Hooksett, N.H. October 17, 2018: Merchants Fleet Management is pleased to announce three sales executives; Steve Merkel, Jake Brunner, and Jessica Bruning have joined the newly formed Southeast region. This team will work under the direction of the three Regional Vice Presidents who joined Merchants last month, industry veterans Bill Stueber, Dusty Cummins, and Mike Combs. Merkel, Brunner, and Burning will cover the Southeast area, helping corporate fleets meet their business needs with the extensive suite of solutions offered by Merchants.
“We’re excited to continue to build our presence in the Southeast and welcome these talented sales executives,” said Tom Coffey, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Merchants. “Steve, Jake and Jessica bring decades of superior customer service and fleet sales experience to the table. Their skillset will be a great asset to Merchants as we continue to expand our reach.”
Merkel has 20 years of sales and management experience in the fleet industry. Prior to joining Merchants, Merkel was Assistant Vice President for The Bancorp Commercial Fleet Leasing. He has a proven track record of finding operational efficiencies for companies and building long-term client partnerships. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“I’m excited that Steve has brought his extensive experience to the team at Merchants Fleet Management,” said Dusty Cummins, Regional Vice President for the Southeast region of Merchants. “I look forward to working with him to connect clients with the services Merchants has to offer.”
Brunner has over 15 years of outside sales experience and has been in the fleet industry since 2011. Prior to Merchants, Brunner was in sales at The Bancorp Bank. He also was the Regional Sales Manager for Union Leasing in Orlando, Florida, where he was responsible for generating new business and working with clients, and he was a top-performing Account Executive for Enterprise Fleet Management. Brunner received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida.
“Jake’s talent to effectively work with clients and bring on new business will be a great addition to our region,” said Mike Combs, Regional Vice President for the Southeast Region of Merchants. “His successful sales track record will be a strong asset.”
Bruning has over 15 years of relationship management and sales experience, most recently at The Bancorp Bank. She also was a top performing Account Manager at Enterprise Fleet Management. Bruning also was Director of Admissions at Wiley, where she worked on training, development, and recruitment. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Jessica’s extensive background in customer relationship management will be a great asset to the Merchants Southeast region, and I look forward to working with her,” said Bill Stueber, Regional Vice President for the Southeast Region of Merchants.
