Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Dallas, TX (July 25, 2013) – The North American Repossessors Summit (NARS), an industry event hosted by the American Recovery Association, Inc. (ARA), Allied Finance Adjusters (AFA) and Time Finance Adjusters (TFA), is proud to announce the call for speakers is now open for its sixth annual event, to be held March 20-22, 2014.NARS’s 2014 theme, Reclaim Your Industry, is focused on attendees unifying to Stand Together to Revive Industry Standards.The NARS 2014 Planning Committee is seeking speakers who can share their knowledge and experiences based on this theme with topics that will help attendees professionally and personally.
“This is a huge opportunity for industry professionals to join together and participate in such a monumental event,” said Patrick Altes, CEO of TFA. “We are pleased to be co-hosting NARS, and we anticipate this will be the best event thus far.”
The summit is focused on open and collaborative discussions to address and improve the industry. More than 600 attendees are expected to attend NARS 2014.
“Now more than ever, we need to unite and take back our industry,” said Mary Jane Hogan, ARA’s President. “This is a goal that we can accomplish and NARS is the perfect outlet to help us get moving in the right direction.”
Interested speakers should email their proposal tohomeoffice@americanrecoveryassn.org. Those proposals should include the speaker’s full name, company, email address, phone number, bio, headshot, previous speaking experience and proposed topic with a short, yet comprehensive description.
This past April, nearly 500 people in the recovery and remarketing industries, including collateral recovery professionals, clients and vendors from across the U.S. came together in Dallas to participate in NARS. Compliance was the hot topic and the featured speakers discussed the impacts of new compliance laws and focused on how to continue to be successful in this industry.
NARS 2014 planning committee members include industry leaders from ARA, AFA and TFA and California Association of Licensed Repossessors (CALR), Illinois Recovery Association (IRA), Florida Alliance of Certified Asset Recovery Specialists (FLACARS), Rocky Mountain State Association (RMSA), Collateral Recovery Industry Resource (CRIR) and Masterfiles.
About North American Repossessors SummitThe North American Repossessors Summit (NARS) is an annual 3-day conference for professionals in the recovery and remarketing industry from across the country to come together to address key issues impacting their industry and businesses. NARS provides an open and collaborative environment for all recovery industry professionals to address challenges and complexities in the industry and lay out the foundation for the future. The summit welcomes recovery specialists belonging to every type of professional organization and association across the country. For more information, visit www.reposumit.com.
Although we’ve sent numerous announcements with details of the program, I am still getting a lot of questions from members. I want to reiterate several points and to share a couple of new ones with you today.
First, the program will end August 13th. It will not be extended. After the deadline, you will still be able to become a NFA CO-OP member, if you meet the required criteria. However, it will be for the full amount, which is currently $5,000.
Second, under the current plan if you have invested any amount of money into the ARMS program, this amount will be deducted from the $2,500 you must pay to join the new NFA. ARA will match the $2,500 amount, giving you a net investment amount of $5,000. This will enable all owners, both new and old, to be in the CO-OP for the same $5,000 figure. Every CO-OP member has an equal say in how the CO-OP is managed, which includes the election of officers, as well as having input about what the bylaws say that the CO-OP operates under.
Third, I have been asked about clients and potential clients. NFA is handling accounts for several clients, including Wells Fargo Dealer Services. NFA is currently completing an RFP for a major client. Obviously, if NFA had every ARA member on board today the chances would be even better to win the business. I have had conversations with several clients that like what ARA is doing with our compliance education and training program, as well as the monitoring program we are working on. This will help our members gain direct business and it will really strengthen the opportunity for the new NFA and our members to receive quality work from clients that will not abandon the forwarding model.
Starting this week, NFA will offer its Co-Op members a full refund to those who request it, should the viability of NFA fall into question before or at the inaugural meeting of all NFA members to be held Saturday September 21st in Phoenix at the Embassy Suites following ARA’s 49th Annual Convention. The meeting will be held right after the annual ARA awards breakfast, in the same room. In the meeting, a decision will be made as to how NFA moves forward. It will be the first time for everyone to come together and make a commitment to each other that we have chosen a strategy of co-petition to begin the process of healing and of reviving our industry.
The latest discussion has been about the long-term viability of the facilitation model. I think it is excellent, but only if we, as an industry, get behind it and begin to pull together in one direction. One of the words Paul Kulas used at NARS and again recently on a LinkedIn blog is “co-petition.” I think of it in the NASCAR vernacular. As a team owner, I want my driver/car to win. But as a Ford, Chevrolet or Toyota partner, my second choice is for my brand to win should I not. Teams that compete every day share information amongst each other because they all get better. As an industry, all brands cooperate on many aspects of the sport because it makes the sport better. As the sport improves so does fan loyalty and money, which in the end benefits all of the teams.
I know this model works in our industry. Russ Dewitt and I did it for many years as fellow ARA members in the same city. When a client would comparison shop price, if I could not land them on the spot then I gave the client Russ’ phone number with the idea that I would rather him get the business and keep it in the ARA family than have it go to a non-association member. Also, I was positive Russ wasn’t going to cut his price just to take business from me because he knew I wasn’t cutting mine to take his.
Please take time to call and ask about what it takes to be involved. You can call me at 972-755-4755 (office) or 512-826-8525 (cell), or email me at les@americanrecoveryassn.org. You may also contact Darren Frame at 623-516-1018 or Darren@NFACoop.com.
We’re only two months away from ARA’s 49
th Annual Convention. Please help us prepare for another successful convention by registering your attendance
HERE.Join us September 19-21, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona for a weekend you don’t want to miss. Located in one of nation’s premier golfing destinations, the Embassy Suites Hotel Phoenix Scottsdale is a perfect place to play a round of golf. The challenging Stone Creek Golf Club is conveniently located at the hotel, giving you plenty of time to unwind after the convention. We’ve secured a group rate of $119 per night, so book your reservations today. The group rate expires Saturday, August 17, 2013.
This will be a very great year for ARA and we have some very exciting events lined up for you to enjoy. On Thursday, we will have speakers and clients joining us for important discussions. Friday, we will cover ARA business and hold elections, as well as our dinner and dance celebration that evening. On Saturday, we’ll close the convention with our awards breakfast.
See you in Phoenix!
The 2011 National Alliance of Buy Here, Pay Here Dealers (NABD) East Coast Conference is coming up on November 6–8, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. Because of our long-standing relationship with the NABD and our commitment to the Buy-Here, Pay-Here industry, they are offering our ARA members a discounted $100 day pass good for Sunday or Monday of the conference. You can download the coupon here. For more information about the conference, please visit their website: www.bhphinfo.com. (more…)
American Recovery Association, Inc. (ARA), the world’s largest association of recovery and remarketing professionals, gathered last month on August 18–20 for its 47th Annual Convention in Jersey City, NJ. The Annual Convention was a great time to catch up with our fellow members, welcome new members, learn from speakers, discuss association and industry issues and get re-energized for the next year. While many discussions continue, our focus is still maintaining the most professional recovery and remarketing agents in the industry and in industry unity. (more…)
The following ARA members and supporters were recently honored at our Annual Convention. Thank you for your dedication to ARA!
Dedicated Service: Brenda Allen
Key Award: Art Christensen
Bob Dempsey Award: Chris Dunleavy
Lorna Lou Barnes Award: Mary Jane Hogan
Special Recognition Award: Dawn Wellington & Kevin Armstrong
Rookie of the Year: Dick Frame
10 Year Member Pin: Joan Hudson, Kenny Lee, Brian Long
20 Year Member Pin & Plaque: Sam Corolla, Linda Mardock
30 Year Member Pin & Plaque: Bruce Schneider
40 Year Member Pin & Plaque: Art Christensen, Harry Forrest, Frosty Thomas
OPENLANE’s Repossessor Remarketer of the Year Award: Dick Frame
American Recovery Association Chooses Seasoned Professionals as Part of Its Best in Class Approach
DALLAS, December 14, 2010 – American Recovery Association, Inc. (ARA), the world’s largest association of recovery and remarketing professionals, today announced the industry leaders chosen to teach its new Collateral Recovery and Remarketing Accreditation Program, which launches on January 25, 2011 for lenders, ARA members and members’ employees. (more…)
