Howard Bentley Buick GMC, owned by Wayne Bentley and operated by General Manager Taylor Bentley Conner, was named Dealer of the Year by General Motors.
Earning this recognition for the ninth consecutive year, the Howard Bentley Buick GMC dealership earned the award for their outstanding performance in sales and their ability to provide an exceptional customer experience during 2023. The annual program honors the top 1% -- only 22 of GMC's 1700 dealers across the country.
"At Howard Bentley Buick GMC, our customers, employees and the local communities we serve are our biggest reward," said Wayne Bentley. "We are proud of the recognition and while we have evolved and grown, our unwavering commitment of providing service to exceed the customer's expectation never goes away. We've created a dealership experience that is much more than transactional, and this has really made a difference. Thank you to my daughter Taylor for heading everything up at the dealership and to the entire team for such devoted work every single day."
A third-generation, family-owned and operated dealership, Howard Bentley Buick GMC has experienced significant customer growth since 2015, attracting customers from across the country. The dealership sells vehicles from its more than 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, where it employs just over 100 people. In addition to being honored as GMC Dealer of the Year for nine consecutive years, the dealership has also been recognized for more than 20 years with the prestigious Buick and GMC Mark of Excellence awards.
"While there are many options when shopping for or servicing a vehicle, at Howard Bentley Buick GMC we focus on the small details that make the experience different," said Taylor Bentley Conner. "Our comprehensive blend of high-quality customer service, competitive online pricing, and a broad range of high-quality vehicles has propelled Howard Bentley's position as a leader among GM dealers nationwide. At the same time, we welcome customers like family, and it is so important for us to support the local community where we started."
Howard Bentley Buick GMC supports local communities through charitable giving, volunteerism and partnerships with organizations that share a vision for a better tomorrow. In 2023, the dealership donated more than $200,000 to more than 100 different local schools, community needs, local nonprofits and charities working on the front lines of poverty, education and health while helping drive the growth and prosperity of Albertville and surrounding areas.
Howard Bentley Buick GMC has been engrained in the communities it serves since its first dealership opening in Fayetteville, TN, nearly four decades ago by Howard Bentley, Wayne's father and a NASA alumnus. Wayne learned the family business from his father and mother through hands-on training. Upon acquiring the Albertville, AL, dealership in 1988, Wayne was joined by his wife, Kathy Bentley, who oversees finance and human resources.
Today, Wayne and Kathy's daughter, Taylor Bentley Conner, and her husband, General Sales Manager Jon Conner, lead the dealership's day-to-day operations and community programs with their young daughter following Taylor's footsteps as the new talent behind their three generation-long slogan and jingle: "It's always worth the drive to Howard Bentley Buick GMC, we save you money!"
