End Of An Era at Wesley Chapel Nissan!

Although Wesley Chapel Nissan wasn’t the first auto dealership to open on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel (that was Heritage, now Parks Ford), owner Jay Rosario and his team have certainly been among the most community-oriented auto dealerships in our area since it opened 15 years ago (in 2004).

In one of the more unique business transitions I’ve ever witnessed, the public was invited to watch Rosario and his entire management team (including my friend and Wesley Chapel Rotary Club member Troy Stevenson) on May 20 to hand the baton (and the keys to the dealership) off to Wesley Chapel Nissan’s new owners — the Morgan Auto Group.

CEO Brett Morgan (at left in photo below), known for his TV commercials with Tampa Bay Lightning star Tyler Johnson, brought along new Wesley Chapel Nissan general manager Paul Snedic (right) and the dealership’s new management team to the event, which was attended by at least 100 people, including Pasco County clerk and comptroller Dr. Paula O’Neil, as well as many members of the Wesley Chapel Rotary and the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. Stevenson and the dealership have played integral roles in both organizations.

Wesley Chapel Nissan has hosted Casino Nights for the Rotary and many events for the chamber, as well as several fund raisers for Dr. O’Neil’s “Clerks for a Cure.” She even hosted her book signing for the release of her book Fighting Cancer Like A Girl at WC Nissan.

O’Neil made a presentation of a plaque to Rosario and dubbed him an “Honorary Deputy Clerk” a month or so before she officially retires from her position.

“You have always stood with me, always supported me,” O’Neil (at right in right photo) told Rosario. “You’ve shown us what it means to be invested in a community. Wherever you go, know that we’re always on your side.”

But, the dealership’s internet sales director Crystal Enger (top right photo on next page) stole the show — and the hearts of everyone in attendance — when she gave Rosario a framed card with messages from every employee. The gift was nice, but many tears were shed when Crystal said, “You gave everyone a chance — whether it was somebody who had been sleeping in their car, whether it was someone who used to clean houses or someone who didn’t know where they were getting their next meal — you are the root of why we’re able to grow. We thank you for who you are, and for your heart.”

No, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place after that one. Rosario, who has won many awards for his business acumen, also is an Orange County Reserve Deputy who was one of the first on the scene after the Pulse Night Club shooting.

Of course, the Morgan Auto Group is one of the biggest in the state with 36 total dealerships, and certainly one of the biggest in the Tampa Bay area, with WC Nissan being the 12th under the Morgan umbrella (which also includes MINI of Wesley Chapel).

“We’re all local, we’re all right here in Tampa Bay,” Morgan said at the event of Snedic and the new Nissan management team. “And, the reality is, we do want to continue the relationships in this community.”

Neighborhood News Online Video Content Keeps Adding Viewers — And Sponsors!

If you’re somehow still not watching our ongoing online video content, you’re part of an ever-dwindling minority. Our team of videographers and video editors, led by Charmaine George, with Richard Nasrallah and Matt Tsvetkov, have been providing the residents and businesses of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel with a wide variety of videos, all with beautiful footage and outstanding editing.

And, there’s no doubt that businesses are starting to take notice and are getting on our video/online bandwagon.

Our very first video partner is Total Air Solutions, which was the first business to sign up with us (in April) for this new “subscription” program.

From the first video we posted on April 7 with Total Air’s sponsorship, the air conditioning company’s logo has appeared on eight videos in less than six weeks. Among those videos were:

1) the groundbreaking for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center (6,733 views, 11,204 FB reach & 262 engagements);

2) my interview with the owners of Smallcakes in Tampa Palms (12,153 views, 22,575 FB reach & nearly 1,000 engagements);

3) the groundbreaking for Pasco’s Performing Arts Center in Wesley Chapel (8,709 views, 12,223 FB reach & 950 engagements); 

4) Our most recent News Desk, about new openings on S.R. 56 and the Crystal LagoonsÂź amenity opening to the public (8,856 views, 14,461 FB reach & 1,925 engagements).

In just those four videos, Total Air Solutions’ logo has been viewed more than 36,000 times, reached more than 60,000 people, with more than 4,100 engagements — and that’s before Total Air’s Video Business Feature airs in early June! Not bad, right?

And now, our second video sponsor, Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam Edmonson, has had her logo sponsoring at least  four videos, with her best one being the opening of Chick-fil-A on S.R. 54 (above), which has had a Facebook reach of 18,198 and has been viewed more than 12,200 times.

Pam also sponsored our video about the groundbreaking for the Blue Heron Adult Living Facility in Seven Oaks (5,291 Facebook reach, 2,600 views) and not only sponsored, but also appeared in, our video about my “25 Years of Neighborhood News” celebration, which reached more than 5,700 people and had been viewed more than 3,200 times. For those three videos alone, Pam’s logo has been viewed more than 18,000 times and had reached nearly 30,000 people. Look for Pam’s upcoming Video Business Feature, which will be released in late-June.

However, Pam is currently only sponsoring our videos, which costs her business only $100 per month in addition to her print advertising cost, and includes that 2-3-minute-long Video Business Feature.  

Total Air, however, also has a “clickable” ad our website, NTNeighborhoodNews.com, which costs only $50 per month, on top of Total Air’s video sponsorship of $100 per month and the cost of Total Air’s print advertising.

And, there is value in sponsoring our website, too. Managing editor John Cotey posts different news items each day on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page, which get online readers to click through to our website at a fairly impressive rate. Our top posts over the last few months include “Chick-fil-A Sets a Date” (17,705 FB reach & 2,800 link clicks), “Cypress Creek Town Center Lands Three Restaurants” (16,886 FB reach & 2,457 link clicks) and “Sprouts/Hunter’s Lake” (12,913 FB reach & 2,077 link clicks). 

To sponsor our online and video content, call (813) 910-2575 or email me at ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com.