GSM Bobby Yoxall
Bobby Yoxall the GSM and Pamela Templeton, Owner of the once dominant Ft. Myers Toyota made the gaff on January 24th 2009 when he wrote an add in the Fort Myers News Press designed to look like an actual news article. In the ad Yoxall and Templeton are quoted as saying that business is “Gosh Darn Good” at Ft. Myers Toyota and that they were now the most profitable dealer in the South Eastern United States as well as the Number One used car dealer in the entire country.
The problem is that they had just fired nearly 50 employees in order to cut back expenses, many of them with ten plus years of tenure at the South West Florida Dealer. Ft. Myers Toyota came to prominence in the mid 90’s with John Marazzi at the helm. The store was soon 6th in the nation and still holds the world record for used car sales in one month, 719 in August of 2006. John Marazzi went on to purchase a stake in Naples Nissan, now known as John Marazzi Nissan. Since Marazzi’s exit in April of 2008 the dealership has been in a free fall.
The heat was turned up last week when an all out blog campaign was launched by current and former employees for Yoxall and Templeton to retract the story. “Just tell the truth.” One staffer said “We know it’s good to optimistic, but when so many good and loyal employees have lost their jobs and so many more have had their pay cut, is it really fair to run around telling everyone that things are great here?”
Neither Yoxall or Templeton were available for comment at press time. We’ll keep you posted as events develop.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
