Chris Buehrle talks about how he has kept a family-centered philosophy in a company growing more than 25% a year.

In a span of only three years, National Asset Recovery Services grew its employee base from a few hundred to several thousand and increased its revenues by about 25% each year. During that growth period, Chris Buehrle, president and founder, managed to keep the company philosophy untainted. “We’ve kept our environment family- and team-centered rather than moving toward the typical employee-employer relationships,” he said.

Buehrle started the company in 1993, primarily as a debt collection agency. Around the time of National Asset’s growth spurt, Buehrle transformed the company from a debt collection agency to a business process outsourcing (BPO) company, which encompasses collections, customer service, inbound order taking, and some backroom functions. Congruent to transforming the company to a BPO, National Asset went near shore with a couple of facilities in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Panama City, Panama.

“We seem to be at the right size. In this industry, you’re either very small or very large. We’re one of the few mid-market companies that can deliver huge results. In other words, we can take on a client that immediately needs 300 seats while giving them the small-town attention they deserve that our larger competitors are too big for,” Buehrle said.

Building out
Buehrle attributes the company’s smooth growth transition not only to the management team, but also the teams that follow beneath them. “Our IT resources are always being challenged, finding new ways to keep us all connected and in the forefront. Our marketing team is well put together, bringing in the business it takes to expand at the rate we want.”

On June 1, National Asset will open a 500-seat call center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Congruent with the opening of its newest call center, the company made the switch to a new headquarters in St. Louis. “For every call center we open up, we expand our headquarters operations because we do everything centrally as far as accounting, HR, client services, and IT,” Buehrle said.

National Asset currently employs close to 1,000 in its Montego Bay facility, more than 1,200 in its Panama City facility, and 200 at its current Cape Girardeau facility. Buehrle hopes to have that number up to 400 this summer.

In addition to the build-out in Cape Girardeau, National Asset is developing the third floor of its four-story building at the Panama City facility. The new third floor will feature client suites, including groups of 150-seat offices, specific to clients. In other words, it’s a departure from traditional call centers, where there is typically one big open floor. “We noticed that with credit cards and security issues, clients would rather have their own space,” said the president. Each client will have his or her own space, security cameras, swipe card access, and reception desks.

“It’s a neat concept. We’re one of the few that have started doing this, but I’m sure everyone will catch up as soon as they can afford to,” Buehrle said. The Cape Girardeau facility will be constructed the same way, with one big call center floor and three individual suites. “Once you’re in and you’re established, finding ways to carve out space that’s unique to a client can sometimes be challenging, but when you get the ability to build out from the start, it makes it a lot easier.”

The call center in Cape Girardeau includes a daycare center, as well as an accredited preschool, so employees can bring their kids to the same place they work and know where they are. “Not only is it a preschool, but it’s also a lower cost alternative to any of the daycare centers they would typically take their children to,” said the president.

The facility will also have an exercise center, an Internet café, and an on-site deli. “It will be a great place to get quality meals while allowing our employees to maximize their break time. There are plenty of ancillary programs we offer to help our people; it’s not always just about pay. We foster the family-like environment through programs like these.”

Face to face
National Asset has relied on state-of-the-art technology to help it expand and keep ahead of the curve. The company recently switched its phone system from a basic leased-line phone system to one that uses IP technology. This has enabled the company to set up a desktop anywhere in the world. National Asset also upgraded its IT department to two core disaster-hardened locations that have the ability to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, and outages.

The company heavily relies on video conferencing technology to enable weekly management meetings. Twice a year, National Asset holds a three-day management session in which all managers from each of the sites get together to share best practices and discuss new ideas. “It’s expensive when you’re flying in 50 people, but it’s worth its weight in gold when you get face-to-face communication with your fellow managers. It strengthens our philosophy to keep a family-like environment,” Buehrle concluded.