Former Manager Negotiates to Reopen Toyota of Duarte

DUARTE â€”  Toyota of Duarte, which shut its doors March 22 after being foreclosed by Tokai Credit Corp., will reopen under new ownership in the next couple of weeks, the dealership’s former manager said.

Tom Carroll, the former manager, said he is negotiating with Tokai to take over ownership and operate with the same 65 employees.

Former owner George Williams, who owned car dealerships in Santa Ana and Puente Hills that also closed recently, was forced to shut the Duarte business after creditors from his other dealerships filed suit against the Duarte operation, Carroll said. Williams could not be reached for comment last week.

Although Duarte officials abandoned their idea of an auto mall along Central Avenue after Duarte Nissan and other dealerships closed, Carroll said that the location is a good one and that the dealership has been profitable.