About Congress Collection

Founded in 1957, Congress Collection is a family-owned business with deep roots in the community. When you deal with Congress, you will deal with people who care about you – whether you are a consumer that owes a debt or a client that hopes to make your business more profitable.

Congress Collection differs from all other third-party collection agencies because WE KNOW WHY PEOPLE DON’T PAY THEIR BILLS.

Our History

Harry Jacobs and staff in office

Harry Jacobs and staff

Founded in 1957, our original name was Congress Credit Bureau. This picture was taken at our first home in the Cadillac Tower Building in downtown Detroit. The lady seated in front is Esther Jacobs who, along with her husband Harry L. Jacobs started Congress Credit Bureau. Mr. Jacobs is the gentleman advising an employee in the center of the picture. Standing at the back of the picture is Ben Jacobs, Harry’s brother. The Congress story is truly an American dream of starting and growing a small family business. To this day, Congress continues to serve clients by providing the finest recovery services available.

Congress Collection – 1959 location

In 1959 Harry L. and Esther Jacobs bought the vacant National Bank of Detroit building at 11341 Woodward Avenue in Detroit after NBD moved two blocks north to build a new branch office that ended up housing the first drive in teller window in Michigan.

The Jacobs family worked diligently at remodeling their new headquarters. As they grew and prospered in their new facility, the second generation of the Jacobs family joined the organization and has continued with its development.

Congress had been located in Southfield, MI from 2002 to November, 2016. On November 28, 2016 Congress moved to its current location: 28552 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 200, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.

Congress Collection location in 1959
Harry L Jacobs on phone call

Harry L. Jacobs

This is a picture of our founder Harry L. Jacobs who was born in Michigan in 1919. He was the son of polish immigrants that came to this country in the early nineteen hundreds. They settled in Hamtramck Michigan and became small retail merchants.

Mr. Jacobs was the first person in his family to attend college. While attending Wayne University (Wayne State University) to help pay for his tuition, he got a part time job at a company in downtown Detroit called First National Credit Bureau. Mr. Jacobs went from being a file clerk to eventually becoming an entrepreneur and starting his own business. Additionally, he became Vice President of a multi-state operation that produced many of our industry’s owners and leaders.