News Release
The following is a news release from Teton Auto Group:
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Idaho Falls business leader Mario Hernandez, dealer principal of Teton Toyota and founder of Teton Auto Group, has been nominated for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year Award, one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors.
Hernandez is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be recognized at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, NV, on February 5, 2026. The award honors the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service and leadership.
This year marks a milestone for Hernandez and Idaho Falls—the 20th anniversary of Teton Auto Group, founded right here in East Idaho. Hernandez’s journey from purchasing a struggling dealership to building one of the region’s most respected automotive groups is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and community values that define Idaho Falls.
Hernandez purchased Teton Toyota in 2005 with a minority stake and a performance-based path to ownership. Backed by results, he completed a buyout in 2012—supported by Toyota Financial Services—and today owns 95% of the business (with shared ownership held by his daughter Crystal Zmak and son-in-law Travis Zmak). The dealership employs 176 team members in Idaho Falls.
“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 2012, I was able to execute that buy-sell… I became 100% owner and Dealer Principal of Teton Toyota.”
Over the past two decades, Hernandez has transformed Teton Toyota into a high-performing, guest-focused operation. Facilities have been continually upgraded to elevate both the customer and employee experience, including:
A brand-new, state-of-the-art, image-compliant facility opened in 2009.
A 2013 expansion of the sales, finance, and showroom areas.
A 2015 service lounge and shop addition to improve customer comfort and technician efficiency.
Additional employee parking completed in 2023.
And in 2025, a new used-car reconditioning, accessories, and detail center designed to improve speed-to-market and personalization.
“All of these were designed to improve the customer and employee experience,” Hernandez noted.
An early advocate for digital retailing, Teton Toyota became the first CDK SmartPath launch in the Northwest, with Hernandez serving on the SmartPath Advisory Council. He even hosted a platform developer on-site in Idaho Falls to collaborate directly with his team.
Teton Toyota also built a full-service accessories program staffed by advisors and certified technicians, integrating Toyota’s Accessory Interactive Menu (AIM) into SmartPath—making the dealership one of the top AIM users nationally.
“We recognize that as a dealer body, we have a choice: embrace innovation or allow others to define the customer experience for us. We chose to lead,” Hernandez said. “Our goal was simple—make Teton the one-stop destination for everything automotive.”
A hallmark of Hernandez’s leadership is a people-first culture that reflects Idaho values of hard work, family, and community. Teton Toyota offers an annual wellness challenge, biometric screenings, paid training, HSA/benefit contributions, a 4% 401(k) match, and an annual Women in Automotive event that has grown female representation from 5% to 23% over 13 years.
Notably, after two years of service, the company pays college tuition for employees’ children at Idaho universities—supporting more than 20 students to date.
“From wellness challenges to tuition support, we invest in our people,” Hernandez said. “Our success is built on their success.”
During the pandemic, Hernandez chose stability over cost-cutting.
“During the COVID shutdown, we committed to not laying off any employees,” he said. “We guaranteed 80% of wages or commissions, whichever was higher. That decision created immense loyalty and lasting confidence in our organization.”
For 17 consecutive years, Teton Toyota has donated a new vehicle to local school-district raffles—a signature program that has raised approximately $2.1 million for Idaho Falls-area students in programs like robotics, debate, arts, and athletics.
“Over the last 17 years, local students have benefited by approximately $2.1 million,” Hernandez said. “Thousands of students have been able to participate in activities they might not have otherwise afford.”
Hernandez’s leadership extends well beyond Idaho Falls. He has served as:
President of the Toyota Dealer Advertising Association (2020–2022)
A member of the Toyota Dealer Council
A Toyota Government Affairs dealer advocate (2024–present)
A board member of both TLMODA and the Toyota Financial Services Reinsurance Board
His dealership has been recognized with numerous awards, including:
Toyota President’s Award (2019–2024)
Toyota Financial Insignia Award (2019–2024)
Toyota Financial Circle of Excellence (2022–2023)
Mario and his wife, Glenda, have three children — Crystal Zmak, Anthony Hernandez, and Connor Hernandez — and have called Idaho Falls home for two decades. Through Teton Toyota and Teton Auto Group, they’ve created hundreds of local jobs, championed education, and helped shape how people in East Idaho view the automotive industry.
“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.”
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