(BIVN) – Big Island Toyota is being acquired by its long-time business partner. 

Servco Pacific Inc. has entered into an agreement to purchase Big Island Toyota, including its two locations in Hilo and Kona. 

On Friday, the Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources voted to consent to Big Island Toyota assigning its Hilo state land leases to Servco. 

A Department of Land and Natural Resources submittal described the transaction and provided maps showing the Hilo leases under land board consideration.

image from DLNR submittal

“This was a very difficult decision for our family,” Big Island Toyota’s Jan DeLuz told the land board during its meeting. “We are looking forward to Servco being a part of our community and carrying on what we’ve been doing for a long time.”

On Saturday, this news release was issued on the acquisition:

Servco Pacific Inc. has entered into an agreement to acquire Big Island Toyota, a dealership group with two locations on Hawaiʻi Island. Both the Big Island Toyota Hilo and Big Island Toyota Kona locations are included in the sale.

“The decision to sell Big Island Toyota was not an easy one,” said Jackie DeLuz, president of Big Island Toyota. “My siblings and I grew up in the business, but like many multi-generational family-owned companies, we do not have a family successor willing to continue the business. We feel confident that our team members and customers will be in good hands. Servco and Big Island Toyota are both family-owned businesses with a shared value of service – both toward our employees and the broader community. There is no better partner to carry on our legacy.”

Big Island Toyota has been in business for over 65 years and has been the number one dealership on Hawaiʻi Island since 1970. Under the vision of its three late founders – David S. DeLuz Sr., John Correira, and Tatsuo “Baldy” Higashi – the company has grown to 100+ team members committed to quality and service. Big Island Toyota and Servco have been long-time business partners since 1966.

“The Fukunaga family has been working alongside the DeLuz family and the rest of the Big Island Toyota team for nearly 60 years now,” said Mark Fukunaga, executive chair of the board at Servco Pacific Inc. “We are grateful, humbled, and look forward to welcoming Big Island Toyota to Team Servco.”

Servco was founded by Mark’s grandfather, Peter Fukunaga, in 1919 as a two-car garage in Waialua. It is now the largest private company in Hawaiʻi and the exclusive distributor of Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru vehicles in Hawaiʻi.

About Servco Pacific Inc.

Founded in 1919, Servco Pacific Inc. is Hawaii’s largest private company with operations in the mobility and musical instruments businesses.  

The company ranks among the top 20 automotive dealer groups in the U.S. with exclusive distributorships of Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru in Hawaii and is the largest Toyota dealer group in Australia. 

Servco’s musical instruments businesses include Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, the iconic global maker of Fender, Gretsch, Jackson, Squier, and EVH guitars, basses, and amplifiers, the Fender Play app, and Presonus, a leader in music technology solutions.  

Servco is an investor in mobility and music creation, including Hui Car Share, hydrogen-based mobility solutions, and Roland Corporation, manufacturer of electric keyboards, synthesizers, percussion and guitar amplifiers and sound effects.  

The company was recognized as a 2024 US Best Managed Company and one of the “Best Places to Work in Hawaii” for 20 consecutive years. For more information, visit www.servco.com. 

About Big Island Toyota

Established in 1962, Big Island Toyota has been a pillar in the automotive industry on the Big Island for over six decades, with locations in Hilo and Kona. Founded by lifelong friends David S. De Luz Sr., Tatsuo “Baldy” Higashi, and John Correira, the trio began their automotive careers in 1958 at Dave’s Wholesale Auto Exchange in Hilo.

By pioneering unique sales strategies and maintaining a focus on customer service, Big Island Toyota has consistently been the number one dealership on the Big Island in total unit sales since the early 1970s. This achievement is a testament to their resilience and adaptability in a dynamic market.

The company attributes their success to their dedicated team of 100-plus employees, who embody the core value of customer care by incorporating David S. De Luz Sr.’s philosophy of, “Take care of your customers, and the rest will come,” into their daily operations. For more information, visit www.bigislandtoyota.com.