DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. -

Southeast Toyota Distributors announced this week that five dealers in its region have been honored with the 2014 National Leadership Award for outstanding performance in the Toyota Rent a Car program.

A total of 56 dealers, overall, received the TRAC award. The Southeast Toyota dealers winning the award were:

Toyota of South Dade – Homestead, Fla.

Headquarter Toyota – Miami, Fla.

Arlington Toyota – Jacksonville, Fla.

Thomasville Toyota – Thomasville, Ga.

Scott Clark Toyota – Charlotte, N.C.

The program determines winners through a point-based criterion emphasizing such factors as training, fleet size and marketing.

“The Toyota Rent a Car National Leadership Award truly recognizes the best of the best dealers for our franchise,” said Tom DeLuise, TCUV and TRAC national manager. “These dealers have demonstrated their commitment to customer satisfaction and understand the importance of customer retention.

“Toyota would like to thank this Elite group of dealers that continue to help us grow our Rent a Car business and have emerged as our leaders as we move into the future,” he added.

Southeast Toyota plans to recognize the five award winners from its region with a personalized crystal award during a ceremony.

The Toyota.com/rental website will identify each store as a TRAC National Leadership Award recipient, as well. Additionally, each store’s TRAC manager and a guest receive an invite to a Toyota‐hosted appreciation award trip.

“We support 176 dealerships in the five-state region, representing 20 percent of the nation’s market share, and they all contribute to that success by maintaining Toyota’s highest standards of excellence,” said Ed Sheehy, president of Southeast Toyota Distributors. “We are especially honored to congratulate these five award recipients who have joined an elite group of Toyota dealers nationwide.

“They truly understand the importance of providing an exceptional customer experience and know the value in offering services like TRAC to promote brand loyalty.”

Last fall, Southeast Toyota hosted a media event in the Charlotte, N.C. suburbs to introduce the 2015 Toyota Camry. While there, Auto Remarketing talked with Southeast Toyota sales training manager Darlene Morgan about why hands-on training is so beneficial for those dealers. 

The complete list of 2014 TRAC National Leadership Award winners is below

Mossy Toyota in San Diego         

Toyota of San Bernardino in San Bernardino, Calif.

Hooman Toyota of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif.

Toyota Carlsbad in Carlsbad, Calif.

Toyota of Escondido in Escondido, Calif.

Freeman Toyota in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Toyota of Walnut Creek in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Piercey Toyota  in Milpitas, Calif.

Roseville Toyota in Roseville,  Calif.

Elk Grove Toyota in Elk Grove, Calif.

Beaverton Toyota-Scion in Beaverton, Ore.

Toyota of Bozeman in Bozeman, Mont.

Clint Newell Toyota in Roseburg, Ore.

Rodland Toyota in Everett Wash.

Heartland Toyota in Bremerton, Wash.

Dolan Toyota Scion in  Reno,  Nev.

Larry H. Miller Toyota Peoria in Peoria, Ariz.

Camelback Toyota in Phoenix              

Alexander Toyota in Yuma, Ariz.

Beaver Toyota of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, N.M.

Toyota of Stamford in Stamford, Conn.

Liberty Toyota in Burlington, N.J.

Westbury Toyota in Westbury, N.Y.

Interstate Toyota  in Airmont, N.Y.

Lia Toyota of Colonie in Schenectady, N.Y.

Prime Toyota in Saco, Maine

Down East Toyota in Brewer, Maine

Expressway Toyota in Dorchester, Mass.

Smart Toyota in Madison, Wisc.

Schaumburg Toyota in Schaumburg, Ill.

Toyota of Naperville in Naperville, Ill.

Continental Toyota in Hodgkins, Ill.      IL

Don Jacobs Toyota in Milwaukee

Sunnyside Toyota in North Olmsted, Ohio

Toyota Knoxville in Knoxville, Tenn.

Toyota of Murfreesboro in Murfreesboro, Tenn.    

Kerry Toyota in  Florence, Ky.

Chuck Hutton Toyota in Memphis, Tenn.

Toyota of Cool Springs in  Franklin, Tenn.

Reliable Toyota in Springfield, Mo.

Headquarter Toyota in Hialeah, Fla.

Thomasville Toyota in Thomasville, Ga.

Scott Clark's Toyota City/Scion in  Stallings, N.C.

South Dade Toyota in Homestead, Fla.

Arlington Toyota in Jacksonville, Fla.

Classic Toyota in Tyler, Texas

John O'Neil Johnson Toyota in Meridian, Miss.

Price LeBlanc Toyota in Baton Rouge, La.

Fowler Toyota of Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla.

Orr Toyota in Dallas   

Bennett Toyota in Allentown, Pa.  

Team Toyota of Glen Mills in Glen Mills, Pa.

Checkered Flag Toyota in Virginia Beach, Va.

Conicelli Toyota in Conshohocken, Pa.

Team Toyota in Langhorne, Pa.

Koons Tysons Toyota in Vienna, Va.