Gulf States Toyota

This review is of the PDC (Part Distribution Center).

The company has a strong history in the area and was once a reputable place to work. But with little emphasis on process improvements or any kind of innovation, it's fallen behind standard. Management is "out to lunch" and passively reacts to situations with no real concern or pride. They look at those working on the floor with disdain and are always trying to reinforce a sense of division and "otherness" between workers and themselves. The chain of management is nepotic; they all know one another from earlier in life and run the nights like a glorified clubhouse. 

Many of the tools made available are broken (cages, pallets, jacks, etc). You are expected to muddle through as well as you can regardless, without support. HR has repeatedly demonstrated a habit of manipulating the wording of company policies to validate their own agendas. The stability of operations is slowly disintegrating. During my employment, I watched as management's lack of foresight or coordination steadily eroded peoples pride in the company. They are moving away from a model of investment in their employees, instead embracing a spinning-door approach where people are hired, trained, and worked until they quit a year or so later. Rinse, wash, repeat. 

There are no practical avenues for advancement after being branded as a lowly "worker;" you will be judged for your position in the company. If you are simply looking for a job to pay bills, it could be worse. But avoid a floor position with this company if you want engagement in your work. respect from your managers, or have aspirations for the future.

The Meetings and Event position was in a fast paced department where projects changed frequently.  I learned to be even more flexible than I already was! It took fielding the balls as they came to you and juggling many balls at one time. You never knew what could come your way from one day to the next.  

The goal of the incentive trips was to create experiences for the attendees that they couldn't create themselves, even though most had the means to travel anywhere they wanted to go.  We always  kicked it up a notch and added an element of surprise.

Management was very supportive and allowed the associates to do what they do best every day. It was like a big family and everyone was on the same team. Great people to work with! Company values were taken very seriously.

The hardest part of the job was meeting the needs of the stakeholders at many different levels but that also made the challenge enjoyable!

In the Dealer Operations position I was the liaison to 70 Field Team associates.  This required providing communications to keep them in the loop, being the "go to" person when they needed something for their dealers, as well as some reporting.  My responsibilities were quite varied, from meeting planning to website training.



When I started working at GST it was a vibrant and enjoyable place to work.  I worked there for 10 years.  Hardly anyone of my old colleagues is still employed there.  They were systematically removed one by one.  I have never witnessed this many salaried associates being let go in my 27 years of experience.  It was down right personal.  I am not bitter, but relieved that I no longer have to partake in their undoing.  Three years ago there was a management change at the very top and that's when the unraveling began. We made millions and millions of dollars for this company, only to lose our jobs eventually.  Their modus operandi is to get as much out of you as possible, place you on a Performance Improvement Plan once they feel like they have to replace you and then ultimately let you go.  I worked 10 years of my life, basically 10 to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for this company.  Always putting their profits before anything happening in my life.  In the end, they said goodbye, without a severance package or compensation of any sort.  They ought to be ashamed of themselves for the way they end up treating their salaried associates.

Develop, manage, and achieve company sales and profit, goals for the retail stores
Develop a highly-engaged, winning team of retail sales Representatives and their direct
report of 13 dealership or retail store front operations. Enthusiastically train and educate sales
representatives on new promotions, products, and corporate initiatives to collaborate with
national retail partners to continuously improve sales, customer processes, and the relationship
between the sales representatives and the retailers core staff (retailer refers to dealer partners).
Assess individual and team performance and provide specific performance improvement
plans, as needed. Strategically achieve operating and store expense budgets by
translating high-level marketing plans into tactical action items for the team to execute.

Fun job at first 7 months, then closed my department down (would have retired in that department. bumped to another department. Horrible supervisors, older workers mean and try to throw you under the bus. Coming from another department, we had targets on our backs. kept reprimanding, suspending then  firing us 1 by 1.
lots of micro management. the jobs are easy, just repetitive. your constantly being rushed. good benefits. you couldn't plan a weekend with family, cause they tell you have mandatory ot. if you don't show up suspension or get fired. managers from hr to supervisors are mean. good place for high school graduates to figure themselves out.
got gift cards ever so often and lunches etc.gifts at Christmas and bonus at end of financial year.

this is a place for people who don't have a family life, who are single etc..

GST is a pleasant company governed by some C level leadership that are exceedingly conservative (aka not interested in or able to change).

Great work facilities and interesting work problems for a short while. They have maintained the same 3 revenue streams,  in the same geographical footprint with the same product vendor (Toyota) for 50 years.

No growth and no competition means no upward mobility without political shenanigans and no true desire to innovate angthing material.

Safe place to work for the tactical focused who get their enrichment outside of the job. Good pay and location. There used to be good perks, but those seem to be drying up - it's a cost out business.

Great opportunity for those that are motivated to used their talents. GST serves Toyota vehicles to 5 different states with sister enterprises that serve with transportation, warranty, financing, marketing, training and have a network of dealerships that support customers with their needs for a reliable vehicle.
Busy segment of the business that works long hours and provided professional installment of add on accessories to the vehicles. The enterprise offers re-qualification of quality of the vehicles and pre- inspections of most of the vehicle shipped. Customer satisfaction focused with the vision that everyone should own this quality product.

One of the best subjects to speak about with GSM/ GST is the people. The people are caring and show it regularly. Management has your success in mind and tries to help guide paths to further advancement and success. I would recommend GST to others!

When I came to GST I didn't have much in the way of fixed ops experience. I was taught quickly that the front of the house operates much differently than the back of the house for car dealers. The hardest part of the job was definitely gaining product knowledge to lead a team.  

Work/ life balance is good. There is never fire drills or last minute meetings. The company allows for full autonomy when traveling and using company funds. The also hold us fully accountable at the same time.

A typical day at work varied for me.  My tasks were as simple as maintaining associates documents to handling employee relations and productivity and so much more. However, I enjoyed the associates interaction.  There were times when they just needed someone to show them that their concerns were being answered and that HR was there as support in good and bad times. My coworkers and I got along well.  However, I felt as if management didn't support the concerns of all associates. The hardest part of the job was to prepare associates for lay offs or terminations.

I worked here for over three years and can say that it was the strangest organization to work for.  Their values that they were trying to portray in there handbook, were not the values implemented. The management was like a turn style and always changing. The hardest part of the job was trying to do your job, with the tools you had and not with what tools you needed. They didn't really seem to care. And the prescription insurance is not good here.  The doctor gives you a prescription and they will not fill it or after one, they will cut you off. I never seen a company trying to manage there employee's medicine.

Working at Gulf States Toyota: Company Overview and Reviews

Gulf States Toyota

Gulf States Toyota Ratings

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected