The following is a profile from the RV Industry Association‘s News & Insights report.
Marcus Palmer, the RV vertical commercial leader for Huntington Distribution Finance, is passionate about his work in the RV industry.
Born in Baltimore MD, Marcus spent most of his childhood in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area. Marcus eventually moved to Arizona and graduated from Arizona State University. He credits his mother and two brothers with providing a competitive but supportive environment which set him up for success. In his personal life, Marcus is a father of five and has eight grandchildren. He’s an avid lover of sports, particularly football, basketball and golf, and is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.
Marcus credits three major companies that played a huge part in his development. The first company was ConocoPhillips where he served as a supply chain manager, managing the flow of petroleum products through the Kinder Morgan pipeline for the Northern California terminals.
It was in this role Marcus learned that communication and responsiveness was key: “If at any time either of the two were not followed, there were huge repercussions as it related to the Northern California terminals in having enough or too many products to meet the area gas stations volume demands.”
The second company was General Electric (GE) where he served in various roles until he was promoted to RV Sales Support Specialist. It was during his time with GE that he was introduced to the RV industry and eventually became an Account Manager.
As Account Manager, Marcus was responsible for overseeing and maintaining RV dealership accounts and relationships while answering dealer’s questions related to their day-to-day operations. It was in the role as the RV Sales Support Specialist where 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 very excited to get promoted into the role of RV Sales Support Manager where I had the pleasure of working directly with Bob,” Marcus says. “I take great pride during that time because I learned a lot about the RV industry while working with him.”
After his time with GE, Marcus branched out into a leadership role with Huntington Distribution Finance, which was formally known as Twin City Financial Bank and acquired by Huntington Distribution Finance in 2020. The Huntington Distribution Finance team’s main objective is to seek and develop great working relationships with dealerships, OEMs, and associations in the RV marketplace.
Marcus adds: “The internal landscape of Huntington Distribution Finance consists of knowledgeable people in all aspects of Inventory Finance. That said, anyone that works directly with an Huntington Distribution Finance team member will be working with a tenured and knowledgeable person whose overall goal is to ensure all existing and future customers are given the highest level of customer service.”
In his current role as the RV Vertical Commercial Leader, Marcus oversees a sales team whose representatives are located across the United States and Canada. “The team cares and loves this industry just as much as I do,” he says. ” Their primary focus is on wholesale floor planning for RV dealers and OEMs. Simply put, dealers finance their inventory through Huntington Distribution Finance to hold on to cash for either future expansion, lot improvements, or other subjects that consists with running their business. When the dealer sells that inventory, they pay the unit off, and that concludes that transaction for the individual unit.”
He adds: “When the dealer wishes to add a replacement or looking to venture into a new line, the process starts again. So, our job is to keep exploring for more opportunities while maintaining the great relationships established with our existing customers. In today’s RV market space, there are a ton of lenders out there looking to do the same thing. It is our responsibility to prove why a dealer would want to trust and do business with our company.”
Additionally, Marcus serves as manufacturer liaison for Huntington Distribution Finance, which entails building and maintaining strong relationships with all RV manufacturer and association partners. “Right now, my main focus is to continue to make myself and my team even better in our current roles. 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.
Marcus also attends Association events, including RVs Move America Week. “I have always had great internal relationships with people in the Association, and I became more involved two years ago during RVs Move America Week,” he says. “That was a phenomenal experience for me. 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 what the industry has advocated for on Capitol Hill: “When you see an agenda going across the finish line, it’s even better. That means that your efforts are paying off.”
When reflecting on the RV industry and his role, Marcus expresses his enthusiasm and dedication. “I love what I’m doing, I love this industry and I love the people I get to work with,” he states. “I have had the privilege of working and developing lifetime relationships/friendships for over 20 years. It has created great memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.”
As he looks to the future, Marcus doesn’t see himself slowing down anytime soon. “I look forward to continuing to learn more about the history of RVs. Most of all, I get excited about traveling to different shows throughout the year. It gives me an opportunity to reconnect with people,” he reflects. “Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces and hearing their stories makes you enjoy the moment. Every show is like a family reunion.”
