Bill Currie Ford Hands Out Watches, Receives Recognition From Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

For Bill Currie Ford of Tampa Bay, handing out watches has become the norm over the past 15 years as the company works in partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at its quarterly award ceremonies.

Each quarter, deputies, detectives and civilians are recognized for longevity of service and for going “above and beyond” the call of duty in their respective jobs. 

At the March 16 awards ceremony, representatives from Bill Currie Ford were on hand to present keepsake watches to both the law enforcement deputy and the detention deputy of the quarter.

The Currie representatives in turn were signaled out to receive recognition for the company’s role “as co-community sponsors in many events that support our community.”

On hand to receive that recognition were Bill Currie Jr., president; his daughter, and company vice president, Jennifer Currie-Bellomo; and Danny Lewis, the director of community relations, advertising and marketing, who is retiring from Bill Currie Ford after 20 years of employment.

“I was in the Air Force for 28 years, too, so this is like a short-step” retirement, said Lewis, who received from the sheriff’s office a specially engraved pocket knife in recognition of his service.

But, “nobody really retires from Bill Currie Ford,” Lewis added. “There’s people going back 40 years who still remember the Currie family for their generosity. The longevity [of service] is unmatched probably in any auto dealership in the nation.”

As Currie-Bellomo noted, “one-third of our employees have been with us over 10 years” and many have seniority double that number of years.

Handing out watches to first responders, including Tampa police officers and firefighters, is the company’s way of supporting and recognizing the work of first responders.

“To be a good business you must first be a good neighbor,” Currie-Bellomo said. “That’s what my grandfather says and what my father says.”

 As for the recognition he received on behalf of his company, Bill Currie said he was humbled.

“We don’t like to be in the limelight like this,” he said. “We’d rather they [the deputies] be in the limelight. [But] we appreciate this.”