EAST HADDAM, Conn. -

Vets-Cars Group, a dealer association focused on promoting trust between select rooftops and military consumers, recently formed a partnership with a Virginia-based lender that has financed new and used vehicles for military and civilian consumers for more than 25 years.

The association is aligning with Coastal Credit, a lender that purchases contracts on a point of sale basis and acquires buy-here, pay-here loans through portfolio acquisitions.

Coastal Credit currently purchases contracts in Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington with plans to expand further into the West and Midwest.

The partnership is the concept of Ben Hensley, vice president of sales at Coastal and Sgt. Maj. Dave Francisco, director of Vets-Cars and retired from the U.S. Marine Corps.

“Our collaboration with Vets-Cars is unique and very exciting and will enable us to provide our dealer customers a powerful level of value and commitment and position us to better serve those who serve,” said Hensley, a U.S. Air Force veteran

Vets-Cars membership, which includes training on properly serving the military buyer, will be offered to all qualifying members of Coastal Credit’s dealer base.

And, Vets-Shield Command Care extended vehicle coverage, an exclusionary product administered by NAC, will be utilized as the preferred vehicle service contract on all auto loans made to enlisted military personnel.

As Francisco explained, “The Vets-Shield VSC Program was designed by me, Chris Walsh (managing partner for Vets-Cars Group) and fellow Marine Corps Sergeants Major.

“All of us had had experience with young Marines in our charge getting into trouble trying to buy a vehicle or getting talked into a service contract that was misrepresented and sold at an exorbitant price by some less-than-scrupulous dealer employee,” Francisco continued.

“With Vets-Shield, we are able to provide price-regulated, top quality exclusionary coverage that is administered by NAC, renowned for their integrity, professionalism and near flawless customer support within the automotive industry,” he went on to say.

Christina Schrank, vice president of marketing at NAC, added, “The concept of providing this level of start-to-finish services for military personnel — from quality vehicle to loan to extended coverage — is innovative, and we’re pleased to play an important role within this new partnership.”

Hensley wrapped up the partnership announcement with one more point.

“Our mission is, and always has been, to provide the highest level of service and quality of product to our dealers and their enlisted customers,” Hensley insisted. “This partnership will provide all involved new opportunities to grow and continue to do well by doing good.”