V&K Achieves Federal HUBZone Recertification

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- Valentine & Kebartas, LLC (V&K), based in Lawrence, MA, today announced it achieved Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) recertification through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The HUBZone program helps small businesses in urban and rural communities gain preferential access to Federal procurement opportunities. The program was enacted into law as part of the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997.

V&K has decades of service to student loan creditors, including current service to one of the largest and best-known guaranty agencies in the higher education sector.  Operational and regulatory requirements of collection agencies working for guarantors are highly comparable to those on Federal contracts like the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Private Collection Agency (PCA) contracts, the largest single Federal client for collection agencies.

V&K is one of thirty-one (31) HUBZone-certified small businesses listed at www.sam.gov under the NAICS code for debt collection (561440) with the capacity to collect Federal student loans and act as a contact center to communicate with borrowers.

V&K management offers decades of experience in the industry, with strong emphasis on operations and compliance. The close-knit management team believes personal connections are key to leveraging its talented and knowledgeable agents to ensure top performance and results. 

Among other requirements, the Federal HUBZone program requires a firm’s principal office to be located within a Federal HUBZone, with no less than 35% of all employees residing in HUBZones.  V&K obtained the recertification to compete for opportunities to work as a subcontractor to PCAs.

Chief Operating Officer Scott Sweeney stated, “Our goal as a Certified HUBZone small business concern is to offer an experienced staff with a proven track record of delivering top performance and compliance to not only help clients meet their socio-economic quotas, but to enhance their results as a whole.”

V&K is a member of the Fed Cetera Network, an organization comprising dozens of pre-qualified companies PCAs can hire to meet subcontracting goals, including those in all specially-designated socioeconomic groups. “With most of the HUBZone-certified small business collection agencies among our members, it’s never been easier for PCAs to access so many highly-qualified HUBZone small businesses like V&K with a single phone call,” said Leah Wilson Conger of the Fed Cetera Network. “We will be responsive to PCA outreach in this important area.”

About V&K

V&K is a HUBZone-certified, privately-held national collection agency with its office located in Lawrence, Massachusetts. V&K handles outsourcing, primary, secondary and legal placements for a wide array of clients and for different receivables needs.  The firm employs roughly 150 representatives, with a majority of the business dedicated to higher education. The management team has an average of 22 years of industry experience. V&K is licensed and bonded to perform collection activities nationally. By building long-term relationships with their clients and providing excellent results, V&K provides security and peace of mind to their clients.