EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a News & Insights report by the RV Industry Association (RVIA).
Marcus Palmer, the RV Vertical Commercial Leader for Huntington Distribution Finance, is passionate about his work in the RV world.
Originally from Baltimore, MD, Marcus grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. He credits his mother and brothers with providing a supportive environment that helped him achieve a successful life and career. In his personal life, Marcus is an avid lover of sports, particularly basketball and golf, and is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
So far, Marcus’s career path has included three major companies; he spent six years as a supply chain manager for ConocoPhillips before moving to Arizona to work at General Electric. This served as his introduction to the RV industry. “I worked on some supply chain matters there, but then I transferred over into the RV portion of the company, where I became an account manager,” he explains.
As Account Manager, Marcus was responsible for overseeing RV dealerships, collecting interest and curtailments, and answering any of his dealer’s questions. His role also meant that he formed industry connections with individuals such as Bob Parish, the Vice President of Global Accounts for Wells Fargo Capital Finance and the RV Industry Association’s former Board Chair.
“I was lucky enough to get promoted into the role of RV Sales Support Manager and I had the pleasure of working with Bob,” Marcus says. “And I take a lot of pride in that because I learned a lot from him in this role.”
After spending seven years with General Electric, Marcus branched out to Huntington Distribution Finance. (The establishment was originally known as Twin City Financial Bank before it was acquired by Huntington Distribution in 2020.) In his current role as RV Vertical Commercial Leader, Marcus oversees a sales team whose representatives are located across the United States and Canada.
“Our role is to go out and develop great relationships with the RV dealerships with the overall intentions of getting them to floor plan with Huntington Distribution Finance,” he explains. “Basically, we focus on wholesale floor planning, which includes dealer size and inventory. They finance their inventory through us when they sell an inventory or a unit. They pay us, and then that concludes that transaction. So, our job is to keep finding more work opportunities— we have other lenders that are out there, and we’re responsible for proving why a dealer would want to do business with our company.”
Additionally, Marcus serves as manufacturer liaison for Huntington Distribution Finance, which entails building and maintaining strong relationships with all the manufacturer partners.
“I’m focused on making myself and my team even better in our current roles. That’s my concentration right now,” he says, adding: “Huntington has a great dealer base. We appreciate the relationships and the trust that they’ve given us in their business, and we want to expand on that. We know that there’s still more people that we need to connect with and have them believe in us. And that’s our focus.”
In addition to Marcus’s responsibilities at Huntington, he is also involved with the RV Industry Association. He is a member of the Financial Services Committee and is always looking for more ways to be involved in the organization.
He also attends Association events, including RVs Move America Week: “I’ve always had internal relationships with people in the Association, but I became more involved two years ago during RVs Move America Week. That was a phenomenal experience. It’s important to be proud of what you do and the industry that you’re in. And it was nice to sit in front of Members of Congress to explain our roles and advocate for this long-standing industry that’s been around for over 100 years.”
With that in mind, Marcus adds that it’s especially satisfying when legislation passes that the industry had advocated for on Capitol Hill: “When you see it going across the finish line, it’s even better. That means that your efforts are definitely paying off.”
When reflecting on the RV industry and his role, Marcus expresses his enthusiasm and dedication. “I love what I’m doing,” he says. “I love this industry, and I love the people in this industry. I’ve learned about the history of RVing and I get excited about shows. I look forward to the travel, because it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with people. Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces and hearing their stories makes you enjoy the moment. Every show is like a family reunion.”
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