AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
PENNEY DESIGN GROUP
The completed renovation project will bring a significant change to the face of the Bev Smith store, meeting Toyota’s current image guidelines.
JOE DESALVO
Frank Gonzalez, Bev Smith Automotive Group vice president, and executive assistant Phelicia Traver are
excited about the upcoming renovations.
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going to be a whole new face to the store
and I think the customer experience is going
to be fresh and exciting.
“It’s going to be a great project for the
community,” Meissner added. “It’s going to
be a beautiful new store.”
Toyota has had a presence in the Fort
Pierce area for more than 50 years — all
in the same location at the south end of
town. Nick Smith, who helped his father,
Bev, make Bev Smith Ford of West Palm
Beach one of the top Ford dealerships in
the country, bought Fort Pierce Toyota in
1992. Three years later, he broke ground
on a new dealership that would receive
Toyota’s branded design.
Gonzalez was hired as general manager in
1997 and became a partner in Smith’s company
in 2001. They opened Bev Smith Kia in
2006 at 5655 South U.S. 1 in White City.
KIA GETTING MODERN LOOK
Plans call for the Kia dealership to
receive a completely new building once
the Toyota project is done, according
to Gonzalez.
“It’s going to be very modern,” he said.
“We’re going to expand the service area in
the back. And bring used-car sales across
U.S. 1 to the 10-acre property we own.”
Meissner confirmed ID Automotive will
be involved with the Kia project in a similar
role to that of the Toyota renovation.
“Probably in short order after we finish
the Toyota store, and even before the
Toyota store is done, we’ll be moving
down the street and doing some work on
the Kia site, too,” Meissner said.
“They’re really investing a lot into their
stores for the community and I think that’s
really great,” he added.
As for MH Williams Construction Group
being the general contractor for that job,
Hare said, “No final arrangements have
been made, but that is the intent of the
owner and MH Williams.”
Bev Smith Automotive Group has 150
employees at its Toyota dealership and 75
at the Kia location, according to Gonzalez.
Gonzalez says there are no plans to expand
the company’s presence in the area.
“We have a lot going on,” Gonzalez said.
“So, taking on another store is not in the
picture at the moment. Right now, we
want to make what we have better.”
JOE DESALVO
Bev Smith Kia, at 5655 South U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce, will be getting a new, more modern building after the
renovations at Bev Smith Toyota, farther north on U.S. 1, are completed.
/TCBusiness.com
