Overland Park, KS – NCM Associates (www.ncm20.com), a leading provider of automotive 20 groups, in-dealership retail consulting, management training, and operations Benchmark® analysis services to franchise, independent and Buy Here, Pay Here auto dealers, today announced it has hired two new associates to serve its retail automotive clientele. Mark Shackelford, formerly of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), has joined the company as executive conference moderator for the 20 Groups division under Kevin Cunningham. Kevin Herndon has joined NCM’s Retail Operations Consulting division under Paul Stowe’s direction. The two newest NCM associates each have deep retail automotive management experience and join NCM to meet the need for increasing demand for NCM’s 20 Groups and in-dealership Consulting services.

With more than 20 years of successful automotive retail management experience and a passion for 20 groups, Mark Shackelford is now leveraging his retail expertise and group facilitation skills as NCM’s newest executive conference moderator. Shackelford was most recently an NADA Twenty Group consultant and trainer for the NADA University and is also a former dealer and dealership general manager. He attended the Air Force Academy, Columbia Basin College, and holds a Business Management degree from Washington State University where he played PAC 10 football as an outside linebacker before being signed by the New York Jets in 1983. Shackelford resides in Norton, Ohio.

Kevin Herndon

Kevin Herndon joins NCM with a background in automotive service and parts operations management and consulting. Herndon started his automotive career in 1989 as a service advisor for Fairway Lincoln Mercury Mazda in Savannah, Georgia and by 1994 he became the dealership’s parts and service director. His success in and focus on fixed operations management throughout his career prepared him for his private consulting firm, Herndon Consulting, where he has been assisting dealers in improving the profitability of their fixed operations departments since 2006. Kevin attended Armstrong State College and lives in Richmond Hill (Savannah), Georgia.

Mark Shackelford

NCM’s president and CEO, Paul A. Faletti, Jr. noted the addition of Shackelford and Herndon is a much-needed response to the optimism and growth in the industry, “I’m pleased to say NCM is in a position to expand our capacity to serve our current and future clients because of the increasing interest in our services.” Faletti went on to say that NCM is adding successful retail experts like Shackelford and Herndon because its automotive dealer clients are very bullish on improving the profitability of their existing operations and many are also seeking opportunities to expand. “Mark and Kevin are two remarkably strong retail experts and come to us with the experience to make an immediate contribution in our 20 Groups and Retail Operations Consulting divisions. I have no doubt we and our clients will be benefiting from their expertise for years to come,” he added.

To learn more about NCM Associates, visit ncm20.com or call 800.756.2620.

About NCM Associates, Inc.

NCM Associates, Inc. is the originator of the automotive industry 20 Group peer collaboration process and has been providing dealership Benchmark® analytics, Education and Retail Operations Consulting services to the industry since 1947. Located in Overland Park, KS, NCM provides a robust suite of services designed to drive dealership profitability using its proven, operations-focused Benchmark® for Success program with new and pre- owned U.S. automotive dealerships, as well as with dealerships in more than 20 other industries. NCM

Associates is proud to be 100% employee-owned. For more information about NCM Associates, visit www.ncm20.com or call 800.756.2620.