Success Story: Bill Page Honda
Sales up 9% in a Flat Market
Sometimes the success — or very survival — of a company can hinge on one pivitol decision.
Bill Page Honda faced a pivitol decision such as this when the dealership, then a Pontiac franchise, decided to start selling Hondas in 1971. “At one point, Honda came in and said, ‘You’re going to have to make a decision: Honda or Pontiac’,” said Brian Kanyan, partner and CFO of the dealership. “Thank goodness Mr. Page made the right decision. Not only was it the right business decision, it was a fantastic life decision.”
Located in Falls Church, Virginia, William H. Page founded Bill Page Honda in 1950. In an area once considered “farm country”, the dealership faced some initial struggles getting customers in the door. “They had to work really hard to get people to come out to this area,” Kanyan said. “It took a great competitive spirit to get shoppers out into the country.”
That rural country landscape has changed around Bill Page Honda over the years. Falls Church is now considered part of the Washington D.C. Metro area and is filled with people from different countries and cultures — all with diverse needs. In an effort to grow and adapt to the area’s changing demographics, as well as the evolving automotive marketing landscape, the dealership needed to modernize. In 2014, Bill Page Honda demolished its original 1950’s building and constructed an all new state-of-the-art facility, allowing them to meet new challenges and take advantage of greater opportunities.
