Photo: Matthew Betz, founder of Ore Creek Fleet Consulting
By Fleet Management Weekly Staff
October 22, 2025
Technological developments have revitalized the fleet industry. Every year, new vendors spring up offering fleets innovative tools to enhance their operations. Although new technologies can be a boon to both fleets and the vendors that supply them, successfully connecting the two is not always easy. Many new vendors may excel in the engineering and technology side of operations, but struggle with networking and introducing their product to clients.
To help fleet suppliers successfully bring their products to market, automotive fleet expert Matthew Betz created his own consulting company. Ore Creek Fleet Consulting collaborates with new vendors to introduce them to fleets, represent them at industry events, and train them on building relationships within the fleet industry.
Instead of going it alone and approaching the insular fleet market from the outside, Ore Creek Fleet Consulting provides an insider’s view into the nuances of Fleet selling.
We spoke with Matthew Betz, founder of Ore Creek Fleet Consulting, to learn more about how his company is connecting new vendors with the fleets that need their solutions most.
Tell us about Ore Creek Fleet Consulting. What do you do, and how do you help fleets and fleet vendors?
Ore Creek Fleet Consulting is dedicated to assisting new providers seeking to enter the fleet market. Some are companies with innovative new technology solutions, and we want to ensure these technologies reach the fleet market as soon as possible. Others have time-tested solutions, but the companies themselves are new to the fleet market, so we help introduce them to it.
What advice would you offer to organizations seeking to enter the fleet vendor industry?
One of the most important things for new providers to understand is that they must be familiar with the market. Take new technology companies, for example. A provider may have skilled engineers and have conducted some research to see how the technology applies to fleets, but they often lack an understanding of the fleet market. There’s one company I’ve met with every week for several months now, and they still don’t fully understand how people think in the fleet industry.
Fleets are unique, and the marketplace is relatively closed. Anyone coming from outside the fleet industry with no insider experience might find it daunting to understand how fleets think and how decisions are made. I spend a lot of time helping them build a fleet-focused culture, so that when they approach the marketplace, they can think like fleets and respond to their needs.
Can you discuss the significance of networking within the fleet industry? What is the value of having someone such as yourself who can make introductions within the fleet industry?
Those in the fleet industry understand the importance of networking, but for a newcomer, it can be overwhelming. For instance, I’m working with a technology-based company that has all the proper technical answers, but they don’t know the right people to talk to. My role is to introduce them to a wide range of people and help them find networking opportunities at fleet events.
One interesting case involves my daughter’s company. Her name is Dr. Alison Betz, and she’s the VP of Business Development for ABA Technologies. Her story is unique because I started introducing her to Fleet when she was five, and she’s picked up a lot over the years.
More recently, as I began working with ABA Technologies to introduce them to the fleet market, I’ve worked to secure opportunities for her to meet potential customers, network, and speak at fleet events. Now she’ll joke that she’s more well-known in the fleet industry than I am.
Ultimately, it’s been a very successful effort for both her company and others, but it also highlights something important: every company has unique needs. My job is to help them develop the right networking strategy for their current market position.
Why should fleet managers be open to speaking with new vendors whom they might not know much about?
One of the most important things that I’ve learned in over 50 years in Fleet is the value of a fleet manager being open to new ideas, which often come from new vendors. ABA Technologies is a good example, as they address driver behavior, which many vendors claim to help change. But not everyone understands what driver behavior actually means. ABA Technologies employs 10 behavioral scientists with PhDs and 20 with master’s degrees. These are experts who can teach you a lot if you take the time to sit down with them. I would love to see more fleet professionals take advantage of those opportunities.
You never know what you might learn when you sit down and talk with a new vendor. It’s often something innovative that your boss later hears about and asks you to explain. I think it’s beneficial for one’s career and knowledge base to take the time to learn. Sometimes the best way to do that is simply by having a conversation with a provider.
