Rarely do we get the perfect day. We may get a minute, maybe an hour, maybe even a few hours from time to time. But a perfect day? Twenty-four hours of sunshine and laughter and family and race cars? Days like that are exceedingly rare, if they ever happen. So when it comes around, it needs to be celebrated. Earlier this month, racing fan Tom Haag’s 58 years of service to State Collection Service were saluted by putting the State logo on the #51 car of Jeremy Clements, who was participating in the Road America Xfinity Cup Series race in Wisconsin. The result was a perfect day for Haag and for State. AccountsRecovery.net asked Tim Haag, Tom’s son and the President of State Collection Service about the experience.
Q: Where did the idea for sponsoring the car come from?
Calling my dad, State’s CEO Tom Haag, a car and racing fan is like calling Wisconsin winters cold. It is a lifelong passion for him and his automotive knowledge is truly extraordinary. So when the State family and I wanted a way to honor Tom’s 58 years of service, incorporating cars and racing seems like a natural fit.
When an opportunity arose to sponsor Jeremy Clements car in the Road America Xfinity Cup Series race in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., a natural fit became the perfect fit. Clements drives a Chevrolet, and my dad is a confirmed “Chevy man”. Additionally, Clements Racing is family-owned, with three generations of the Clements family now involved in growing the organization. As a family-owned business, State believes in the power of family-owned organizations to benefit team members, clients and our economy.
Q: What was the objective? Do you think you accomplished it?
The objective was two-fold: First, to honor my dad’s 58 years of service to State. His contributions to our organization and the receivables management industry continues to be significant.
Secondly, my dad recently shared that he is undergoing treatment for cancer. Our goal was to raise his spirits during this challenging time and remind him of the State and Haag families’ support for him on this journey.
Tom said this was the “best day ever.” Objectives achieved.
Q: Do you think other companies in the accounts receivable management industry should consider something like this?
This can be a stressful industry, so being able to create fun experiences and excitement with the team is critical. For the State family, NASCAR is a great fit with our culture.
Q: What was the highlight of sponsoring the car?
For many members of the State family, it was seeing the State logo on the car during the race. For dad, the highlight was seeing the car, meeting the driver and crew, asking questions about the race setup, and then getting the chance to sit in the pits with the crew.
Q: Is this something you would consider doing again?
At the end of the day, dad asked “Can we do this again?” The answer of course was “Yes!” We have already agreed to sponsor the #51 car again next year.
Q: How can the ARM industry support Tom on his health journey?
In true Tom fashion, he doesn’t want the attention focused on him. Instead, he would like to use this experience to create good in the community. State is combining three of dad’s passions: Cars, Kids, and Quality Healthcare to raise money for Cars Curing Kids, benefiting the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisc.
Join us on “Team Tom” in support of Tom and to benefit children facing their own health challenges. We now have “Team Tom” tshirts and vinyl stickers for sale. State underwrote the cost of the shirts and stickers so that 100% of the funds raised will be donated to Cars Curing Kids, a charity Tom and Tina have long supported.
You can click here to make a donation or purchase “Team Tom” gear. There also will be shirts and stickers available at the ACA Convention in Orlando within the CollaborationRoom.AI booth.
Thanks for supporting “Team Tom” and recognizing all he continues to contribute to the receivables management industry.
