UCB Wins Ohio Governor's Council Employer of the Year Award and Announces Program Partnership to further effortsfor Disability Related Training and Consumer Outreach Programs

COLUMBUS, OH – United Collection Bureau, Inc.(UCB) announced today a new pilot program commitment to lead an enhanced interactive training program for people with disabilities and other barriers to work. The program is also designed to provide outreach to consumers who are struggling with burdensome personal debt during these challenging economic times. As UCB was accepting an award as the Employer of the Year in Ohio from the Ohio Governor’s Counsel on People with Disabilities, Jeff Horner, UCB Chief Development Officer, made the announcement of the new pilot program partnership with The Sierra Group.

“I would like to shift the attention from recognition from what we have done in the past, to what we are working on for the future… I am so pleased to announce that UCB and The Sierra Group are partnering on a new pilot program to provide Enhanced Interactive Call Center Training Services and Certification to ensure more opportunities for people with disabilities to become financially successful. People with disabilities are the largest group of unemployed Americans, therefore the added boost of all the ‘extras’ offered by this program will go a long way toward helping more and more Americans with disabilities to realize the power of a paycheck!” Mr. Horner said.

The new pilot program is also slated to provide consumers with contact information to regional financial assistance programs that are already available in their community so consumers who are speaking with collectors with disabilities will receive information on services that may be able to help them, help themselves. “We are in discussions with various non-profit partners to assist in taking our expertise and our new program to the masses”. Mr. Horner said. This is a critical element for the company. “UCB is always exploring new creative ways to assist consumers and the general public to find the help and support they may need with personal and family financial strengthening, so referring consumers to outside assistance, during the collection process is a perfect fit” said Sanju Sharma, UCB President and CEO. UCB’s corporate culture of compliant call center collection practices begins with the company’s primary owner Sam Rickard. “We want consumers to know that we care about them, will treat them with the respect they deserve, and are here to help them in any way we can to find the assistance and resources available to them. With this program we will be able to refer them to community organizations with the information and support they need right now.” he said.

The training program will be available to individuals who are interested in learning and practicing call center functions in order to fully prepare them to be skilled and competitive candidates for good paying jobs in the fast growing, call center services sector. Trainees will use the outstanding training facilities at various partner agencies around the country.

The focus will be on compliant call center practices as well as upon real-life skill set development through interactive training media developed by The Sierra Group, a Pennsylvania based corporate consultancy with the mission of increasing employer based programs for the hiring of people with disabilities.

“UCB’s acknowledgement and excellence in hiring and accommodating workers with disabilities is exemplary. Their commitment to work with us, as well as regional non-profits, in order to take their award winning model into the community is one more reason that they are so deserving of receiving the Ohio Governor’s Employer of the Year award”, said Janet Fiore, Founder and President of The Sierra Group.

About United Collection Bureau, Inc. (UCB): UCB has provided debt recovery and accounts receivable management services and solutions to creditors since 1959. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, UCB has grown to service the national marketplace of Healthcare, Financial Services, Utility, Communications, and Government creditors. Today, UCB employs a dedicated management team of experienced collection agency executives, and utilizes state-of-the-art technology and telecommunications resources, to bring uncompromising services to its clients. UCB is licensed in all 50 states and carries full insurance and bonding protection. With over 1,000 employees, UCB offers financial stability, trained staff and technical capabilities to provide the most compliant and effective accounts receivable management and collection services available today. For more information visit www.ucbinc.com

About The Sierra Group, Inc.: The Sierra Group, Inc. is a national consultancy with a mission of reversing the high unemployment rate for people with disabilities in America. The Sierra Group offers an array of recruiting, consultation and training services designed to assist corporations in their: “bring to work, stay at work and return to work” efforts. Focusing on diverse hiring, retention and accommodation practices, Sierra Group has three divisions: Candidate Sourcing, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Workforce Strategy, thereby serving needs of businesses, job seekers and their service providers across the nation. For more information visit www.thesierragroup.com or call 800.973.7687.