Growth
Ready and waiting
InfoCision Management Corp. prepped for challenges and became a force in the teleservices provider industry.
By Patrick Mayock
Smart Business Akron/Canton | October 2007
Every company faces obstacles from time to time. But what if
that obstacle comes in the form of government legislation that hinders your ability to do business?
That was the case for InfoCision Management Corp., a call center provider that specializes in political, Christian and nonprofit
fundraising, as well as sales and customer care.
When the Federal Trade Commission passed legislation to
form a National Do Not Call Registry in 2003, some industry
opponents were predicting the death of telemarketing.
Though many companies did buckle under the new laws,
InfoCision’s quick and well-planned response assured survival
through the crisis. The company invested more than $2 million
in regulatory compliance and was ready and waiting with a
team of legal experts and the latest technology when the registry went into effect on Oct. 1, 2003.
These successful measures were quickly recognized by the
Direct Marketing Association, the leading trade association of
organizations using direct marketing tools and techniques. In
2003, it awarded InfoCision a Silver ECHO Award — the company’s second since 2002. Known as the “Oscar of Direct
Marketing,” this honor recognizes outstanding strategy and
creativity in the industry.
A year later, new business began to pour in when other companies realized they couldn’t afford to take risks with FTC
compliance. Sales grew by more than $10 million in 2004, and
InfoCision created 271 jobs. The company was awarded its
third ECHO Award that same year.
Since that time, President and CEO Carl Albright has continued to lead InfoCision to impressive growth. The company
opened three new locations in Columbus, Dayton and
Youngstown in 2005, and revenue rose to $140 million.
Last year, annual revenue increased to more than $154 million,
and Albright brought on an additional 321 employees. The
company now staffs more than 3,700 people at
13 locations throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and
InfoCision recently became the second largest privately held
teleservices provider in the country. It raises more money for
nonprofit organizations over the phone than any other company.
With that growth has come a greater responsibility to create
a culture in which employees can thrive. InfoCision matches
each employee “communicator” — a term used to distinguish
its employees from the standard industry “agent” — with the
type of work that each person has the greatest interest in. The
employees are then trained in every detail of their clients’
backgrounds and operations in order to increase overall performance.
In addition to performance, Albright also stresses the importance of health and wellness among his staff. InfoCision offers
medical and dental insurance, 401(k), paid vacation, and periodic bonuses, and it has recently instituted a wellness program
designed to encourage healthy lifestyles among team members.
The program offers contests and resources, including a free
smoking cessation program, as well as annual health fairs that
give employees the opportunity to get free health screenings. It
also includes regular distribution of nutrition and weight loss
education and information.
To take this commitment to employee health one step further,
InfoCision has also installed on-site fitness centers and hired
on-site physicians at many locations. The centers cost only a
fraction of a typical health club membership, and the physician
visits — available to both employees and their family members
— run at a reduced co-pay rate.
In addition to his company’s dedication to employees,
Albright also recognizes the need to serve the greater community. InfoCision is a member of the chambers of commerce and
Better Business Bureaus in each of the 13 communities that
house its call centers. Many of the company’s employees are
involved in organizations such as The Salvation Army,
American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and
March of Dimes.
InfoCision has come a long way since its humble beginnings
more than two decades ago. What was once a two-employee
operation in 1982 has emerged as one of the leading inbound
and outbound call centers in the country. With projected 2007
sales of $175 million, the company’s growth projection looks to
continue its steady climb up and over whatever obstacles lie
ahead.
InfoCision Management has received a Cascade Capital
Business Growth Award every year since 2001.
HOW TO REACH: InfoCision Management Corp., (330) 668-1400 or www.infocision.com
