Fred Haas
Fred Haas
Fred Haas was born on Sunday, May 3, 1930, to Fred and Mattie Haas in Port Arthur, Texas. Both of Haas’s parents owned their own businesses; his father, Fred, a small automotive supply business while his mother, Mattie, owned Port Arthur’s Triangle Restaurant. He attended Port Arthur Jefferson High School, where his commitment to high school athletics earned his recognition as an All-State halfback.
After high school, Fred Haas attended the University of Houston, continuing his college football career. While attending college, Haas and friends began two insurance businesses.
Following college, Haas married JoAnn “MiMi” Leblanc. The couple had three children; Jeff, Mark, and Steve. During this time, a 22-year-old Haas also began his own business as a Maytag appliance dealer in Orange, Texas. At age 27, he purchased Stark Supply, a second appliance business in the Orange area. With an award-winning focus on sales and superior customer service, Fred Haas grew his appliance businesses to be among the most successful in the state before looking for his next business opportunity.
A friend recommended the automobile industry as his next business focus and Fred Haas began growing his automotive knowledge at Lou Williams Chevrolet in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a sales manager. Haas then turned his attention to the Houston automotive market, working at Gillman Pontiac for three years and becoming Pontiac’s number one selling salesperson in the United States before seeking a Toyota franchise of his own.
In 1970, Haas partnered with Tony Gullo and together, they opened Gullo-Haas Toyota. The business grew to be recognized as one of the most successful Toyota dealerships in the United States for over 20 years. His three sons followed him into the automotive business. Haas continued in the automotive industry for 63 years.
Fred Haas was a philanthropist. Among his most cherished causes to support were MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Houston, and the Fred Haas Scholarship Fund.
Fred Haas died Thursday, June 1, 2023, with services held in Houston, Texas, on Friday, Jun 9, 2025.
Fred Haas Auto Group
Fred Haas Auto Group comprises four Texas automotive dealerships: Fred Haas Toyota Country in Houston, Fred Haas Toyota World in Spring, Fred Haas Mazda in Houston, and Fred Haas Nissan in Tomball. Both Fred Haas Toyota World and Fred Haas Toyota Country have been perennial winners of the Toyota President’s Award, an honor bestowed for exceptional sales and customer service.[1].
As of November 2020, the Fred Haas Automotive Group employed over 700 team members.
Fred Haas Toyota World
Fred Haas Toyota World is the flagship store for Fred Haas Automotive Group, first opened as Gullo Haas Toyota in 1970 by business partners Fred Haas and Tony Gullo in Spring, Texas. Together, Gullo and Haas handled the majority of the necessary construction work themselves. Fifteen years after opening, Haas bought Gullo out of the business, changing the name to Fred Haas Toyota World.
Fred Haas’s son, Mark, serves as president of Fred Haas Toyota World. In 2021 and 2013, Fred Haas Toyota ranked Number 1 on the Houston Chronicle’s list of dealerships with the highest sales. In 2020, Fred Haas Toyota World earned the honor of being the Number 1 volume Toyota dealership in Texas for 17 years and the number 1 volume Toyota dealership in the world for 14 years. The year 2020 marked the 50th anniversary[2] of Fred Haas Toyota World’s opening.
Fred Haas Toyota Country
Fred Haas Toyota Country opened its doors in 2002 to better serve Toyota customers on the northwest side of the Houston area. It was the second Toyota dealership to join the Fred Haas Automotive Group. In 2015, Fred Haas Toyota Country earned its place among the Houston Chronicle’s annual report as one of the 100 companies in the Houston area, ranking among the top 25 Houston automotive dealerships[3]
Fred Haas Nissan
Fred Haas Nissan in Tomball, Texas, joined the Fred Haas Automotive Group in 2008. Since its opening, Fred Haas Nissan has earned a number of Nissan’s top dealership honors such as the Nissan Award of Excellence and the 2020 Nissan Global Award.
In 2019, Fred Haas Nissan donated $20,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center[4], in part due to the number of Haas family members who received treatment at the facility. Additionally, Fred Haas Nissan hosted an annual summer blood drive for MD Anderson.
Beyond their work with MD Anderson, Fred Haas Nissan participates and contributes to a number of community involvement programs in the Tomball, Texas area. Fred Haas Nissan supports local high schools with the purchase of student planners along with other school supplies for local students. They have also sponsored the Cinco de Mayo Festival and participated in fundraiser events for Boy Scouts. Other community events and programs Fred Haas Nissan has worked with or participated in include: the University of Houston athletic programs, Fiestas Patrias, local area sports programs, Tomball Holiday Parade, Tomball Night Parade, the Lions Club, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Jeff Haas Mazda
Jeff Haas purchased Jeff Haas Mazda in 1991. Under the Jeff Haas Mazda name, the Houston dealership underwent two remodels, then expanded to adjacent properties, leading to the 2019 announcement of the dealership’s relocation. Jeff Haas Mazda’s new facility is 60,000+ square feet and is the largest Mazda dealership in the United States. The facility houses a business development center, training room, and upgraded service department.
References
- ↑ Kaplan, David (May 22, 2005). "Like father, like 3 sons in selling automobiles". CHRON. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help); Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Fred Haas Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Dealership". www.autosuccessonline.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2025-10-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Chronicle, Houston (July 6, 2015). "Chron 100 names the top auto dealers in Houston". CHRON. Archived from the original
|archive-url=requires|url=(help) on|archive-url=requires|archive-date=(help). Missing or empty|url=(help) - ↑ "Fred Haas donates $20,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center". AP News. 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
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