White Oak Equipment Inc. of Suffolk recently earned the Kubota Tractor Corporation’s most prestigious dealership certification and designation, the Elite Award of Excellence.

The certification program was created by Kubota’s senior leadership team in conjunction with its National Dealer Advisory Board to recognize dealers around the country that are providing customers with the “ultimate Kubota experience” from top quality equipment to sales and financing, customer satisfaction and service.

“Whether it is landscapers, contractors or large property owners, today’s customers expect equipment dealers to be top-notch, full-service partners,” Todd Stucke, vice president, sales, marketing and product support for Kubota, stated in a press release.

“Kubota’s Award of Excellence program recognizes dealers that are already there, meeting and exceeding customers’ expectations. Simply put, they are our very best, and they’ve set the bar high. For that, we thank and applaud them.”

Unique to Kubota’s Award of Excellence program is its designation criteria. The advisory board and Kubota worked together to narrow down the criteria to 17 core elements that are critical for longevity, segment growth and overall business success. These 17 elements fall into five categories: customer experience, financial operations, sales and marketing, building brand value and service.

There are two certification levels within the program: premier and elite. In order to be recognized with a Kubota Premier Award of Excellence a dealership must meet all requirements and achieve at least an 80 percent compliance percentage within the five categories as listed above. In addition, to achieve the top “elite” status level dealers must be a premier certified dealer and achieve a total fiscal sales requirement.

“This is the inaugural year of Kubota’s Award of Excellence program and it is already setting a high standard that will pave the way for sustained growth and market segment leadership,” Ray Villarreal, Kubota director of dealer development, added.

“We have built a strong reputation for top quality on the manufacturing level, and this award recognizes that White Oak Equipment Inc. is delivering on the Kubota promise before, during and after the sale.”