TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2011 /CNW/ - Scotiabank has ranked "Highest in Dealer Satisfaction With Floor Planning" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Canadian Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study^SM.

The study, released in May, examines dealer satisfaction with finance lenders in four segments: prime retail credit, retail leasing, floor planning, and sub-prime retail credit. Within the floor planning segment, four factors are measured. The key drivers of satisfaction in rank order are floor plan portfolio management, provider credit line offering, floor plan support, and sales representative relationship.

"We are very pleased to be ranked highest in an important benchmark study of the industry for dealer satisfaction with floor planning," said Ron Porter, Scotiabank's Senior Vice-President, Automotive Finance and Indirect Lending. "We constantly strive to improve our product offerings in order to best meet the needs of our clients and we are humbled and appreciative that our clients have chosen to rate us highly."

Scotiabank has four Dealer Finance Centres across Canada - one each in Hamilton, Montreal, Halifax, and Calgary. There are also two Scotia Dealer Advantage offices, one in Montreal and one in Burnaby. Across these jurisdictions there are over 500 specialized auto finance experts.

"What makes us stand out is our people," said Mr. Porter. "A key to our strength is having centralized offices with resident local experts who are cognizant of the local markets across Canada. This diversification allows us to offer great service and relevant products to dealerships for all of their retail, business banking and personal banking needs."

Scotiabank has been involved in Dealer Finance since 1955 and offers end-to-end financing for Prime, Near Prime, White Label Financing, Daily Rental Financing, Operating, Flooring (both new and used), Wholesale Leasing, Building and Equipment Loans for dealerships and full banking and cash management services to meet the financial needs of every dealership. Scotiabank floor plans virtually every brand of vehicle offered in Canada in each of the provinces. In addition to new vehicle floor planning, the Bank also provides used vehicle financing for trade-ins, auction purchases, program cars and factory demonstrators.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $571 billion (as at April 30, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit www.JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.