ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Priority One Financial Services announced Wednesday the retirement of Lisa Gladstone, company founder and president.

Gladstone began the company 22 years ago and revolutionized the industry by offering dealers the opportunity to generate F&I income without the financial burden of employing a full-time F&I manager. It didn’t take long for dealers to see the benefits and profit potential of outsourcing and the company grew exponentially.

In 2007, Priority One was acquired by Forest River, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the country’s largest RV manufacturers. The company now serves over 600 marine and RV dealers in 48 states.

Gladstone has named Heather Mariscal, vice president of operations, as her successor. “I have had the joy of working with her for several years and am impressed by the depth and speed at which she can approach any challenge,” said Gladstone. “These qualities alone might be enough for most, but add to that her intelligence and compassion and she is the perfect choice to lead Priority One.”

The company has recently expanded its operations to serve as a full-service business office for dealerships. With the addition of staff and new technology, Priority One is able to offer more services to its growing base of dealers.

“By helping dealerships with every sale, we are able to ensure that each customer who walks into their dealership ultimately takes delivery. We want to ensure that financing doesn’t become a roadblock and that our dealers have the opportunity to maximize their profits on every sale,” Mariscal said.

Recently the company has seen an increase in new accounts. “With these challenging lending times, dealers are looking to Priority One as their F&I expert,” said Mariscal. “They understand that lending relationships are vital to the success of their dealership and Priority One is able to ensure that these relationships flourish.”

While there have been many changes within the industry, “Priority One will continue to set the standards of excellence in our field providing total F&I solutions to our dealer partners in order to help them exceed their business goals,” she added.