Joseph Pucci,
President,
Meridian Equipment Finance

Meridian Equipment Finance is a relatively new entrant to the equipment leasing industry, having launched in May 2020; however, Joseph Pucci, the firm’s president, is no stranger to the sector, as he has spent 30 years at various firms across the marketplace.

One of Pucci’s strengths is the ability to build successful equipment finance companies, which is something he’s doing with Meridian Equipment Finance. According to Pucci, the firm has followed a “hockey stick” growth curve since it launched right in the heart of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and his outlook for the next few months is one fueled by optimism, primarily due to expectations for pent-up demand leading to more equipment purchases.

Meridian Equipment Finance, which is wholly-owned by Meridian Bank, has a client base that includes vendors, brokers and bank customers and it finances all essential-use equipment except titled vehicles. To Pucci, the company differentiates itself through its expert knowledge and strong team.

“We’re extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of equipment leasing and the markets we serve, and exceeding customer expectations is our primary goal. We really worked on our culture,” Pucci says. “Great things in business happen not by individual effort, but by a team effort that’s focused on a common mission, which we’re able to do at Meridian.”

Maintaining the strength of the team has been and will continue to be a priority for Pucci, especially since the entire company has worked fully remotely since day one. Despite this potential hurdle, the company gained market share because of its focus on establishing relationships with key business partners with a team approach. Meridian has been able to focus almost exclusively on new business development because it hasn’t had to manage a legacy portfolio during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to keeping team culture at top of mind, Meridian Equipment Finance is making a concerted effort to build out its vendor direct salesforce to complement its already robust third-party pipeline. As the firm’s sales team expands, Pucci wants to make sure the focus remains on building personal connections.