I was very pleased to learn that this past week a debt collector, Americollect of Manitowic, Wisc., won the Chamber of Commerce award for Large Business of the Year award.
Rarely do debt collectors get praised for anything, so this is notable right out of the gate. Upon closer examination, Americollect should not only be praised for running a successful business, but for running it in the right, “nice,” way.
Here’s what jumped out to me when I learned of Americollect and their CEO, Kenlyn Gretz:
- They call the people they are collecting from “customers.”
- They preach a win-win collection model.
- The company and employees donated to 52 non-profits last year.
- They have a A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
- They CEO attributes their growth the their quality personnel and corporate culture.
Americollect has been in business since 1964. This is obviously no accident. When you run a debt collection operation ethically, it can be both a profitable and honorable profession. Honorable because one of the “Wins” in Win-Win means that the customer gets a helping hand out of debt. This is a great thing for all concerned…including society at large.
Well done Kenlyn & Americollect!

















