Teton Auto Group owner Mario Hernandez nominated for TIME Dealer of the Year
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IDAHO FALLS — Mario Hernandez, founder of Teton Auto Group and dealer principal of Teton Toyota, has been nominated for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year Award — one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious honors.
Hernandez is among 47 dealers nationwide selected for recognition at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas on Feb. 5, 2026. The award highlights the nation’s top auto dealers for their business success, leadership, and community service.
The nomination comes as Hernandez and Teton Auto Group celebrate 20 years in business. Since purchasing a struggling Idaho Falls dealership in 2005, Hernandez has transformed it into one of eastern Idaho’s most successful and community-minded auto groups.
“In 2005, I bought Teton Toyota with a 15% ownership interest and the idea to take a very underperforming store to a high-performing store,” Hernandez said in a news release. “In 2012, I was able to execute that buy-sell and became 100% owner and Dealer Principal of Teton Toyota.”
Today, Hernandez owns 95% of the company, alongside his daughter Crystal Zmak and son-in-law Travis Zmak. The dealership employs 176 people in Idaho Falls and continues to expand with new facilities and technology designed to enhance both the customer and employee experience.
Under Hernandez’s leadership, Teton Toyota has invested heavily in modernization — opening a new facility in 2009, expanding its showroom and service areas, and most recently completing a used-car reconditioning and detail center in 2025. The dealership was also an early adopter of digital retailing, becoming the first in the Northwest to launch CDK SmartPath.
“We recognize that as a dealer body, we have a choice: embrace innovation or allow others to define the customer experience for us,” Hernandez said. “We chose to lead.”
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Hernandez made the decision to keep all staff employed, guaranteeing 80% of wages or commissions.
“That decision created immense loyalty and lasting confidence in our organization,” he said.
Teton Toyota’s community impact also runs deep. For 17 years, the dealership has donated a new vehicle to local school raffles, raising an estimated $2.1 million for student programs in arts, athletics, robotics, and more.
Beyond Idaho Falls, Hernandez has served in several national leadership roles, including as president of the Toyota Dealer Advertising Association and member of the Toyota Dealer Council. His dealership has earned multiple Toyota President’s Awards and other national recognitions for performance and customer satisfaction.
Hernandez and his wife, Glenda, have lived in Idaho Falls for two decades and raised three children. Together, they’ve built a company that not only sells cars but also strives to elevate the reputation of the automotive industry in eastern Idaho.
“When a customer notices not just the service, but the way our people treat others—and wants to model it in their own business—that’s when you know the culture is working,” Hernandez said. “What we’re doing goes beyond selling cars. We’re shaping how people feel about this industry.”