Recognition Earned Together
Step One Automotive Group Awards & Recognition
Awards are not why we show up. They're what can happen when you keep showing up for customers, teammates, schools, nonprofits, military families, and the communities you call home.
From national automotive industry recognition to manufacturer honors and awards voted on by our neighbors, these milestones reflect the people behind Step One and a simple belief we've carried with us from the beginning: we accomplish more when we Step Together.
More Than Awards
Recognition That Reflects How We Do Business
We don't believe an award means much if it doesn't reflect what customers and communities actually experience. At Step One, recognition has come from many different places: customers voting for their favorite local dealerships, manufacturers recognizing dealership performance, automotive organizations evaluating our business, and community organizations recognizing the work our teams do beyond the showroom.
Different awards measure different things, but there's a common thread behind them. Listen to people. Be straightforward. Solve problems. Support the communities that support us. When there's an opportunity to make something better, Step Together and get to work.
That's why we see these honors as more than plaques, rankings, or headlines. They're milestones in a larger story about the customers who trust us, the people who work here, and the communities that have welcomed Step One dealerships into their neighborhoods.
Recognition Beyond the Showroom
Milestones We're Proud to Share
From national automotive rankings to education, charity, business, and community-choice honors, Step One has been recognized for both how we operate and how we participate in the communities around us.
01
Automotive News Top 150
In 2022, Step One Automotive Group entered Automotive News' ranking of the 150 largest dealership groups in the United States at No. 100. Step One was also ranked No. 84 among the nation's leading dealership groups by used-vehicle sales.
02
Champions of Charity
AutoSuccess selected Step One Automotive Group as a 2022 Champions of Charity honoree, recognizing automotive organizations making a meaningful difference through charitable involvement.
03
Florida Education Recognition
Step One received the Florida Department of Education Commissioner's Business Recognition Award for its involvement in supporting education and student achievement.
04
Finest on the Emerald Coast
In 2024, Step One Automotive Group swept all three automotive categories in the Finest on the Emerald Coast Community Choice Awards: New Car Sales, Used Car Sales, and Service Centers.
05
Florida Trend Top 350
Step One Automotive Group was ranked No. 80 on Florida Trend's 2024 list of the Top 350 Companies in Florida, recognizing the scale and growth of the organization within the state.
06
Recognition From Our Neighbors
Across Northwest Florida, Step One and its dealerships have earned community-choice recognition in Pensacola, Destin, and across the Emerald Coast. Those honors matter because they come from the same communities our teams serve every day.
Our Dealerships
Recognition Earned One Store at a Time
Group-level recognition tells only part of the story. Individual Step One dealerships and their teams have also earned recognition from manufacturers, customers, and industry organizations for service, customer experience, and community commitment.
Step One Subaru Fort Walton Beach
Subaru Love Promise Recognition
Step One Subaru Fort Walton Beach received Subaru Love Promise Customer & Community Commitment Awards in 2022 and 2023. In 2026, the dealership received the Subaru Love Promise HEART Award, recognizing customer service and meaningful commitment to the community.
Step One Buick GMC Pensacola
GM Service Excellence
The service team at Step One Buick GMC Pensacola earned the General Motors Service Excellence Award. It's the sort of recognition we value because service happens after the sale, when earning a customer's trust for the long term matters most.
Step One Kia Fort Walton Beach
No. 1 National NPS Performance
In August 2026, the Step One Kia Fort Walton Beach sales department ranked No. 1 nationally for Net Promoter Score. NPS measures customers' willingness to recommend a business, making this a particularly meaningful customer-experience achievement for the team.
Across Step One
CARFAX Top-Rated Lifetime Dealers
Multiple current Step One dealerships have earned CARFAX Top-Rated Lifetime Dealer recognition, including locations representing Subaru, Kia, Volkswagen, Cadillac GMC, Buick GMC, Ford, and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT.
The recognition is tied to verified customer ratings and reviews, providing another independent measure of dealership experience.
Chosen Close to Home
Recognition From the Communities We Serve
National rankings are worth celebrating, but there's something different about being recognized by the people who live in the same communities as our dealerships. Step One has earned repeated community-choice honors throughout Northwest Florida, including recognition in Pensacola, Destin, and across the Emerald Coast.
In 2021, Step One received Best New Car Dealership, Best Pre-Owned Dealership, and Best Service Department recognition through VIP Destin. Step One also earned Best New Automobile Dealer recognition in Pensacola across multiple years.
In 2024, the Finest on the Emerald Coast Community Choice Awards brought those parts of the dealership experience together. Step One won New Car Sales, Used Car Sales, and Service Centers, sweeping all three automotive categories.
To us, that recognition carries a simple message: doing business locally means earning trust locally. That work starts over every day.
Recognition Through the Years
A Track Record Built One Year at a Time
No single award tells the Step One story. Taken together, these milestones show how recognition has expanded from local customer-choice awards to national industry, business, manufacturer, education, and community honors.
Pensacola Recognition
Step One dealerships continued building their reputation in Northwest Florida through local reader-choice recognition in the Pensacola market.
Recognition Across Northwest Florida
Step One earned Best New Automobile Dealer recognition in Pensacola and Best New Car Dealership, Best Pre-Owned Dealership, and Best Service Department recognition in Destin.
A National Breakthrough
Step One entered the Automotive News Top 150 dealership groups, ranked among leading used-vehicle retailers, became a Champions of Charity honoree, received Florida education recognition, and added manufacturer and CARFAX honors at individual dealerships.
People, Community & Customer Experience
Recognition continued through Subaru Love Promise honors, community-choice awards, and workplace recognition, reflecting the people and culture behind the dealerships as well as the customer experience.
An Emerald Coast Sweep
Step One won all three automotive categories in the Finest on the Emerald Coast Community Choice Awards and was ranked No. 80 among Florida Trend's Top 350 Companies in Florida.
The Work Continues
Recent recognition includes GM Service Excellence at Step One Buick GMC Pensacola, the 2026 Subaru Love Promise HEART Award at Step One Subaru Fort Walton Beach, and No. 1 national NPS performance for Step One Kia Fort Walton Beach's sales department in August 2026.
Step Together
Some of the Recognition We're Proudest of Happens Beyond the Dealership
Cars are our business. Community is where we live. That distinction matters.
Champions of Charity
AutoSuccess recognized Step One through its Champions of Charity program, highlighting the role charitable work and community involvement play within the organization.
Supporting Education
The Florida Department of Education Commissioner's Business Recognition Award recognized Step One's involvement in supporting education and student achievement, work that continues through partnerships with schools and educators.
Love Promise in Action
Subaru Love Promise recognition at Step One Subaru Fort Walton Beach reflects sustained work with local organizations, schools, families, and causes, not simply a single event or donation.
Step Together means partnering with people who know their communities, listening to what is needed, and finding practical ways to help. Recognition is appreciated. The relationships behind it matter more.
The Step One Way
Awards Are Milestones. The Work Continues.
We're grateful when our dealerships, team members, and community programs are recognized. But an award belongs to a moment. What matters more is what happens the next morning when the doors open again.
That's when Real Talk means giving someone a straight answer. Solve Now means taking ownership when something needs attention. Step Together means remembering that our dealerships are part of something bigger than the vehicles on our lots.
We're proud of the recognition Step One has earned. We're even prouder of the customers, teammates, partners, and communities who made it possible.
And we're not finished.
Awards & Recognition FAQs
Understanding Step One's Recognition
A closer look at what these awards and achievements represent and where the recognition comes from.
Has Step One Automotive Group received national automotive industry recognition?
Yes. In 2022, Step One Automotive Group was ranked No. 100 on Automotive News' list of the 150 largest dealership groups in the United States. Step One was also ranked No. 84 among leading dealership groups by used-vehicle sales.
Have individual Step One dealerships received awards?
Yes. Individual dealerships have received manufacturer, customer-experience, and community recognition. Examples include Subaru Love Promise awards at Step One Subaru Fort Walton Beach, GM Service Excellence recognition at Step One Buick GMC Pensacola, and CARFAX recognition across multiple Step One locations.
Has Step One been recognized for community involvement?
Yes. Step One was selected as an AutoSuccess Champions of Charity honoree and received the Florida Department of Education Commissioner's Business Recognition Award for its support of education and student achievement. Individual dealerships have also received recognition tied to sustained community involvement.
What was Step One's 2024 Finest on the Emerald Coast recognition?
Step One Automotive Group won all three automotive categories in the 2024 Finest on the Emerald Coast Community Choice Awards: New Car Sales, Used Car Sales, and Service Centers.
What do Step Together, Real Talk, and Solve Now have to do with these awards?
They describe how Step One approaches its relationships with customers, teammates, and communities. Real Talk means straightforward communication. Solve Now means taking ownership and working toward practical solutions. Step Together reflects the belief that more can be accomplished by working with customers, coworkers, and community partners than by working alone.