Public officials paid tribute
Officials at Capital Toyota on Friday announced the 50th anniversary celebration for Capital Toyota, Tennessee’s first and Chattanooga’s only Toyota dealer. In addition, the dealership officially “cut the ribbon” on Friday to signify the grand opening of the renovated dealership at 5808 Lee Highway. Capital Toyota has been at this same midtown location for its entire history.
Capital Toyota first opened for business as a Toyota dealer in March 1966, and the dealership only sold 11 new vehicles the first nine months. Currently, Capital Toyota sells hundreds of new, certified and pre-owned vehicles each month, and has enjoyed growth over the years.
Robert G. (Bob) McKamey, owner and president of Capital Toyota, said, “Being Tennessee’s first Toyota dealer and being in business for 50 years has been so much fun and is still very exciting. It is a real tribute to our employees and to the community who have supported our brand over the years. We are very proud to be located in Chattanooga, my hometown.”
Mr. McKamey said he attributes the success of Capital Toyota to three key factors: (1) his family and the support they have provided over the years; (2) the loyal employees of Capital Toyota; and (3) the superior products manufactured by Toyota, the most admired automotive company in the world according to a recent issue of Fortune Magazine.
Currently, Capital Toyota has nearly 200 employees with a total combined service at Capital Toyota of more than 1,150 years. Mr. McKamey said he is very proud of the loyalty, and several employees have more than 35 years of service with the company. Mr. McKamey said he is a firm believer that the success of any business is “people, people, people,” not the traditional “location, location, location.”
The company boasts a complete automotive complex, offering a separate pre-owned center featuring a large number of certified vehicles; the largest collision center in Chattanooga; the largest parts department in the area; a detail center that in addition to cleaning Capital’s vehicles, also details approximately 550 vehicles for individuals and other dealers each month; the area’s top service department, plus the exclusive, award-winning Lexus of Chattanooga dealership.
Mr. McKamey continued, “I am proud of the many contributions that both my children make to our business. Both Karla and Jeff are active in our dealerships, and I have three grandchildren who are already expressing an interest in our business. It looks as if we will soon have three generations represented here.”
The McKamey family has always enjoyed helping many Chattanooga projects in giving back to the community that has given so much to Capital Toyota. These projects include the March of Dimes, the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center and many others. They believe that giving back to the community should be a goal for every company.
For more information on Capital Toyota, visit capitaltoyota.net.
With family members