Debt Buyer LHR Named a Top Employer in New York State

Hamburg, N.Y.-based debt buyer and collector LHR Inc. last week was named one of the 15 Best Companies to Work for in New York by the state’s Society for Human Resource Management.

“Since day one, our philosophy is that we would be different and offer a professional and career-oriented approach to the debt collection industry,” said Ron Brennan, recruiting and marketing director for LHR. “This honor validates that we are on the right track.”

LHR buys credit card debt directly from the 10 largest issuers, and also offers collection services in mortgages, student loans, utilities, telecom and other consumer debts. It has about 140 collectors and 190 employees, said Brennan.

Human resources are central to LHR’s approach, says Brennan.

LHR is headquartered in the renovated post office in relaxed, small-town Hamburg, and provides its staff with extensive training and state of the art contact center technology. The training stresses ethical business practices and the forming of one-on-one relationships with clients, consumers and other employees.

“We are willing to invest in high-end technology. That and the training come with costs but the investment pays off,” said Brennan.

Co-founders Wayne Lewis and David Hastie began the firm in 1996 in Hamburg, about 25 minutes from Buffalo. LHR also recently was named the 2007 Hamburg Business of the Year by the town’s chamber of commerce.