Mark Davitt

Everyone in business knows that a government contract can result in sweet, sweet returns for a company. Any company. The ARM industry certainly has its share of lucrative government work, but the Department of Education collection contract is the big one out there.

We thought it would be interesting to explore what happens to companies that are awarded a spot on the contract. ED has two layers to its contract: a small business set aside and an unrestricted contract. So we contacted an agency that was entirely new to the contract and one that had been elevated from small business to unrestricted.

Mark Davitt is the CEO of Continental Service Group, Inc. (ConServe), the leader on the current small business contract that was elevated to the unrestricted category when ED renewed the list earlier this year (“ED Announces Debt Collection Contract Winners in Unrestricted Category,” Jan. 9). He gave us valuable insight into what his company has had to do since the announcement and the challenges it faces in competing against major industry players like NCO Group (“A Government Collection Contract that Can Change an Agency Forever,” June 4).

We also spoke with Account Control Technology, another ED contractor that was moved from small business to unrestricted, and Coast Professionals, a newcomer to the contract on the small business set aside. But many warm comments were reserved for Davitt and his company, so he made the Who’s Hot list.