Estimated read time: 6 minutes
How McDavid Honda built a nationwide parts empire
“I have the nation at my fingertips.”
That’s not Parts Manager Brent Elliott bragging—it’s just a cold, hard fact. And when your dealership has the largest Honda wholesale operation in the country, those fingertips turn into a powerful selling machine. But it wasn’t always that way.
Back in 2016, Brent and Franklin (Parts eCommerce Specialist) at McDavid Honda dipped their toes into online parts sales, pulling in a modest $2,400 their first month. Fast forward to 2024, and they’ve blown past $145,000 in monthly online sales. Not bad for “just selling parts,” right?
Here’s a fun fact: When CDK went down, a lot of dealerships threw their hands up and called it quits for the day. But not Brent and Franklin. They had a secret weapon: their eCommerce store powered by RevolutionParts. Instead of losing sales, they simply directed customers to place their orders online. This resulted in their biggest month ever.
“Everyone knows stuff happens,” Brent chuckled, “but you gotta have a net. RevolutionParts was ours.”
Turning crisis into opportunity
While other dealerships scratched their heads, Brent and Franklin kept selling, wholesale, retail, you name it. That online safety catches them when things go wrong, but even more importantly, it actively boosts their bottom line every single month by about $20,000 to $30,000 in pure profit. That’s money straight into the bank.
Brent humorously warned other Honda dealers considering eCommerce: “Don’t do it, it’s definitely not worth it.”
Their online store has become the turbocharged engine behind their growth, far from a side hustle. The team uses RevolutionParts’ bundling feature to turn standard parts sales into bigger, more profitable transactions. Let’s say someone orders a brake pad. With RevolutionParts bundles, they’re immediately shown compatible rotors, fluids, or even tools needed for the full job. Customers click once, buy more, get a great customer experience, and Brent increases his average order value. We call that a win-win-win.
Franklin loves the simplicity: “Before bundling, I was making custom listings manually. Now, RevolutionParts automatically bundles items, takes care of inventory updates, and saves me hours. That’s more time to tackle bigger projects.”
Shipping as a secret weapon
The online store is also turning shipping into a serious moneymaker. Brent explained, “We bring in around $20,000 monthly just from shipping fees, and our actual cost runs about $8,000. That extra cash covers our wholesale freight costs. Basically, eCommerce is subsidizing the rest of our business. Pretty clever, huh?”
Carving a niche by listing the hard-to-find
This dealership’s success comes down to strategic thinking, persistence, and some elbow grease. “We started listing all the weird, hard-to-find stuff other dealers avoided,” Brent said. “Color-coded parts, specific models, left-side-only pieces, you name it, we listed it. Turns out, being the only store offering a part for a 2012 Civic in Bali Blue Pearl pays off big.”
This strategy led to another huge advantage: becoming the go-to place for collision repair giants like Caliber, Gerber, and Crash Champions. When a collision center in California can’t find a back-ordered part, guess who they call? McDavid Honda Irving’s Parts Department. With a massive $2 million inventory at their fingertips, they’ve transformed their parts business into a go-to for customers far and wide. Brent sends them a quick RevolutionParts link, they place their wholesale-priced order, and boom: sale made, problem solved.
That relentless hustle is baked into their strategy. Every part listing, every order shipped, every customer email, it’s all part of a larger game plan. “We’re not just reacting to the market. We’re shaping it,” Brent said. That mindset is what keeps them ahead, even as the industry shifts beneath everyone else’s feet.
Customer service: the invisible sales tool
But the heart of their success lies deeper than smart bundling and profitable shipping. It’s about the fundamentals: consistency, customer service, and lightning-fast shipping.
Brent compared it to his local McDonald’s: “One location always greets me instantly; the one down the street leaves me hanging, making me wonder if anyone’s even there. Selling online is the same. Customers can’t see you, so immediate communication and speedy service are critical.”
Brent emphasized, “Our customers don’t have to guess what’s happening with their orders. We ensure clear communication every step of the way. That’s how you build trust and repeat business.”
Advice with a cheeky twist
So what advice do these online sales veterans give to dealerships on the fence about selling online?
“Honestly? If you’re a Honda dealer, don’t bother,” Brent joked again. But then he got serious:
“Look, this is the future. If you aren’t selling online, your customers will just buy parts somewhere else, probably from us. eCommerce isn’t optional anymore.”
And as economic worries swirl and tariffs fluctuate, Brent sees selling online as even more important: “If tariffs spike prices, your customers will shop even harder for the best deal. With RevolutionParts, we’re ready for that.”
Preparing for the future
Brent and Franklin are already looking ahead, continuously optimizing their online store and exploring new RevolutionParts features. They understand that staying on top means never resting on past successes. “We’re constantly tweaking, testing, and improving,” Franklin said. “It’s the only way to stay ahead of the competition.”
Brent added, “We have our eyes on even bigger milestones. With RevolutionParts, there’s really no limit to what we can achieve.”
From modest beginnings to dominating the market, Brent Elliott, Franklin, and their team have proved online parts sales are a powerful engine for growth and profit.
