A LEADING VEHICLE MANUFACTURER · PARTS DISTRIBUTION
Investing to Win in Mechanical Wholesale: How One OEM Unlocked Exponential Growth with RepairLink
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Overview
Repair shops make the aftermarket their first call for replacement parts 98% of the time — a reality that puts constant pressure on OEMs to make their mechanical (non-collision) parts programs easy to choose, easy to buy from, and worth staying loyal to. One leading vehicle manufacturer took on that challenge directly, reinvesting in RepairLink and OEC Wholesale Performance Coaching to relaunch and grow its wholesale parts business. Over roughly two years, the results were dramatic: 14 consecutive months of double-digit year-over-year growth, a 46% year-over-year increase in parts sales within a year of relaunch, and, by the end of 2023, the manufacturer had become the largest OEM on the RepairLink platform.
The Challenge
After two years of reduced investment in its RepairLink PMA program, the manufacturer's mechanical wholesale parts business had lost momentum. Competing against an aftermarket that repair shops default to nearly every time, the OEM needed a way to make its parts program more competitive, get dealers and field staff aligned around selling it, and re-engage the shops and parts buyers who had drifted away.
The Solution
The manufacturer relaunched its RepairLink PMA program in May 2023 and paired it with a structured, three-step approach to mechanical wholesale success.
Step 1: Establish a Competitive Parts Program Rooted in Buyer Behavior. The relaunch focused the program on what actually drives repair shop purchasing decisions, laying the foundation for a parts program built to compete with the aftermarket rather than simply exist alongside it.
Step 2: Implement Strategies to Educate and Empower Dealers & Field Staff. In June 2023, the manufacturer expanded its OEC Wholesale Performance Coaching pilot to five coaches, giving dealers and field staff the training and support needed to sell the program effectively. That investment paid off almost immediately — the expanded coaching effort helped drive 14 consecutive months of double-digit year-over-year growth. By April/May 2024, the coaching program had grown to eight coaches, and the manufacturer launched its first "cart promo" to further engage buyers at the point of purchase.
Step 3: Launch Shop-Facing Programs to Foster Loyalty & Engage Parts Buyers. In the first half of 2025, the manufacturer introduced a Gold/Silver/Bronze Dealer Incentive Program alongside a Wholesale Parts Accelerator initiative, giving dealers tiered incentives to compete for and giving parts buyers more reasons to stay loyal to the OEM's mechanical parts program.
The Results
- 46% year-over-year increase in parts sales, achieved by April — less than a year after the May 2023 relaunch
- 14 consecutive months of double-digit year-over-year growth following the June 2023 coaching expansion
- An all-time high sales mark reached in October 2024
- The manufacturer became the largest OEM on RepairLink by December 2023
- The first cart promo (May 2024) increased average cart value by $22
- A 23% year-over-year increase in a 2025 record-setting month
- Three of the first five months of 2025 set new mechanical parts sales records
- The 2025 Wholesale Parts Accelerator delivered a 24% year-over-year sales increase
- April 2025 saw 24% growth versus the prior year
Looking Ahead
With a competitive parts program, an empowered dealer and field staff network, and shop-facing loyalty initiatives now in place, the manufacturer has built a wholesale mechanical parts business positioned for continued growth — proving that sustained investment in the right platform and coaching can turn even entrenched aftermarket buying habits around.
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