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Toby Hynes, 64, will retire as president of Gulf States Toyota Inc., effective June 30.
Dan Friedkin, chairman of Friedkin Group, the parent of Gulf States Toyota, is leading a search for an outsider to replace Hynes, Friedkin said in a statement. Daryl Kenningham will continue as Gulf States Toyota's senior vice president.
Gulf States Toyota, of Houston, is the privately held distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma, reported Automotive News.
It is one of only two independent distributors of Toyota vehicles in the United States. The other is Southeast Toyota Distributors, a unit of JM Family Enterprises Inc. of Deerfield Beach, Fla.
In 1999, Hynes replaced Earl Hesterberg as president of Gulf States Toyota. Before that, he worked at Ford Motor Co. for 30 years in a variety of sales, marketing and financial positions.
Hynes will remain on the board of Friedkin Group. Besides Gulf States Toyota, Friedkin Group owns such related companies as Gulf States Financial Services Inc., Gulf States Toyota Marketing Co., GST Transport Systems and Open Road Rent A Car.
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