Southeast Toyota Finance and World Omni Financial Corp. Celebrate 35 Years in the Automotive Finance Industry
Company marked milestone by donating more than $45,000 to local
charities
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Established in 1981 with only two associates, World Omni Financial Corp.
was the first captive auto finance company for an import carmaker in the
U.S.
Launched to support Toyota dealers in the southeast, World Omni’s growth
accelerated when it began operating as Southeast Toyota Finance. More
than 1,000 associates and 3 million contracts later, World Omni recently
celebrated 35 years of continued growth in an ever-changing and
competitive industry.
“We reflect on where World Omni began, as the very first captive finance
company for an import vehicle, and remember the many milestones we have
celebrated along the way,” said Dan Chait, president, World Omni
Financial Corp. “World Omni is now more focused and more disciplined
than ever. Being aligned with an amazing company like Toyota has
certainly contributed to our success, but we cannot overstate the
benefit of our dedicated and hard-working associates, some of whom have
been here since the beginning.”
After World Omni funded its first contract, it would take 20 years to
fund 1 million contracts. It would take eight more years to fund 2
million contracts and then only five years to reach 3 million contracts,
which was just accomplished during 2016.
Additional World Omni Milestones
-
World Omni completed its first vehicle lease contract with Toyota of
Hollywood during 1983. -
World Omni Commercial Fleet Department was established during 1986 to
finance and lease automobiles and equipment for fleet operators. -
World Omni’s Customer Service Center in Mobile, Ala. opened with 72
associates on July 18, 1991. -
During 1998, World Omni opened its National Customer Service Center in
St. Louis, Mo. to service accounts for third-party clients. -
CenterOne Financial Services, a new division of World Omni Financial
Corp., was formed during 2000 to accelerate the growth of third-party
servicing, focusing on prime-consumer loans and leases, as well as
commercial dealer loans. -
DataScan Technologies, an industry leading provider of wholesale loan
accounting and floorplan audit solutions, was fully acquired during
2003, the same year World Omni funded its 1 millionth contract. -
World Omni/CenterOne became the first automotive loan and lease
servicer to be awarded a STRONG servicer rating by Standard & Poor’s
during 2004. - World Omni funded its 2 millionth contract during 2011.
- DataScan acquired Launch Technologies and Field-Logic during 2013.
The Celebration
To commemorate the milestone anniversary, World Omni distributed a total
of $45,500 in donations to local organizations that provide services to
veterans.
A check on behalf of World Omni’s headquarters was presented to MISSION
UNITED in South Florida, which supports military veterans and their
families as they re-acclimate to civilian life. In Mobile, Ala. a
donation was made to Eagle’s Landing, a transitional housing
community for homeless veterans which is supported by Volunteers of
America Southeast. The St. Louis, Mo. location supported The Mission
Continues, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing together veterans and
innovative community organizations to create transformational change for
communities in need all across the country. Vets Connect, a
United Way program which helps homeless veterans get back on their feet,
is the beneficiary of funds in Alpharetta, Ga.
CLICK
HERE to download photos from the anniversary celebration at World
Omni’s headquarters in Deerfield Beach
About World Omni Financial Corp.
World
Omni Financial Corp., headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla.,
provides financial products and services to consumers, automotive
dealers and lenders. The company is currently assigned a long-term
issuer rating of BBB+ and a short-term rating of A-2 by S&P. Its primary
businesses include Southeast
Toyota Finance, offering automotive financial products to Toyota
dealerships supplied by Southeast Toyota Distributors; CenterOne
Financial Services, a provider of portfolio services designed to
improve the performance of client portfolios; and DataScan,
an industry leading provider of wholesale loan accounting and floorplan
audit solutions. World Omni is a subsidiary of JM
Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive corporation
ranked No. 21 on Forbes’ list of “America’s Largest Private
Companies.” JM Family is also ranked No. 66 by FORTUNE® as one of the
100 Best Companies to Work For®, its 18th consecutive year on the list.
Contacts
JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
Christie Caliendo, 954-363-6285
Christie.caliendo@jmfamily.com
or
Lauren
Fyke, 954-420-3279
Lauren.fyke@jmfamily.com
