Remote Vans released a new video interview featuring CEO Daryn Hillhouse and newly appointed President Andrew Cooley, the cofounder of Storyteller Overland. The conversation marks the first time the two have publicly discussed their history as industry competitors, how Cooley came to join Remote Vans and where the company is headed over the next five years, Remote Vans said in a recent release.
For years, Hillhouse and Cooley built competing products in a small, tight-knit industry. Now they are working side by side, and the interview does not shy away from that history, Remote Vans said. The two discuss how they first met, what they genuinely thought of each other as competitors and the moment they decided to build something together instead of against each other.
“This industry is small enough that everyone knows everyone,” said Hillhouse. “Andrew and I spent years on opposite sides of it. Getting to sit down and talk about that honestly, and then talk about what we’re building now, felt important to do in the open.”
Cooley, who cofounded Storyteller Overland before stepping into the president role at Remote Vans, was equally direct about why he made the move.
“I’ve built vans a certain way for a long time,” said Cooley. “Joining Remote Vans wasn’t about leaving that behind. It was about finding the team and the product that actually matched what I believe buyers want and deserve.”
The interview also addresses what both leaders see as broken in the adventure van industry today and outlines Remote Vans’ plans to address it, including how the company intends to support its dealer network as it scales.
A companion video, a shorter solo interview with Cooley covering his background in the RV industry and his philosophy on building adventure vans, is also available.
Watch the video below or on Remote Vans’ YouTube channel.
