Courtesy of GLMV Architecture
WICHITA — Brandon Steven and second cousin Mike Steven have started construction this week on a new 60,000-square-foot building to replace two existing buildings at Eddy’s Toyota of Wichita.
“This new building is going to be awesome,” Brandon Steven says.
This is the fourth store he’s built for dealerships here.
“It’s amazing how much you learn every time you build a new building.”
Steven says he took extensive notes while building the other buildings.
“So this building has about 10 years of notes of stuff that I would have done differently,” he says. “I’m excited to have what I’ll call my perfect building.”
There is an existing Eddy’s building and an old Chrysler building on East Kellogg that Steven has been using for a total of 31,000 square feet.
Those will come down in eight or nine months when Key Construction finishes the new building.
“Key’s been really, really good to work with,” Steven says. “They’re going to go fast, and I need speed here.”
He had to move 200 cars to a storage lot on Tuesday.
“We’re going to have a huge sale, probably the end of this month, to get rid of some of this inventory.”
GLMV Architecture is the architect on the project.
“They just have been so patient with me,” Steven says. “I don’t hear the word ‘can’t’ very well.”
Since becoming operating partner two years ago, Steven has more than doubled the number of technicians at the dealership and increased the number of assistant service managers from three to nine.
Part of the reason he needs more technicians now than ever is Toyota’s complimentary maintenance program for new cars.
Through Toyota Auto Care, customers receive services such as oil changes and tire rotations for two years after purchasing new vehicles. They have to have the work done at the dealership where they buy their vehicles.
“Our business is getting ready to just take a rocket ship,” Steven says.
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