On June 23, 2022, Dave Kennedy, President of the now 57-year-old American Recovery Association stepped down to make room for new blood. And that man is Vaughn Clemmons, a 37-year industry veteran who worked his way from the bottom to the top. While he has big shoes to fill, as you can read in my interview below, he comes with experience, fresh ideas and an enthusiasm more than big enough to fill them.
Meet Vaughn!
How long have you been in the repossession industry?
I was 20 years young when I repossessed my first car. Hint I’m 57-years-old.
Where, when and with who did you start working with and for?
1985 Repossessing cars for Dave Skinner at Bankers Motor Vehicle in Cleveland, Ohio. I was interviewed by Bev Codner, (I wore a suit to the interview she thought I was crazy.) I was put in the yard to practice and in a few days, I was in the field with my slide hammer, GM force tool, sucker tool, ford try out keys, and an array of screwdrivers.
I have worked for or with some of the greats in this industry. I ride the coat tails of the late Tom Viets, the late Jerry Wray, the late Bob Hodnett, Todd Hodnett, the late Jim Golden, the late Brad Long, and Brian Long. I have taken something from each of these men, these men are who I am today in some sort of fashion. GOD has blessed me to cross their paths and I am eternally grateful.
Is there a first repo story or incident that led you into it?
There is my very 1st repo on my own was a Buick LeSabre, parked in the drive. I successfully force tooled the ignition over and as I cranked it up, the alarm went off. Bullets hit the car as I peeled rubber speeding away. That was all it took for me to fall in love with the business.
What is your favorite or worst experience in the field?
For me, I was personally rewarded each night that I was able to come home unscathed and alive to my family in this very dangerous industry.
Now that I no longer go into the field, I’m rewarded each night my drivers make it home safe and unscathed to their families. GOD IS GOOD.
This is an odd and addictive industry. What keeps you in it?
It is an odd business, But I LOVE what I have done my entire life. I am 1st generation at this, my family works with me in the business, so this is essentially my life. What keeps me in is the challenge and the camaraderie gained over the years.
What makes you want to quit?
There is no quit in me. I believe each challenge presents a new opportunity. There is an old saying; “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” I also believe that challenges will force creativity to remain profitable and happy in this industry. I look for the good in everything FIRST, quitting is never an option!
What makes you optimistic about it?
I have always been a confident person. Part of my DNA is the glass is always almost full. Even when things are bad, I believe good things will happen. I also believe our industry is built on optimism.
We always believe it’s going to get better, even when fuel prices are out the roof, even when our recovery fees are almost identical to where they were 37 years ago, I’m optimistic that as we all come to understand that we can remain competitive in this industry without being enemies, our optimism will turn into unification.
Hobbies?
What’s a hobby? LOL! Although I love backgammon and reading a good book, my family is my hobby. My children are my legacy, and my 4 grandchildren are my joy.
A little about your company
ARB was founded by the late Brad Long over 6o years ago. His son, Brian, retired several years ago, and I along with my team have taken the reins of THE ARB here in Houston. The company is doing well considering the State of the country and the industry. We have 52 employees and operate out of one location on the South side of Houston.
The company has been blessed tremendously and we look forward to the blessing to come.
The ARA is now over 65 years old and has had many leaders. You are following up after Dave Kennedy, who I know worked long and often thanklessly for the industry. How do you plan to follow up on and build on this?
I have to agree, I have been walking in the shadow of Dave for the past year. He is a tremendous leader and friend. He has given part of his soul to this industry and this association. I am grateful to Dave and will continue to lean on him as I make this transition.
The next steps are huge. The ARA will build on Dave’s momentum. We plan to take calculated steps to improve not only what Dave and Les have started, but to trailblaze new opportunities to enhance our members financial gain, as well as promote the betterment of the entire collateral industry.
With Les stepping away and Joel Kennedy coming in, it appears as though the slate of the old guard will be somewhat wiped clean. With all due respect to their hard work, dedication and accomplishments, what do you believe you can improve on?
We are running the same race, just on a different leg. We have taken the baton and will run this race as hard as both Les and Dave did.
Our improvements will only add to the slate that Les has created for the ARA through his hard work and sacrifices. Joel is from a different space and it is my belief that his perspective will be a bit different than Les. However, the focus will remain the same, which is to focus on the ability of our membership to move from simply surviving, to thriving.
The ARA has developed a more collaborative relationship with lenders and forwarders over the past several years. Do you believe that this is fruitful and will improve the industry overall?
You know, we can only pray the season shifts for our industry. Years ago, the recovery industry had a myriad of opportunities to enhance the perception of our industry. However, many of us, (me included), were not quick to change how “we always did it”. That haphazard way of thinking led to the creation of the forwarder model.
I will say this, we all have to look for constant change within our industry, change for the best. I look at Blockbuster. They failed to remain innovative and… Redbox stepped in…It continues to change to this day.
I believe the forwarders are not going anywhere. We have to learn how to demand a pay that is fair and will advance our industry. To do this, some will need to learn how to say “no” and demand what will work for them.
Being hamstrung by the 1980 FTC lawsuit agreement from dictating fees, I understand there are lines that you cannot cross in discussing are suggesting fee standards, but how do you feel about contingent assignments?
Contingency was a good thing 30 plus years ago. Tom Viets had Contingency Auto Recovery that was able to thrive on the recoveries that others could not locate. The difference from then and now is, Tom and others controlled what they charged the lenders when the skip was recovered/located. Today contingency has almost imprisoned our industry and become the standard many have come to accept.
The narrative must shift to Industry Standards in such a way that any recovery agency, regardless of if they have 3 employees or 100, must understand that for anything to take traction, we must all first agree on the standard of what we will or will not accept.
Do you accept contingent assignments (I know, silly question)
ARB works contingent assignments.
In this great country of ours, we all have decisions to make. We either stand on principal and disappear or we stay in the fight remaining optimistic that change will one day come for our industry. Change in the forms of fair wages, a return of true control.
Change of the mindset that we are each other’s enemies in this space. And all that will change that if we unite.
Until then, ARB will remain selective on the forwarders we choose to work for, and firm on what our company needs to net after all expenses so that we remain profitable.
Would the ARA under your leadership, every refuse a lender or forwarder’s membership or renewal based upon unfair contract or pay conditions?
That is something we would have to sincerely discuss. As a board, we have to stand for something. As grievances from our membership comes in on any lender/forwarder that has refused to correct one of these issues, the ARA and its board will need to make firm decisions on who enters our space to protect our members.
With the scheduling conflict of NARS and the AFA/RSIG’s REPO2022 this year having caused some discourse amongst non-ARA agency owners; do you plan or have feelings about coordinating these events in a less conflicting manner going forward?
Although I was not a part of the planning of events this year, I am sure this was unintentional. The ARA leadership will always work with any group willing to work with us to minimize this from happening again. We have to remember that we can all coexist in this industry. On that note the ARA convention is on April 5, 2023, followed by NARS on April 6th-7th in beautiful Orlando Florida.
For years, no, decades, there has been discussion of unifying the ARA and the AFA. These have always been obstructed by bylaw issues, mostly that of lender/forwarder membership. Is this a course that you plan to continue and if so, how do you plan to overcome these obstacles?
My optimism……By Laws can be amended when agreed by our membership.
All parties must be willing to unite, Unity cannot be one-sided. The ARA cannot be expected to table its goals and direction of our organization to satisfy other entities. However, we will always be willing to sit at the table and discuss mutually benefiting terms.
This being such a fragmented industry, how do you plan to grow the ARA under a diminishing number of agencies?
That’s a great question, It will be tough. It is my belief there are more independent operators than there are members of any association or group. The ARA will look for ways to show these independent operators we have something to offer them that will benefit their companies. It will be a challenge and the leadership of the ARA is up to meeting this and any challenge head on.
On a personal note, I would like thank Vaughn for his time in answering my questions. I am sure he would love to hear from you all at some point. But for myself, I simply would like to say in closing, congratulations and I look forward to see what you bring to the industry.
Kevin
Meet the new ARA President, Vaughn Clemmons – American Recovery Association – ARA
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