Toyota of Tampa Bay has been family owned since 1971 when the dealership was built on Florida Avenue in North Tampa as “Toyota of Tampa Bay.” Under the leadership of the Morsani family, Toyota of Tampa Bay became one of the top selling Toyota stores in Tampa.
In 2005, Toyota of Tampa Bay opened its new 22-acre facility at 1101 East Fletcher Avenue just east of I-275, as a part of the Morgan Auto Group. The new facility includes Tampa Bay’s only Toyota certified body shop, a new service and parts center with extended service capacity, spacious new and used car showrooms and 10 acres of inventory! Knowing that our reputation rests on each satisfied customer, the facility also includes a business/media center with Internet access, a children’s playroom with DVD, two big screen TVs, and a full service deli.
The Morsani family passed the torch to Larry Morgan and his son Brett in 2005. Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Larry Morgan, learned a lot about making customers happy as the Chairman and Owner of Tires Plus, a Clearwater based company that had 600 tire and automotive service centers throughout the United States. Although the business philosophy remains the same for the Morgan family, pleasing customers at every turn, the name “Toyota of Tampa Bay” seemed a better fit for the new location. After all the Morgan family wants Toyota of Tampa Bay to be Tampa’s premier Toyota store.
Larry Morgan has been recognized as an industry leader in the automotive business. He was named as one of the industry’s “Movers and Shakers” in 1986, 1991, 1997, and 1992. In 2001, he was named “Tire Dealer of the Year” by Modern Tire Dealer and in 2004 he was President of the Tire Industry Association. Also in 2004, Mr. Morgan was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame. The Morgan family is also involved with many philanthropic activities including their gift of the Morgan Heart Hospital to the Morton Plant Mease hospital system and also a major contributor to their church in Clearwater which recently built a new church. In 2006 the Morgan Auto Group purchased Honda of Ocala in Ocala, FL. In 2007 Wade Raulerson Honda and Wade Raulerson Pontiac, Buick & GMC joined the Morgan Auto Group family.
As the Toyota of Tampa Bay family closed the books on 2006 they were able to celebrate some major successes. Our service department was the number 1 rated service center in customer satisfaction in the entire region and in the top 10 nationwide. Toyota of Tampa Bay also became the largest volume Toyota dealer in Tampa, selling the most new and used Toyotas. This comes on past successes such as winning the prestigious “President’s Award” given only to the select few dealerships recognized by Toyota Motor Sales that consistently exceed the highest standards in sales, service, and customer satisfaction. While we would never claim to be perfect, we here at Toyota of Tampa Bay will do everything in our abilities to exceed your expectations on EVERY visit. Please contact us with any comments or suggestions, and Thank You for taking the time to learn about us.
