Howard Bentley Buick GMC’s small-town charm is winning big

"It’s all thanks to our amazing team and new and repeat customers from across the country,” said Dealer Principal Taylor Bentley Conner. (3 min. read)

Author

Marcus Amick
April 29, 2025

Howard Bentley Buick GMC

Staying at the top of any dealer network for a decade isn’t easy. Doing it from a small town in Alabama? That’s something else.

The details: Yep, for the 10th consecutive year, Howard Bentley Buick GMC, the no. 1 GMC dealer in Alabama and a top 10 GMC dealer nationwide, has earned GM’s Dealer of the Year award for its exceptional performance in 2024—proving that it’s not the size of the market that defines a winner in auto retail; it’s the people.

  • Located in Albertville, Alabama—which has a population of less than 25,000—Howard Bentley Buick GMC draws customers from across the U.S. through its “Crystal Clear Pricing” strategy.

  • The third-generation, family-owned and operated dealership features a 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Albertville, with over 100 team members.

  • A scroll through Howard Bentley Buick GMC’s Google reviews—which features a 4.6 rating out of 1,718 posts—paints a vivid picture of how customers feel about the dealership.   

As one of the coveted MVPs of GM’s dealer body (our words, not GMs), Howard Bentley Buick GMC represents the top one percent, a class of only 22 dealers. Impressive, right? Even if you’re a GM competitor, you have to appreciate that kind of accomplishment in the business. 

"It’s a pleasure to work alongside some of the best dealers in the business in representing GMC. The dedication and enthusiasm that the Howard Bentley Buick GMC team puts into every day is key to building great relationships with our customers and earning their loyalty to the brand,” said Jaclyn McQuaid, Global Vice President of Buick and GMC.

Between the lines: Talk of “community outreach” is pretty standard in the world of dealerships. However, Howard Bentley Buick GMC appears to take it very seriously in Albertville and the surrounding area.    

  • In 2024, the dealership donated over $200,000 to over 100 different local schools, community needs, local nonprofits, and charities working on the front lines of poverty, education, and health.

  • Taylor Bentley Conner, the dealership’s first female dealer principal, was honored with the Citizen of the Year award from the Albertville Chamber of Commerce earlier this year for her community outreach.

“Celebrating our 10th consecutive GMC Dealer of the Year award from General Motors is an incredible milestone for us, and it’s all thanks to our amazing team and new and repeat customers from across the country,” added Taylor Bentley Conner, Dealer Principal of Howard Bentley Buick GMC.

Bottom line: Saying “winners win” sounds so cliché when referring to Howard Bentley Buick GMC’s 10-year run as GM’s Dealer of the Year. However, when you think about it—over the course of Tom Brady’s 23-year career and 7 Super Bowl rings in the NFL, the saying never grew old, which makes it fitting for the Albertville dealership as well.

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