#2 Fastest: Merchants Fleet | merchantsfleet.com
Three-Year Avg. Annual Growth: 84%
Founded: 1962
Rank on Private 100: 3
Headquarters: 14 Central Park Drive, Hooksett
President and CEO: Matt Dyer
Total Number of Employees: 496
Product/Service: Fleet management services
Hooksett-based Merchant’s Fleet has been on a growth track for several years in its quest to become one of the major fleet management compies in the country. The company crossed the threshold of $1 billion in gross sales in 2023. It also has $2.6 million in assets under management.
Now, after a global search, a new CEO is at the wheel. Matt Dyer came to the company with strong fleet-based experience, first at LeasePlan (in the UK, then America) and later at Wheels Inc.
“Matt has a significant history in the fleet management space,” says Michelle Dillman, vice president of strategic partnerships at Merchants Fleet.
Since stepping into the role in January, Dyer has brought with him a strong focus on customer service. “When I think about folks who are the champions of world class client service, he’s at the top of the list,” Dillman says. “He sees everything at the angle of the customer.”
In the years since COVID, customers expect a higher level of expertise and service, Dillman says. Merchants—with its 63-year history—can offer that. This year, amidst economic uncertainties and tariffs that impacted the auto industry, the knowledge base at Merchants became even more critical. “Our partners are looking to us as confidants, and to our industry experience to help them navigate an unprecedented time,” Dillman says.
One tool that’s helping navigate uncertainties is artificial intelligence. In fleet management, AI is used for predictive analytics, relying on historical data to try to forecast what the future may bring. That can inform decision making on everything from driver behavior to when a company should update their fleet vehicles, Dillman says.
While AI is a new technology, the company’s success is also built on an old-fashioned but tried-and-true principle: hiring the right people. Dillman has been with Merchants Fleet for 15 years, and says it’s not unusual to hear from people who have been with the company longer.
“It’s still a very family atmosphere after this many years, and we have a lot of longevity with our employees,” she says. “Our employees have been the heart and hustle that have made the difference.”
