EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — American Recovery Service/Skip Busters and Digital Recognition Network recently shared how their partnership using license plate recognition technology delivered new thresholds of performance for lenders.

By expanding LPR services, along with the core business of front-side and skip recoveries, ARS/SB recently recovered the 4,000th unit. Executives estimated the repossessions represent almost $40 million in wholesale value to lenders.

ARS/SB believes its staff knowledge on best utilizing real-time data integration with DRN's systems, customized account validation processes and many other proprietary features, led to this success.

Furthermore, the company lauded its network of more than 300 recovery professionals who are proficient in using LPR technology and contracted with ARS/SB as another reason why all parties involved could deliver these results for lenders.

Among ARS/SB's clients are 25 auto lenders ranging in scope from regional to national that were set up in the company's LPR database system this year. Executives noted the integration includes more than 100,000 accounts that also were run through DRN's database.

All told, they said these accounts represent more than $1 billion in wholesale asset value to the lenders — a large percentage of which were hard-to-find, charge-off accounts.

"Our proprietary LPR staging database, the first of its kind in the industry, enables clients to load tens of thousands of accounts for 24/7, real-time management of the live camera hits," explained Peter Willingham, chief executive officer of ARS/SB.

"It is tremendously successful and exceeding our largest client's expectations on a daily basis," Willingham continued.

"We now have three lines of business that draw our client's interests: front-side recovery, skip locate/recovery and LPR staging," he added.

ARS/SB management went on to credit integration with DRN technology as a primary reason its range of lender offerings now is much more diverse.

"Our programming team and DRN's have worked very closely together and the results prove this was the right partnership," stated Jon Foster, chief technology officer of ARS/SB.

"We have a strong background in building and running high performance, scalable and flexible plug-and-play enterprise systems and DRN's technical team worked well with us on implementing some unique solutions," Foster added.

Willingham remains upbeat about the possibility of more lenders taking advantage this technology to enhance recoveries.

"As I visit with existing and new clients to discuss our full suite of services, LPR is generating great interest and our fully integrated solution appeals to them," he noted.

"The lenders are excited about the new technology and the benefits of having it bundled into a comprehensive locate and recovery service offering," Willingham concluded.