Remarkable History

Our first corporate headquarters, training center and parts depot shown in 1971

In 1969, Gulf States Toyota brought the first Toyota vehicle to Houston, Texas. By 1972, the company had 35 associates and had sold 5,000 cars and trucks through 14 dealerships. GST also completed construction on its 33-acre processing site at the Port of Houston.

GST won the Triple Crown in 1979 by holding the #1 spot in import car, truck and combined import sales in the United States. By the year's end, 65,826 total vehicles had been sold.

In 1986, Gulf States Toyota completed and opened its Parts Distribution Center (PDC) near Sealy, Texas. Today, the PDC provides dedicated parts delivery to over 150 dealers, shipping nearly 100% of all orders every day.

A Toyota 4x4 arriving at the Port of Houston in 1979

By 1994, GST had broken the 100,000 mark in total vehicle sales. Having outgrown its processing center at the Port of Houston, GST opened its 80-acre Vehicle Processing Center on Houston's Northside. Served by rail and transport trucks, the facility employs over 600 associates.

With vehicle sales steadily increasing, GST outsold Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (Torrance, CA) in import car market share in 1998. With record sales in 2000, GST sold 11% of all Toyotas sold in the United States.

In 2003, GST helped name Houston's best sports and entertainment venue—the Toyota Center. Toyota broke ground on its 2,000-acre truck plant in San Antonio. The plant, which produces the all-new, full-size Tundra pickup, represents a $1.58 billion investment in the community. At year's end, GST recorded more than 149,000 total vehicles sold.

In 2005, GST was named the top private company in Houston

In 2005, Gulf States Toyota was named the #1 privately held company in Houston by the Houston Chronicle's Chronicle 100 list. GST was also listed at #40 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. By the end of the year, more than 185,000 vehicles were sold through 145 dealerships.

Production began at San Antonio's Texas truck plant in 2006. That same year, GST's Vehicle Processing Center expanded to 150 acres and GST sold 226,960 vehicles by the year's end.

Demand for Toyota vehicles continues to increase and GST commits to "a Toyota in every garage."