Before getting down to business, Brett Morgan makes it clear: his dad, Larry Morgan, is the foundation of everything. Sitting side by side in Larry’s home office, with stunning views of the water in Belleair Bluffs, there’s an ease between the two — part camaraderie, part reverence, laden with love and respect for one another. “My dad gave me the opportunity, the mentorship, the values,” Brett says. “But he also gave me the space to become who I am.”
It’s a rare kind of story — a father and son who not only work together but thrive doing it. What started with one dealership, the Morgan Auto Group, is now Florida’s largest automotive group, and the 8th largest in the United States, encompassing more than 70 rooftops, over 8,000 employees and a current run rate of $11 billion in revenue. But beneath the impressive numbers is something more human: legacy, loyalty and love.
This isn’t a story about cars. It’s a story about fatherly love and devotion.
The Power of Family
Larry Morgan didn’t grow up around luxury cars or fancy neighborhoods. Raised in rural Missouri, on a farm, the son of a farmer and a schoolteacher, he learned the value of hard work and humility, early in life.
One of the stories he tells us may explain his drive to succeed. In high school, during a baseball game with a key rival, Larry struck out with the bases loaded. His father promptly packed up and left, leaving Larry to find his way home. His home was eight miles away. This served as a rather harsh, early lesson about the importance of winning.
Larry’s first jobs were working on the farm, milking cows and throwing hay. Later, he would reminisce about his first real entrepreneurial venture, selling fireworks roadside, to support his future college tuition. Truckers would often pull over in the middle of the night to purchase them, waking Larry with a bell. A strong work ethic was well ingrained even before his first day of college.
“I didn’t know growing up that we were poor,” Larry says with a smile, recalling his formative years. “We had a small house, and we lived very simply, but I had two wonderful parents who taught me to appreciate what I had. There was no entitlement.” He adds later that, until he was 12, his home had no indoor plumbing.
Following college, he rose through the ranks of Firestone Tire & Rubber company. Most every promotion found Larry the youngest to ever ascend to that position. After seven years, he departed Firestone to take the helm of Merchant’s Tire & Auto, in Virginia. He would grow the nine-store, family-owned, chain to over 137 service centers. Evidence of Larry’s penchant for business growth was taking shape.
When Brett was born, Larry was in the midst of building the Merchant’s organization. Brett recalls having a present father, despite him working long hours, six days a week.
“He was present when it mattered,” Brett says. “And even more than that, I always felt like I was watching someone who lived with purpose. He wasn’t just working for his own, personal benefit but also so others could find greater opportunity.”
Brett, reminiscent of examples of this family devotion, tears up as he recalls visiting his dad’s mother in Missouri. “My grandmother,’ he said, ‘she had a fruit bowl full of pill bottles, as she was very sickly late in life. I just remember visiting her as much as we could because it was important,” he recalls. “One night as she wept, I went into her bedroom and prayed with her to bring comfort.” Unknown to Brett, a proud father listened to the exchange from the next room, with love in his heart swelling. The retelling of the story brings the interview to a pause, as the emotional weight of the memory holds time in the present.
Larry eventually acquired Clearwater-based Don Olson Tire, in 1990, and relocated his family to Florida. He would later change the name of the business to Tires Plus, recognizing a potentially strong brand name from one of their many acquisitions.
In a little over 10 years, he built Tires Plus from 31 retail stores to over 600. After a surprise offer to sell that business came from Bridgestone, in 2000, Larry took the offer and attempted retirement. The family now jokes that retirement would become one of Larry’s greatest, and most successful, failures.
Brett graduated from the University of Richmond, in 2001, and began his own professional journey, working as an executive producer for an ABC news affiliate, in Virginia.
Their story as business partners hadn’t begun quite yet, but their bond had already been forged into something deeper: respect, shared values and an understanding that the Morgan name would mean more than just sales figures.
The Morgan Auto Story
Morgan Auto Group was officially established in 2004, when Larry purchased their first dealership, Toyota of Tampa Bay. At the time, the move raised eyebrows. Larry had spent decades building a proven track record in retail tire and auto service, but the dealership space came with new challenges – and also some similarities. Both were service-based businesses whose profitability was determined by exemplary customer service success.
“It was a risk,” Larry admits. “I believed there was a better way to do it — a more people-first approach.”
He brought with him a deep bench of operational experience and a reputation for leading with character. “At that time, I knew that I knew how to grow a business,” says Larry. But growing a dealership group would require new strategies, new relationships and eventually, a new generation.
Before Morgan Auto’s first acquisition, Larry would enter the dealer space as a minority investor, partnering with another Tampa dealer. After attending several lackluster sales meetings, Larry was motivated to get more involved. He also had begun weekly conversations to recruit his son. Shortly before the launch of Morgan Auto, Brett would join his father. He spent his first year as a car salesperson, in their then partner’s store.
Those first few years weren’t glamorous for Morgan Auto. The fledgling auto group focused its efforts on learning best practices, outperforming competitors and slow, and steady, growth through acquisitions that were made every year, or two.
And then the Great Recession hit. Car sales plummeted. Credit markets froze. For a young company like Morgan Auto Group, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
“We were just getting started and the world fell apart,” Brett says. “It was terrifying. But also, one of the most important learning experiences of my life.”
They huddled, strategized, reduced overhead and, ultimately, survived. Larry focused on keeping relationships intact with manufacturers and lenders. Brett worked the ground floor with management in the stores that were struggling the most.
“The key was communication,” Brett says. “We didn’t panic. We got to work.”
That early trial by fire bonded the two men in ways they couldn’t have anticipated. It also created a shared sense of purpose: to build a company that could weather storms of all kinds and still take care of its people.
Today, Morgan Auto Group represents 29 brands, including many luxury brands across Florida. Yet, their foundation remains personal.
“Every acquisition, every expansion, it’s not just a number on a spreadsheet,” Brett says. “It’s hard-working people making a bet on us. It’s people who need us to get it right.”
Larry agrees. “We never forget who we’re doing it for,” he says. “Our employees, our customers, our community. That’s why it matters.”
Engineered For Perfection
Working with family can be fraught with tension, but Brett and Larry have found a rhythm that works. At the core is trust — not blind faith, but mutual respect, earned over decades. They both describe it as “unspoken alignment.”
“There’s a lot of freedom in how we work,” Brett says. “We both know our lanes. He’s never hovered. He asks good questions. But he’s let me learn and lead on my own.”
When asked how they handle disagreements, both laugh.
“I probably test his patience more than he tests mine,” Brett jokes. “But I also know when to shut up and listen. And he knows when to let me try something new, even if it’s not what he would have done.”
For Larry, watching Brett grow into the CEO role has been one of the proudest parts of his life, he says. “He’s better at this than I was at his age,” Larry says. “And I tell him that. Not just as a father, but as someone who knows how hard this business can be.”
The two speak often throughout the day. Not because they must, but because they want to. Sometimes it’s business. Sometimes it’s family. Sometimes it’s just to share a win.
Their complementary styles are part of the company’s leadership DNA. Larry brings wisdom and vision. Brett brings energy and adaptability. Together, they make decisions rooted in the same value system: people first, profit second.
“We’ve never had a formal transition plan,” Larry says. “It just evolved. He earned it.”
Caring For Cars and Their Owners
The Morgan name isn’t just known for its dealerships — it’s also synonymous with giving back.
Larry recalls a story of when he learned that it isn’t charity, it’s helping one’s neighbor when help is needed. His parents “lent” him to a family friend, one summer. The family was suffering financially and an extra set of hands on their farm was what they needed to survive. It was Larry’s hands that worked, sunup to sundown, to put food on the table and that’s precisely when Larry learned that it’s not a handout – it’s a hand up.
Larry and Brett have each built reputations as community-minded leaders donating time, energy and financial support to causes ranging from youth mentorship and heart disease to educational equity and cultural initiatives.
Larry’s approach to philanthropy mirrors how he runs a business: with care, consistency and commitment.
“We never wanted to just write checks,” Larry says. “We wanted to be involved. To show up.”
For his efforts, often done quietly as possible, Larry was named “Mr. Clearwater,” in 2024, for his lifetime of community involvement and, just a few months later, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award for its Philanthropists of the Year program. He’s also a past “Time Magazine Dealer of the Year” honoree, as well as a member of three distinct Halls of Fame: The Tampa Bay Business HOF, the Tire Dealer HOF and, most recently, the Florida Auto Dealer HOF.
Brett has carried that philosophy forward, working to support the American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters and local schools and organizations focused on economic mobility and leadership development.
“Mentorship is huge for me,” Brett says. “When someone believes in you, everything changes. My dad was that person for me. Now I want to do that for others.” Another passion project for Brett includes his involvement on the board of directors for the Gasparilla Music Foundation.
That spirit of giving extends across the Morgan Auto Group network. Dealerships regularly organize food drives, volunteer days and fundraising events. Many stores have assisted in the building of Habitat for Humanity homes. It’s not about public relations, Brett says, it’s about culture.
“We want people to feel proud of where they work,” he says. “And part of that is knowing that we’re trying to make the world a little better, one action at a time.”
“We even have our own United Way,” Larry responds. He’s speaking about the Morgan Auto Helping Hand Fund, where employees in dire need can apply for a gift, a loan or a mix of both.
For Larry, it all comes back to gratitude. “We’ve been lucky,” he says. “And with that comes responsibility. We’re not just building a business, but also supporting the communities where we do business.”
Riding Shotgun
As Morgan Auto Group looks toward the future, father and son remain in lockstep about what comes next. Brett is firmly at the helm as CEO, pushing forward with modern technology, expanded markets and bold acquisitions. Larry remains fully active in the business as a trusted chairman and mentor, offering perspective and strategic counsel.
“I’m still involved,” Larry says. “But it’s Brett’s company to lead now. And I couldn’t be prouder of the way he’s doing it.”
Recent growth has included expansion into new geographic regions and growing partnerships with luxury brands. But the Morgans are just as focused on keeping their core culture intact — a task Brett takes seriously.
“Scale is only worth it if your people are growing with you,” Brett says. “Otherwise, you can lose who you are.” Both speak to how their pay plans don’t ebb and flow with success, they celebrate their people’s paycheck gains and love to see their earning power grow as their careers progress.
Brett spends a significant amount of time visiting stores, checking in with general managers and mentoring up-and-coming leaders. They even have their own in-house “Morgan University” to help support those that they see with potential, which includes a five-week, year-long “Morgan General Manager” program.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest,” he says. “We’re trying to be the best. And that means doing the right thing, every single day.”
As the industry shifts — toward electric vehicles, digital retail and AI-enabled customer service — Brett sees opportunity. But he also sees more responsibility.
“Change is inevitable,” he says. “What matters is staying true to who you are, while fully embracing the future.”
Larry agrees. And while his role is less hands-on now, his legacy continues in every decision Brett makes.
“If I could give advice to any parent building a business, it would be this,” Larry says. “Build it well. Build it with heart. And if your child wants to join you in that journey, let them lead when the time is right.”
He pauses, looking across the room at Brett with a glimmer in his eye. “It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
Brett nods. “I get to work with my hero. How many people can say that?”
“Success isn’t about the awards or the money,” he says. “It’s about building something meaningful and giving back to the community that’s given so much to me.”
What’s Under the Hood
Behind the scenes of Morgan Auto Group’s success are the women who’ve shaped the Morgans in quiet, yet powerful ways.
Larry speaks tenderly about his late first wife, Patricia — Brett’s mother — who passed away in 2021. “She was the glue in our family,” he says. “She kept us grounded. I wish she could see what Brett’s done today. She would be so proud of the man he’s becoming.” While they had been divorced for many years, Larry clearly still holds much respect for the mother of his children, Brett and twin sister, Lauren.
Larry found love again with his wife, Ernestine, or Ernie, whom Brett warmly refers to as family. “She’s a wonderful person,” Brett says. “She stepped into a hard situation, and she’s always been supportive — of my dad, of me, of our entire family. She makes holidays and celebrations effortless and comfortable for anyone and everyone. Our family gatherings often include a neighbor or two, a team-member or three and/or someone with nowhere else to go. All are always welcome here.”
Brett, now a father himself, says being a dad changed his perspective entirely. “There’s nothing more important than being present for Tegan,” he says. “You learn to stop and enjoy the little things, to be present. I try to bring that same mindset to work — to listen, to lead with heart. And to have that same attitude toward our team’s family obligations and desires. My dad and Ernie have made that possible for me, in so many cases.”
That grounding — from past, present and future — is part of what defines the Morgans. Success is something they chase together, but family is what keeps them grounded.
