Jul 12, 2019 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Myles Weiss
This month’s Member Highlight is Myles Weiss, founder of Able Auto Adjusters. Able Auto Adjusters was founded in 1962 and is the longest continually operating repossession company in California.
Weiss attended the very first meeting where ARA began and has volunteered his time for more than thirty years, serving in every executive post, culminating with his election to the Presidency in 1979. Mr. Weiss continued to serve the Association and in 1999 was re-elected to the Presidency.
It is not only on the national scene that Mr. Weiss has lent his expertise, but on the state level as well. He is a founding member of the California Association of Licensed Repossessors, and after decades of service, was elected as their President in 1981.
Mr. Weiss’ commitment to the repossession industry has garnered him the distinction of being “one of the Fathers of the industry”. He continues to this day to readily offer his advice and expertise and is sought after as an expert witness in many situations.
It is this backbone that gives Able Auto Adjusters the ability to serve its clientele with superior service.
Mr. Weiss lives with his lovely wife of 62 years, Francine, in the home they built 50 years ago. He has three children, Marc, Suzanne and Danielle and is blessed with 9 grandchildren from age 5 to 33.
As Mr. Weiss is fond of saying; “Anyone can repossess a vehicle, it is the ability to locate the chattel for the client that makes you a true repossessor.”
This has truly become Able Auto Adjuster’s motto now that you have tried all the rest, try the best.
May 31, 2019 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Wesley Wood
This month, we want to highlight Wesley Wood, president and founder of Wesley Auto Recovery Inc. Under Wesley’s leadership, Wesley Auto Recovery Inc. has pursued for excellence and integrity in the industry for over 30 years.
Before he started his company servicing cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more, Wesley started out in the industry with just a coat hanger, a hot wire, and a ring of keys. How times have changed! Now, Wesley employs two of his three children, making his company a thriving family business that prides itself on providing outstanding customer service both in the office and out in the field.
When he’s not at work, you can find Wesley spending time down the shore, cruising around town with his wife of 37 years, Lorraine, in his classic Cadillac, or attending a local car show. We thank Wesley for his 40+ years of contributions to the industry and for being an outstanding member of ARA!
Apr 12, 2019 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Jeremy Cross
This month, we want to highlight Jeremy Cross, president of International Recovery Systems. Jeremy joined ARA this past February 2019 and currently lives in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Jeremy spends a lot of his time in the office continuing to grow his business, which provides a full range of repossession and remarketing-related services in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Their suite of services and outstanding attention to detail ensure that all clients will be handled in the most professional manner possible. Under Jeremy’s leadership, International Recovery Systems is projected to meet their 2019 goals and is on track to exceed their goals for the future.
Outside of the office, Jeremy enjoys spending time with his family. From football and lacrosse games to Girl Scout meetings, Jeremy stays busy being involved in his kid’s activities and spending time with his wife, who also stays busy by working as a nurse manager for a Veteran’s Hospital. Even with a new home being built, Jeremy stays well balanced and on top of it all.
We appreciate Jeremy for being active in ARA, before and after joining and look forward to hearing more good news from him in his life and business.
Mar 11, 2019 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Richard Frame
Richard & his family
This month, we want to highlight Richard (Dick) Frame, from Midland Recovery. Dick has been an ARA member since 2006 and currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina.
Dick came from the business world as a national sales manager before transitioning into the repossession industry. Though Dick has had many professional accomplishments, including serving on the ARA Board of Directors back in 2010, he states that his family and children are his proudest accomplishment to date. Dick currently has two children in college and one in high school.
Over the years, Dick has found that success in our industry correlates to professionals treating their businesses like businesses. He understands the impact of being an ARA member has for all industry professionals first-hand. His recommendation to others just starting out is to look at being profitable first and foremost, then set goals from there.
Dick has great insight into our industry and believes that communication is the key to success. Since every professional has differing experiences, it’s important to be open to the thoughts and viewpoints of others. You should also look for opportunities to learn from others mistakes and make changes from what has been shared with you. He also recommends that ARA members should accept and acknowledge that things in the industry are ever-changing – clients and personnel move around all the time – so it is important to stay in touch with other professionals in the industry.
While several reasons have kept Dick invested in ARA, the networking and communicating with like-minded people stand out to him the most. He’s been able to connect with so many different people across the country over the years, so he knows that ARA has something to offer to everyone.
Jan 13, 2019 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Dave Kennedy
While it might seem highly unusual for our “Member Highlight” to feature a sitting ARA President, we felt it was important to showcase how dedicated Dave has been to serving everyone. Not only has he committed countless hours and personal expense into continuing his education to better serve our association, but Dave has also taken a series of safety classes to improve the quality and diversity of our field agent training modules. There is no doubt that our training program is one of the best.
On top of all he is doing as our President, Dave spent considerable time playing Santa for various charitable organizations in his community. It is always heartwarming to see the pictures and hear the stories of how the children and families appreciate the way he keeps his wonderful Santa Claus figure all year. That is how committed Dave is!
We realize our members are facing challenging issues to their very existence. Our entire Board is dedicated to creating a better future for our entire industry, but Dave is working overtime behind the scenes to form new partnerships and find strategies that will directly benefit your bottom line. In fact, you will be receiving a series of emails outlining some of these plans over the next few weeks, and Dave has been instrumental in bringing them all to pass.
Dec 4, 2018 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Patrick Altes
This month we’d like to highlight Patrick J. Altes, the newest addition to the ARA Board of Directors, after our recent merger with Time Finance Adjusters. Patrick started in the repossession business in 1974, shortly after high school, as a part-time employee at his father’s repossession business. Initially, he had planned to get a “real job” after graduation, however, as many of us know, his dad, Harvey C. Altes, was quite a legend in the industry and Patrick was quickly drawn into the family business.
Patrick was able to pick up some of his father’s skills along the way and the father-son duo worked together working for some interesting non-repo-related clients on investigation and research, including nationally-known attorneys and celebrities. For many years they worked as researchers for CBS TV’s “48 Hours” TV show.
Over the years, Patrick developed the “international” aspect of his repossession agency, Falcon International while also working with Time Finance Adjusters, helping his sister, Nicki Merthe, with the management of that great organization. Patrick’s main role there was that of an industry advocate. He has been a writer, blogger, and point-of-contact for the mainstream media, to advocate for the professional repossessor and the worth and value of their services. Patrick has fought hard against practices, like contingent repossession work, which he believes to yield dangerous, unprofessional results that don’t best serve the lender, their proxies, or the consumer. After having done this for so many years with TFA, it is especially exciting for him to now partner with the “new” ARA in being a united, single voice for the industry.
In his free time, Patrick is a musician and worship leader at his church and has been involved with the music for over 27 years. Patrick still does photography and a little video production work and has been married to his favorite person, Sharon, for 37 years. They have 5 tremendous grandchildren. They work hard to be a big part of their lives, hopefully in a positive way. Patrick believes that will be his legacy, undoubtedly more enduring, and important than whatever else he has done or will do in the world.
With over 80 years of business and guardianship, Summs Skip and Collection Service, Inc. is now a
fourth generation company that operates under the trade name of Summs Skip and Collateral Solutions. As that fourth generation of the Summs family, Mark and Steve have been heavily involved in every aspect of this company to ensure the business continues to flourish. With a high family-focused work culture, they remain firmly grounded to their roots as a family business and are committed to the mission of providing safe, compliant, and innovative solutions for their clients in a consistently timely manner.
Summs Skip and Collateral Solutions wanted to share an upcoming work anniversary with their fellow ARA members. As the premiere skip tracer on their team, Pat Bivens is celebrating 54 years with Summs Skip and Collateral Solutions. Hired straight out of the Navy in her 20’s, Pat shows her dedication and love for the Summs Skip and Collateral Solutions family by driving over an hour to and from work every day.
Summs Skip and Collateral Solutions prove that hard work and a caring work-family make a great business.
Cardinal Recovery is highly active in the Garner, North Carolina community, giving back to local police agencies through annual donations to the Garner PD, as well as sponsoring a Raleigh-area recreational softball team.
Leroy himself is a member and trustee of his local chapter of the Knights of Columbus Council, a fraternal society that works with a variety of charitable organizations, including the Christian Refugee Relief Fund, Disaster Relief, Ultrasound Initiative, and Coats for Kids. He also chairs their annual golf tournament and works with their youth organization.
In addition to his role as president at Cardinal Recovery, Leroy also serves on both the NARS committee and the Public Relations committee. Leroy’s service to ARA and his community are an example to us all and we’re thankful to have members like him among our ranks.
Jun 7, 2018 •
ARA Member Spotlight •
Comments Off on Member Highlight: Karen Rogers
This month, we’d like to recognize Karen Rogers of A.R.B. of Louisiana Inc., Lafayette. Karen has been in the repossession business for over 19 years, serving as operations manager of A.R.B. of Lousisiana Inc. She has been a member of the American Recovery Association for three years.
Under her guidance, her staff has helped raise funds for Red Nose Nose Day 2018, an organization that works to end child poverty. Red Nose Day is a simple yet powerful, visible, and playful way to bring people together and break down barriers. It serves as a reminder of the power of laughter.
Because of people like Karen, Red Nose Day was able to raise more than $145 million dollars for their cause this year.
She was also a huge help at the NARS 2017 and 2018 live auctions and everyone in her office finds her a joy to work with. Thanks for being a great ARA member and inspiring all of us with your charitable works, Karen! We’re lucky to have you.
This month we’d like to recognize Marcelle Egley of ABA Recovery Service in San Diego. Marcelle has always been an active and vocal ARA member and now we’re proud to welcome her as our newest board member!
Two weeks ago at the ARA Convention, our members voted for her to serve on our board of directors and we are very excited to work with her.
Marcelle has proved herself time and time again to be a powerful force in the repossession industry. As the president of the California Association of Licensed Repossessors, Marcelle has fought for the repossessors in her state, including working hard to lobby against state legislation that would hurt California business owners and professionals. She has also been a huge help in planning the last several North American Repossessors Summits as a member of the NARS planning committee. We have no doubt she will be a valuable asset to our board!
While it might seem highly unusual for our “Member Highlight” to feature a sitting ARA President, we felt it was important to showcase how dedicated Dave has been to serving everyone. Not only has he committed countless hours and personal expense into continuing his education to better serve our association, but Dave has also taken a series of safety classes to improve the quality and diversity of our field agent training modules. There is no doubt that our training program is one of the best.
This month we want to highlight Mark and Steve Summs and their team at 
Cardinal Recovery is highly active in the Garner, North Carolina community, giving back to local police agencies through annual donations to the Garner PD, as well as sponsoring a Raleigh-area recreational softball team.
This month, we’d like to recognize Karen Rogers of 
This month we’d like to recognize Marcelle Egley of 
