The Interview: Brad Mason

IncredibleBank (IB): Brad, you’ve been in banking quite a while, but not your entire working career. What have you done and where were you doing it?

Brad Mason (BM): I began my career in banking in 1996 in Michigan at the same financial institution where I met Todd Nagel (President and CEO of IncredibleBank) and Jim Lahti (Executive Vice President of Business Banking at IncredibleBank). After that, I became a pharmaceutical representative for 12 years, and now I’ve been at IncredibleBank for over six years.

(IB): And what areas of financial services have you been involved in?

(BM): Actually, just about everything. I’ve managed a bank, been a personal banker, business banker, mortgage lender – you name it, I’ve done it.

(IB): And what about now, what is your current role at IncredibleBank?

(BM): I am a Specialty Lender with a focus on the luxury motor coach industry. So, people who are interested in purchasing a luxury RV will come to us to assist them with the financing. Now, to be clear, these are very high-end motor coaches that can cost as much as $2 million. Our team writes about 180 of these loans each year so we’re an incredibly busy bunch of people.

(IB): Those are expensive motor coaches, Brad. What types of people are purchasing these?

(BM): They are people that all have several characteristics in common. First, they’re all down-to-earth; they’re just very decent, hard-working people. Second, you’ll find that they are all self-made; they are business owners who, for the most part, did it on their own. And lastly, they are humble in spite of the fact that they are multi-millionaires.

(IB): Would it be accurate to say that IncredibleBank is the leader in motor coach lending?

(BM): Not exactly. It would be accurate to say that we are the leader in lending to high-end Prevost RVs. This is really the top-end of luxury.

(IB): And how do these luxury RV owners, or would be owners, find you?

(BM): Several ways. First of all, there are about five manufacturers in the U.S. of these types of vehicles. We have very close relationships with all of them, so when people order a luxury motor coach, they frequently ask who the premier lender is, and we are referred to the buyer. We also attend many motor coach rallies and shows. In fact, probably one every month, if not more.

(IB): Why are you the leader? Let’s face it, almost any bank could arrange a loan for a luxury motor coach.

(BM): It sounds simple but it’s not. Many loans begin with brokers shopping those loans around to a countless number of banks. We’re fast, very fast, often times finalizing the lending in 48 hours start-to-finish. We also operate seven days a week, days and evenings included. That’s a requirement because activity is heaviest on the weekends. Our service is unmatched; in fact, in all the years we’ve been doing this, we’ve never received a customer survey that wasn’t superior.

(IB): So what do you do when you’re not writing luxury motor coach loans, Brad?

(BM): Like a lot of people who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, I love the outdoors. Golfing, fishing, hunting…you name it. And, of course, I love spending time with my wife and three kids. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I love my work; for me, it’s never Monday morning – everyday is a great day.