2001 In Review…Normally at this point of the year I write a brief note thanking you for the business and wishing you good health. Two very good reasons to write, but with the events of 2001 a bit more reflection is in order.

As early as March, we could tell the economy was slowing. While we had an increase in volume of placements, collections slowed. That, plus all the talk of a new Bankruptcy Reform Act, businesses on the fence were flocking to the Bankruptcy Courts. Over the next several months, we received increased placements, followed by tougher collections, while Congress debated bankruptcy reform. Then, September 11th and the world changed.

Our systems have been shocked. Our belief in good and evil more clearly defined than any single event in our lives. At first business was not "Business As Usual." Checks stopped . . . placements stopped . . . bankruptcy legislature so close to passing, was pushed to the back burner due to more pressing issues.

But slowly we all have come back. While our economy is still shaky, our lives are back on course. We will expand our hiring in 2002 to meet your challenges for increased cash flow and collection representation. We are committed to not letting all the challenges brought on by change cause problems that influence the treatment of our clients in any way. We as a nation will recover because that's what we do. We lost many good people on September 11th and a touch of our innocence is gone, but our resolve has never been stronger. Our will to ethically and professionally accomplish all our goals has never been greater.

America is a great country because of our people, and we at Commercial Collection Corp. are proud to say, "I am an American!"

"There is a new girl at the bank, and she wouldn't cash your check at first," said Simple Simon, putting some money on the table. "That's what she gave me, all but thirty-five cents I spent on a book."

His mother gasped, checking the cash. "She won't stay long," she told the boy. "You've brought me back exactly twice as much as she should have given you."

Banks provide for such little mistakes, but that new teller had really made a mix-up. She'd paid out dollars for cents and cents for dollars!

What was the actual amount of the check?

ANSWER TO NOVEMBER BERNIE'S BRAINER I WOULD RING HOUSE NUMBER 1640.

We spend a great deal of time trying to find services that fit your needs. We have focus groups, brainstorming sessions and many discussions amongst ourselves asking the age-old question, "What New Services Can We Offer To Our Credit Granting Customers?" Most times we draw blanks, but recently a client in Denver, CO asked us, at almost the same time another client in Kensington, GA asked us, "Why can't you send your Letter Service Program to our Foreign Customers in their language?" We quickly researched the possibility and discovered a software package that translated our "Pay or Else" letters into French, German, Spanish and any other language our customers wanted. We then charged our usual low rates plus the postage difference to do the program. Remarkably, each of these two customers reported approximately 75% collection rate on these files. Seems we NOW have a new program to offer, which will successfully increase Foreign Collections.

We have been promising you a complete update when the new Bankruptcy Reform Act was enacted. After being close enough for a presidential veto, it appears the new legislation has fallen back to the bottom of their pile. New initiative related to home security, protection of our constitutional rights, ect. have dominated our Congress. I will continue to keep you informed through the 2002 session. While nothing is for sure, in the world of politics we expect a law next year.

Stay Tuned.