The National Marine Lenders Association (NMLA) was formed in 1979 by founding directors Bill Otto, Jackie Forese, and the late Don Mattocks.  It was created, and continues today, to educate current and prospective lenders in marine financing procedures, promote the extension of credit to consumer and trade borrowers, maintain alliances with industry partners, measure and report on the vitality of the marine lending market, and actively maintain networking and communication benefits for its members.

Lender Membership

Lender Membership in the NMLA includes financial institutions such as commercial banks, private financing firms, savings and loan companies, credit unions and retail service companies.  Members must extend or originate credit to consumers, retailers/dealers and manufacturers of recreational boats and equipment.  Many NMLA members provide marine retail and floor plan loans to clients and some also extend commercial or capital financing for marine businesses.

Associate Membership

Associate Membership is open to other segments of the marine industry including marine documentation services, marine recovery agents, marine insurance agents and carriers, marine surveyors, marine industry associations, marine finance software and value publications, admiralty attorneys, marine finance industry consultants, and others.

Core Value Propositions

The NMLA achieves benefits for its members through these five core value propositions of the association:

1. Annual Conference - The NMLA hosts a three-day member conference where the latest trends issues and issues relating to the marine industry are discussed in detail.
   
   
2. Marine Lender's Workshop - The annual workshop was designed to educate current and prospective lenders in most aspects of marine financing including underwriting, collateral valuation, lien perfection, collections, remarketing and much more.
   
   
3. Annual Statistical Report - Working through an independent research entity, the NMLA provides its members with a 100+ page in depth report detailing national marine retail & floor plan financing statics and trends unavailable to the public.
   
   
4. Website - Provides a state-of-the-art communication platform for all members.  The website delivers current and historical data, current industry news, member directory, events registration portal, and an e-commerce tool for dues and payment processing.
   
   
5. Public Advocacy - The NMLA legislative committee keeps members informed about pending issues and bills that could impact the marine finance industry, and takes a proactive role in protecting the interests of marine lenders.