Congressman Joins Pioneer Credit Recovery in Celebrating 1,100 Employees

Building on its 25-year history in Western New York, Pioneer Credit Recovery, a leading receivables management company and subsidiary of Sallie Mae, today announced its latest employment milestone by hiring its 1,100th employee. Congressman Thomas M. Reynolds (R- Clarence) joined Pioneer Credit Recovery Chief Executive Officer Joan Ludwick and President and Founder Kathy Balus for the announcement and toured the company’s facility in Perry.

“This is a great day for Pioneer and our entire community,” said Reynolds. “Pioneer’s continued employment expansion and investment here is a tribute to the talented workforce right here in Wyoming County. Adding these kinds of quality jobs is just what this region needs to ensure lasting economic growth.”

“For more than 25 years, Pioneer has been proud to call Western New York home,” said Joan Ludwick, Chief Executive Officer, Pioneer Credit Recovery. “Pioneer and Sallie Mae take pride in rewarding our employees for their dedication and hard work. Their fantastic performance is second to none and has positioned us to win new business and fulfill our employment commitments in Western New York.”

Pioneer is a homegrown Western New York company, headquartered in the region since its inception in 1980. The company relies on its talented workforce to sustain lasting success. Pioneer consistently rewards its employees with performance-based pay and bonuses along with highly competitive benefits including health insurance, paid holidays and vacation, participation in a 401(k), stock purchase and stock options plans.

“There is a genuine team atmosphere here at Pioneer that you don’t find at many other companies,” said Jarid Oslowsky, Pioneer’s 1,100th employee. “The benefits are great, and if you work hard, you will advance. The potential for growth at Pioneer is always within reach.”

Pioneer remains one of the fastest-growing employers in Western New York, tripling its work force in just five years. The company is the largest private-sector employer in Wyoming County and has received numerous awards including the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and most recently was named the Wyoming County Business of the Year for 2005 by the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming (GLOW) Workforce Investment Board.

The company continues to be an active corporate citizen in Western New York, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of various charities including the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society.

Pioneer Credit Recovery was established by Kathleen Balus, who remains the company’s chairperson and president. Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading provider of education funding, acquired Pioneer in December 2001.