An Eagle Flies Over the Horizon - Editorial

GUEST EDITORIAL

It was a beautiful day in Houston Texas with a clear blue sky, temperature in the low 80s with a mild southerly breeze. I had my windows down and was earnestly looking for the agency lot. It had always been easy to spot with its security gate, cameras and a lot full of automobiles, trucks and “Yellow Iron”, bulldozers, skid steers and front-end loaders.

Had I missed the lot? Had I been daydreaming and gone past the facility. No… I checked an address and I was in the correct hundred block. Then I saw it and it hit me like a brick going through a plate glass window. My stomach churned, and I started to gasp for air. The lot was empty… nothing… nada… zero.

The owner had told me he had a surprise for me, but a completely empty lot was not what I had anticipated. The gate where I entered was usually shut and required a passcode to open it, this time it was wide open. The shop which was usually busy with employees inventorying personal property and doing condition reports looked like a ghost town with not a single soul around.

I parked and entered the office door, which usually required a person to “buzz you in” was open and the interior was dimly lit. The shelves which usually contained TFA, ARA, NFA and Allied Directories were bare. The shelves which had previously been full of years of photographs and mementos from various people and entities were empty. Boxes sat around the walls which were once covered with plaques commemorating past awards and achievements were now completely bare.

I instantly knew what the “big news” was… another agency was shutting its doors forever. Another person with many years’ experience in the recovery industry, with knowledge that far surpassed the “newcomers” was exiting this once thriving industry.

I was greeted by my longtime friend and I could utter but one word, “Why”.

My close friend of many years invited me to sit and as we both enjoyed a small glass of Jack Daniels, neat he began to explain the reasons he was making a smooth and quiet exit from the recovery industry.

He explained that he had worked many years to bring professionalism to an industry with a tarnished reputation, that he had strived to show clients how hard a professional recovery agent worked to locate and recover their collateral. How he had given of his time, his knowledge and his fortune to industry associations and had stood by the little guys with the small agencies and helped them in every way possible.

He then lowered his shoulders and eyes and went on to describe an industry brought to its knees by large lenders, forwarders and monopolistic groups who were interested not in quality service as much as lower rates, free storage, free delivery to the auctions, discounted key charges and anything else they could chisel the price down on. He spoke of his friends in the industry who he had shared so many good times with who now were reduced to working for pittance, gone out of business or had quietly passed away.

I could see the disappointment in his eyes and hear it in his voice as he spoke of how he had stood alone so many times, fighting for the individuals in the industry and their collective rights, and how in the end his efforts were to no avail as one by one the men and women he fought for moved to the other side and succumbed to the demands of the “Big Boys” who dictated fees and services. Men and women who no longer controlled their own businesses. I could see the pain of that in my dear friends eyes knowing there was nothing else he could do, “Alea lacta est” … the die is cast.

In visiting with my friend, I realized it was truly the end of an era. An end, in the asset recovery industry, to a business model where a person oversaw their own fate and their own future. It was the end of an era marked by pathfinders and visionaries and I knew his name could be added to the list of Icons, Leaders and Industry Giants such as Harvey Altes, Joe Scharlin, Jack Barnes, Burt Greenwood, Fred Stallworth, Barbara and Don Blanchette, Gerald Farese, Sheldon Goldfarb, Huey Mayronne, Don Thornton, Jack Kalman and Chuck Longobardi. To this list we now can add the name of the man who stood the ground, who goes down with dents in his shield and blood on his sword, MILLARD LAND.

Effective December 1, 2018, after 72 years of operation, Adjusters, Inc. has shut its doors. Millard Land, after serving this industry tirelessly since 1973, after striving to bring professionalism to the asset recovery industry is going to take a much-needed rest.

Millard plans on spending more time with his lovely wife, Cathey, travelling around the country and relaxing with his friends.

I have known Millard since 1982 and in that 36-year span, I have rode a few rivers with him, crossed a few mountains with him and shared a few glasses of outstanding scotch with him. The one thing that has always endured me to him was his loyalty, his loyalty to not only his family and friends but his loyalty to every person in the recovery industry. Man, woman, friend or foe… when the time came and you needed his help he was always there.

I formed a small group of 20 members of the recovery industry 9 years ago and we decided to call ourselves “EAGLE GROUP XX”, Millard Land, EGXX01, was the first person to step up and commit to the group, he made a commitment of his time, a commitment of his capitol and most importantly a commitment of his loyalty to the other members of the group. Since that day he has never faltered in those commitments and it with mixed emotions I accept his departure from the group. He has been named “Eagle Emeritus” and will always be a part of the Eagle Group XX Legacy.

I, as do the other members of our group and all of those he has touched through the years wish him well, we hate to see him depart but we are happy to see him enjoying life.

P.S. Those of us who know Millard are sure he is not going to a life of recluse and leisure, and we are sure we will encounter him many more times in the not too distant future… Until then he remains

“MI AMIGO SIEMPRE”