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IRVING, Texas — Further piecing together of what's been a fractured repossession industry is what the leadership of the American Recovery Association hopes to accomplish during the second annual North American Repossessors Summit.

This year's version titled "The Future of the Recovery Industry: 2010 and Beyond," is open to any recovery agency whether they're members of the association or not.

The event that's scheduled for March 13 and 14 at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving, Texas, has several topics intended to inform agents of trends and spark dialogue, including:

—Economic Forecast from a Lender's Perspective.

—Client's View: Industry Needs and Outlook.

—How 21st Century Technologies Can Have a Positive Impact on Your Business.

—Data Insight: Using Analytics to Guide the Future of Your Business.

—License Plate Recognition Technology Best Practices From a User's Perspective.

"We took ideas that guys should know as they're running a professional business and let's help each other be successful where we can," explained ARA executive director Les McCook.

"I think when you do the first one (conference) the first time, you realize what you want to emphasize," McCook continued. "I think that's why these subjects were chosen. I wanted to dedicate a little more time to them and try to bring more people from other places, rather than just our own organizations to talk about them."

The keynote address will be given by Thomas Dundon, chief executive officer of Santander Consumer USA, a company that provides full-spectrum auto lead and lending programs on direct and indirect platforms.

Also making presentation during the event will be Ken Shilson, founder of the National Alliance of Buy-Here, Pay-Here Dealers and president of Subprime Analytics. Shilson will be sharing his organizations' independent scorecard about performance trends and other metrics regarding repossessions and recovery agencies.

Summit attendees will have a chance to win several raffle prizes — including a tow bed from Dynamic and a license plate recognition camera kit donated by ARA.

The cost of the event is $95 per person. The association pointed out that all net proceeds will be donated to the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund maintained by RSIG.

"Message of industry unity — that's my number one goal. This industry can be united and there's value in it," McCook stressed.

"Working with the clients, there are two sides to this industry. The agents can't address or fix issues alone. They need to know the concerns from the other side. It takes two. There are reasons to work together to make things better," he concluded.

To register or learn more details, visit www.reposummit.com.