 million for pediatric health care during the past 15 years.

Price LeBlanc Automotive has also worked closely with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to expand its Hunger Action Month campaign. The initiative raised $262,787 in 2023 and $589,652 in 2025, excluding matching contributions from the company.

The broader campaign has raised more than $1.5 million, including $325,000 donated by Price LeBlanc Automotive, and has helped provide more than four million meals to people experiencing food insecurity.

In 2024, Price LeBlanc Automotive celebrated its 70th anniversary by launching its Drive to Give campaign. The company partnered with 24 local nonprofit organizations and contributed $257,680 to groups serving the Greater Baton Rouge area.

“We wanted our anniversary to celebrate the community that made our success possible,” LeBlanc said. “The greatest measure of our charitable work is not the amount donated. It is the impact those resources have on children, families and communities across Louisiana.”

For LeBlanc, one of the most rewarding moments of his career came when an employee assembled a document capturing what the dealership had meant to employees, customers and the community over the years.

“The stories reminded me that our business is about far more than selling and servicing vehicles,” LeBlanc said. “They reflected careers that had been built, families that had been supported and lives that had been positively affected through the opportunities our organization created.”

Dealers are nominated 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. Three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.

In its 16th year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.

“The TIME Dealer of the Year program recognizes dealers who pair excellence in the automotive industry with an enduring commitment to the communities they serve,” said Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME. “TIME is proud to partner with Ally to celebrate their achievements and spotlight the standard of leadership they set across the country.”

“Great dealerships are built by people, and the 2027 TIME Dealer of the Year nominees prove it,” said Doug Timmerman, President of Dealer Financial Services, Ally Financial. “These leaders invest in the teams who help customers through one of the biggest purchases of their lives and show up for the communities they call home. We’ve seen it firsthand at Ally, where dealers who lead this way do it not for recognition, but because it’s who they are. That’s what it means to do it right, and we’re proud to celebrate it.”

LeBlanc was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Coulter McMahen, president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Jolie, have three children: Victoria LeBlanc Friedlander, Brennan LeBlanc and Brianna LeBlanc Napoli.

“Brent embodies everything this award stands for,” said Coulter McMahen, LADA President/CEO. “The Price LeBlanc family is widely known for their generosity and commitment to the communities where they live and work. Brent is a testament to all that Louisiana’s auto dealers provide to our state.”

CARRYING FORTH TRADITION: A PORTRAIT OF BRENT’S LIFE

In keeping with LADA tradition, Brent received a custom caricature celebrating the life behind the dealership. Curated over months of conversations with his family, it highlights his dealerships, his passions, and the family at the center of it all. Brent was presented with the caricature this summer in Vail, surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family.

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About TIME
TIME is the 102-year-old global media brand that reaches a combined audience of over 120 million around the world through its iconic magazine and digital platforms. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the trust of consumers and partners globally, and an unrivaled power to convene, TIME’s mission is to tell the essential stories of the people and ideas that shape and improve the world. Today, TIME also includes the Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios; a significantly expanded live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences; TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families; the award-winning branded content studio Red Border by TIME, and more.

About Ally Financial
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) includes the nation’s largest all-digital bank and an industry leading auto finance business, driven by a mission to “Do It Right” for its customers and communities. Ally is a U.S. financial holding company with $200 billion in assets and 9.6 million customers (June 30, 2026). Ally Bank, Member FDIC, offers online banking products, including high-yield savings and no hidden fee checking, and was the first major U.S. bank to eliminate overdraft fees. Ally also provides investing solutions through Ally Invest, including online brokerage, automated investing, IRAs and personal financial advice. As a leader in auto finance, Ally provides consumer and dealer financing, insurance, and vehicle remarketing services. Ally’s seasoned corporate finance business provides capital to equity sponsors and middle-market companies. Visit ally.com.

About the NADA Show
The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), founded in 1917, represents more than 16,000 light-vehicle and commercial-truck dealerships with 32,500 domestic and international franchises. New-vehicle franchised dealers are directly responsible for more than one million U.S. jobs.