Ford of Kirkland is among an elite group of Ford and Lincoln dealerships to be recognized with the 2011 President’s Award by Ford Motor Company. This prestigious award honors dealerships that excelled in automotive retailing in 2011 by providing exceptional customer service and satisfaction.

This year, Ford honors 313 Ford and Lincoln dealers across the country for delivering superior customer satisfaction in sales and service.

This is Ford of Kirkland’s sixth time to receive this honor.

“Our team just celebrated our seventh year here in Kirkland,” said Jim Walen, dealer principal at Ford of Kirkland. “Amy and I invested our life savings in the business and receiving this award for our sixth time is one of our proudest achievements.”

Walen’s wife, Amy Walen, is controller at Ford of Kirkland and a member of the Kirkland City Council.

The President’s Award was established in 1998. Dealers become eligible through survey responses from customers related to their sales and service satisfaction.

“The pursuit of excellence is not for the faint of heart – it requires passion, tenacity and hard work,” said Sean Weingarten, Northwest regional manager for Ford Motor Company. “In order to achieve the President’s Award, dealers must exceed customer expectations every day in every department.  The award salutes those top-performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that embrace these philosophies, achieving among the highest levels of customer satisfaction.”