By JEFF WEISS Contributing Reporter Account Control Technology Inc. Canoga Park Fastest Growing Company $10 Million to $24.9 Million (45.9%) No. 7 Fastest Growing Company Overall Chances are if you’re reading this you don’t need to be reminded of the high cost of college tuition, with yearly fees almost akin to a small down payment on a house (at least out of state). Accordingly, the rise of triple digit college debts has increased the need for collection agencies, particularly ones acute to the sensitive nature of college loans. “We’re in a delicate business,” Dale Van Dellen, the CEO of Canoga Park-based collection agency, Account Control Technology Inc. readily admits. “We’re calling on the universities’ alumni and whether they owe money or not, they’re alumni and it’s important to treat them with a great deal of respect. More often than not, the former students don’t understand how they got so heavily in debt and how the expenses are accruing.” With institutions ever-reliant on alumni donations, the last thing they want is to raise the ire of someone who might one day pay for a dormitory. With that in mind, Van Dellen says that much of his business’ growth stems from their rigorous employee training and consistently high standards. “If get complaints, I lose the client. We never hire anyone with collection experience because sometimes they come in with bad habits,” Van Dellen said. “Collectors can be rude on the phone and I refuse to tolerate that kind of behavior. We constantly monitor our collectors calls and if they’re being mean on the phone, I immediately terminate them. They don’t get a second chance.” With such assiduous requirements, Van Dellen says it’s paramount to treat his employees well, constantly adding to his benefits package, offering health insure, dental care, flexible hours, frequent bonuses and employee parties. And it seems to have paid off, as the firm currently ranks seventh on the Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies list, with a 45.9 percent growth rate year over year, with revenues of 11.83 million in 2006. Currently working on his two to five year plan, Van Dellen expects a continued rapid growth. “Within two to three years, I expect us to double in size and by the end of the 5th year, we’ll go from 400 to 600 employees,” Van Dellen said. “We’re already looking for a new space.”
