Stephen Wade Toyota unveiled its newly expanded dealership facility with a grand opening celebration last Tuesday, Sept. 29. The expansion increased the facility from 10,248 square feet to 76,610 square feet—an increase of more than 66,000 square feet that includes a Scion showroom and a customer lounge. In addition to being able to offer more to their customers, this expansion has also created more jobs in St. George, and as a further way of saying thank you to the community, Stephen Wade is donating a portion of each sale in October to the Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition.
At the grand opening celebration, Toyota Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations Bob Carter, along with Toyota Regional executives, presented owner Stephen Wade with a katana samurai sword, a longstanding Toyota tradition, in honor of the expanded facility. St. George City Mayor Jon Pike was also in attendance. Following, the St. George City Chamber of Commerce joined Wade and Toyota representatives for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the occasion.
To commemorate the occasion throughout the month of October and showcase its commitment to the local community, Stephen Wade Toyota will donate $200 from each new car purchase to the local Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition, a public/private partnership working to help kids reach their full potential in a bully-free environment.
The one-year, $7.2 million project stemmed from a growing need due to increasing demand and the desire to better serve customers. The expanded facility features 50 service stalls, two customer lounges, and a 12-car showroom, including Scion.
With this large expansion also comes the addition of 60 jobs to the growing St. George economy. While growing its own portfolio through this expansion, the dealership also used local subcontractors throughout construction, contributing significantly to the local economy in St. George.
