Press Release: J.J. Marshall develops “The Marshall Plan” for those that need help
May
14
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI – James Angelo, owner of J.J. Marshall and Associates, Inc., located oddly enough at 6060 Collection Drive in Shelby Township, has and continues to strive to change the face of debt collecting and how it is done.
Now in its 40th year of operation, Angelo, has developed something he calls “The Marshall Plan” which is an approach that is more about aiding debtors than targeting them. This new approach benefits business-to-business and business-to consumer companies alike. A key component to Angelo’s Marshall Plan is educating debtors, whether they be companies or individuals, so they do not become victim to the same credit cycle that got them in trouble to begin with.
Angelo credits J.J. Marshall’s success and growth to its unique approach to debt collecting which boasts a recovery rate that is twice that of the national average. The business was founded by Angelo’s two older brothers in 1975. A third brother joined in 1977, and James joined in 1986. He is now the sole owner of the business, having bought out his remaining brother in 2011.
From the company’s humble beginnings at a dining room table in an apartment in Warren, it moved to an office at Outer Drive and Van Dyke in Detroit, then to a bigger office in Royal Oak. In 2003 the company relocated to an 8,000 square foot office in Shelby Township and now has 21 staff members, all trained and accredited, and using The Marshall Plan to help debtors.
“It’s our belief that 95% of us want to do the right thing,” says Angelo. “We just happen to deal with that 5% that somehow make an error in accounting or they lose a job. We want to figure out what was the root cause of the non-repayment and work toward a solution. When we help businesses collect their debt it can help people stay employed.”
“We also believe that by serving more B2B customers we can literally stimulate the local economy, which is made up of many small and medium size businesses. These companies are often operating on slim margins to keep their doors open. Account receivables or delinquent accounts often get overlooked because it is not typically a core business function. We believe that those accounts help keep a company in the black and often help fund other projects like business expansion. If we can help keep a company’s debt ratio low, that stimulates our local economy and keeps our neighbors employed.”
“A recent example of how we help our customers is when we received a $23,000 collection file from a manufacturer. They had a client that was delinquent for an extended period of time on an invoice and they contacted us to collect. The manufacturer wanted a minimum amount on a monthly installment basis or wanted us to pursue payment in full.”
“We attempted to negotiate an installment with the debtor business and attempted to work on this without the cost of litigation because of the balance size. Initially we did recover payment for our client, but then the payments ceased coming in. We attempted to get payments to resume, but after several failed attempts our client was faced with letting it go or pursuing the balance legally.”
“A balance that size for a small business is significant and despite the cost of collection they figured something was better than nothing. And, since their customer relationship had been severed they wanted to be paid. An attorney was retained to represent the manufacturer and eventually the court ordered a money judgment in their favor. Once a judgment is received the options for collection recovery increase. Some of these actions include, but are not limited to, garnishment, personal property executions, and liens.”
“Eventually, full payment was negotiated for our client and fully satisfied. What we did to perfect this $23,000 collection file is not uncommon in our due diligence or preparatory investigation. We felt strongly that this file was collectible, but knew it would take some knowledge to negotiate it all the way.”
James Angelo earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. He has served two terms as president of the Michigan Association of Collection Agencies (MACA) and is currently a Delegate Officer. For more information about J.J. Marshall and Associates, Inc., The Marshall Plan, new debt collection strategies, B2B debt collection strategies, and interviews with James Angelo, please call 586-992-3200 or visit www.jjmarshallinc.com.
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