About Us

It was 1968 and the late Samuel J. Harris, the Collection Manager for an apparel chain in Chicago, concluded that he could do a better job than the firms he contracted with by treating consumers with a greater level of respect while collecting more money for his clients. Mr. Harris was mystified by the treatment customers received at the hands of collection agencies, and decided that his company would treat customers the way he would want to be treated. He also surmised that the majority of people with outstanding obligations were not in that situation voluntarily. In them he saw unfortunate but not necessarily irresponsible people. And with that, a business was born in the basement of the Harris home on Chicago’s South Side.

Sam’s sons Arnie and Dave Harris joined the firm in the mid-1980s. Arnie in 1986 as a litigating attorney, and Dave shortly after in 1988 as a front-line collection representative. Together the Harris brothers built on the strong existing values and grew a company devoted to respect, compassion, integrity, diversity, and trust.

Today, Harris & Harris is bound by the same principles. The family business Sam Harris started is now a firm of more than 500 employees including collections professionals and customer care representatives who employ the latest technology and best ethical practices to help businesses recover revenue and provide world class customer service. Arnie and Dave remain involved in strategic business initiatives and have hand-selected today’s leadership team to ensure that their father’s legacy will continue.