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Expert Global Solutions

Expert Global Solutions, Inc. (EGS) was a multinational business process outsourcing (BPO) company specializing in accounts receivable management (ARM) and customer relationship management (CRM) services to clients in industries such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, and retail.^[1] Formed on April 3, 2012, through the merger of NCO Group, Inc.—a debt collection firm originally founded in 1926—and APAC Customer Services, Inc., EGS served over 14,000 clients worldwide from approximately 100 offices across 12 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and the Philippines.^[1]^[2] With around 30,000 employees as of 2011 and annual revenues exceeding $1.2 billion, the company focused on contingency-based debt recovery, customer care, technical support, and interactive voice response solutions.^[1] EGS's ARM segment, which accounted for the majority of its revenue, involved early-out collections, skip tracing, and credit reporting, often on a contingency fee basis averaging 16% of recovered amounts.^[1] Its CRM operations provided omni-channel customer experience solutions, including voice, online, and social media support.^[3] Headquartered initially in Horsham, Pennsylvania, before relocating to Plano, Texas, EGS faced regulatory scrutiny, notably paying a record $3.2 million fine to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2013 for deceptive debt collection practices under its prior NCO branding.^[4]^[5]^[6] In June 2016, Alorica Inc. acquired EGS in a deal that expanded Alorica's workforce to over 90,000 employees across 147 locations in 16 countries, positioning it as the largest U.S.-based customer experience outsourcer with projected annual revenue of $2.4 billion.^[3] Following the acquisition, EGS was fully integrated into Alorica's operations.^[7]

History

Founding and early development as NCO Group

Expert Global Solutions traces its roots to 1926, when Louis Barrist established the National Collection Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a modest family-owned business focused on basic accounts receivable management for local enterprises, such as collecting overdue department store bills and rent payments.^[2] For the next six decades, the agency remained small-scale, employing just a few staff members and operating from an office above the Schubert Theater on South Broad Street, serving a limited clientele in the region without significant expansion.^[2]^[8] In 1986, Michael J. Barrist, the founder's grandson, acquired the company from his retiring parents for $25,000, taking over a operation with annual revenues of roughly $70,000, three employees, and about 60 clients generating $40,000 in profit.^[2]^[8] Under his direction, Barrist rebranded the firm as NCO Financial Systems, Inc. while beginning to incorporate automated collection technologies to streamline processes.^[2] He recruited Charles C. Piola, Jr., as executive vice president to drive operational improvements, resulting in over 400% revenue growth in the first year alone through enhanced efficiency and client acquisition.^[2] Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, NCO Financial Systems solidified its foundation in the collections sector by nationwide expansion and the introduction of proprietary automated systems for debt management, enabling scalable operations across all 50 states.^[2] By 1992, the company was processing approximately 800,000 debts annually, demonstrating its growing capacity to handle larger volumes for diverse clients.^[2] Key early milestones included strategic acquisitions of smaller agencies, such as B. Richard Miller Inc. and Eastern Business Services, which integrated complementary expertise and client bases to fuel organic development.^[2] These efforts drove steady revenue increases, from under $1 million in the late 1980s to $5 million by 1994, alongside workforce expansion to 125 employees, primarily through targeted buys of regional collection firms.^[2]^[8] In 1995, the acquisition of Trans Union Corp.'s collection division further strengthened its infrastructure, setting the stage for broader industry prominence.^[2]

Growth, public listing, and privatization

In the mid-1990s, NCO Group pursued aggressive expansion following its roots in debt collection, culminating in an initial public offering (IPO) on November 6, 1996, on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol NCOG.^[9] The IPO raised capital that enabled national scaling through acquisitions and operational growth, including the purchase of Management Adjustment Bureau Inc. in the same year to bolster its collection capabilities.^[2] This public listing marked a pivotal shift, providing funds for geographic expansion and service diversification beyond core accounts receivable management. By the early 2000s, NCO Group's revenue had surged, reaching over $605 million in fiscal 2000, driven by a series of acquisitions—totaling 11 companies by 1998—and entry into customer relationship management (CRM) and back-office outsourcing services.^[2] These moves broadened its offerings to include contact center support and customer lifecycle management, supporting clients across financial services and other sectors. Revenue continued to climb, exceeding $1 billion by 2005 at $1.05 billion, reflecting the company's evolution into a diversified business process outsourcing provider.^[10] Workforce expansion paralleled this growth, with employee numbers surpassing 20,000 by late 2006, reaching approximately 24,000 full- and part-time staff globally.^[10] The public era ended with privatization on November 15, 2006, when NCO Group was acquired by Collect Holdings, Inc., an entity controlled by One Equity Partners, for approximately $1 billion in a cash transaction at $27.50 per share.^[10]^[11] This deal, representing a premium over the prior stock price, led to the company's delisting from Nasdaq and a transition to private ownership, allowing for further strategic flexibility in outsourcing operations.^[12]

Merger with APAC Customer Services and rebranding

In April 2012, NCO Group, Inc. completed its merger with APAC Customer Services, Inc., a transaction orchestrated by their common owner, One Equity Partners, to consolidate their operations under a unified holding company. The merger was announced and finalized on April 3, 2012, integrating the two firms into a single entity focused on business process outsourcing (BPO) services. This strategic combination aimed to leverage NCO's established strengths in accounts receivable management and debt collection with APAC's capabilities in customer relationship management and sales support, forming a more diversified and scalable BPO provider.^[13]^[14] The post-merger organization boasted over 40,000 employees across 14 countries and more than 120 contact centers, enabling on-shore, nearshore, and offshore delivery models to serve a broader client base, including approximately 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies. With combined annual revenues approaching $2 billion, the entity positioned itself as a fully integrated player in both customer care and receivables management sectors, enhancing operational efficiencies and cross-selling opportunities between the complementary service lines. This scale allowed for greater investment in technology and infrastructure to support global expansion.^[13]^[15] As part of the restructuring, the holding company was rebranded as Expert Global Solutions, Inc. (EGS), with its corporate headquarters established in Plano, Texas, marking a shift from NCO's prior base in Horsham, Pennsylvania. The rebranding emphasized a forward-looking identity centered on expert global service delivery, while retaining NCO and APAC as prominent operating brands within the portfolio. This transition facilitated the development of holistic customer experience solutions, blending traditional BPO with advanced analytics and multichannel support to address evolving client needs in a competitive market.^[13]^[16]

Acquisition by Alorica and integration

In June 2016, Alorica Inc. announced a stock purchase agreement to acquire Expert Global Solutions (EGS), a major business process outsourcing provider, with the transaction completed by the end of the month.^[17]^[3] The acquisition, conducted from EGS's owner One Equity Partners, created a combined entity projected to generate approximately $2.3 billion in annual revenue and employ over 90,000 people across global operations, positioning it as a leading customer experience (CX) outsourcer.^[18]^[19] The integration process involved systematically absorbing EGS's operations into Alorica's organizational framework, with initial steps focusing on aligning technology platforms, delivery networks, and client services. EGS retained some independent branding during the early phases, such as through 2017 when select facilities began transitioning to Alorica signage, but this gradually phased out as synergies were realized.^[20] By aligning under Alorica's Irvine, California headquarters, the merged operations shifted effective leadership and administrative functions there, enhancing centralized management of the expanded global footprint.^[21]^[22] Post-acquisition, the incorporation of EGS bolstered Alorica's scale and capabilities, supporting sustained expansion in digital CX solutions, including AI-powered tools and omnichannel support. This contributed to the company's overall growth trajectory, with the combined entity achieving revenues exceeding $2 billion by 2024 and reporting record performance in the first half of 2025 through enhanced digital innovations and workforce expansions in key regions.^[23]^[24]^[25] As of November 2025, EGS operates fully integrated as a division within Alorica, without independent corporate structure, concentrating on legacy customer care and specialized financial services through subsidiaries like EGS Financial Care, Inc.^[26]^[5] This structure allows Alorica to leverage EGS's established expertise in traditional BPO while advancing broader digital-first CX strategies.^[27]

Operations

Core services and business model

Expert Global Solutions (EGS) primarily offered business process outsourcing (BPO) services centered on accounts receivable management (ARM) and customer relationship management (CRM). Its ARM services included third-party collections, early-stage delinquency recovery, credit reporting, legal solutions, and back-office processing such as revenue cycle management and order-to-cash operations. CRM encompassed customer care outsourcing, technical support, sales and acquisition services, up-selling, cross-selling, and social care across channels like voice, text, chat, and email. A key subsidiary, Transworld Systems Inc., specialized in fixed-fee early intervention and past-due account recovery, providing scalable solutions for clients in financial services and other sectors.^[1]^[17] EGS operated on an outsourced BPO model, delivering customized solutions to Fortune 500 clients in industries including finance, telecommunications, retail, healthcare, logistics, and technology. Revenue was generated through a mix of contingency fees for ARM performance-based collections (typically averaging 16% of recovered amounts), per-minute or per-hour rates for CRM services with performance bonuses, and long-term contracts for back-office and integrated support. This model emphasized scalability, allowing clients to reduce operational costs by outsourcing non-core functions while maintaining compliance and efficiency.^[1]^[17] Following the 2012 merger with APAC Customer Services, EGS evolved its offerings toward integrated digital customer experience (CX) solutions, incorporating omnichannel support across voice, mobile, chat, social media, and video interactions. This shift expanded beyond traditional collections to data-driven, end-to-end CX management, including early intervention debt services that emphasized proactive recovery to minimize losses for clients. The integration of APAC's CRM platforms enhanced capabilities in innovative, technology-enabled services, positioning EGS as a comprehensive partner for customer engagement and financial care.^[1]^[16]^[17] As of 2015, EGS served over 14,000 clients globally, with its top 10 accounting for approximately 36% of revenue, demonstrating broad diversification. The company's ARM and early intervention services generated significant scale, contributing to total revenues of about $1.5 billion as of 2011 and $1.1 billion as of 2015, while enabling clients to achieve 20-30% cost savings compared to in-house operations through outsourced efficiency.^[1]^[17]

Global presence and workforce

Expert Global Solutions (EGS) initially maintained its headquarters in Horsham, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, during its early years as NCO Group before relocating to Plano, Texas, following the 2012 merger that formed EGS.^[10]^[5] As of 2015, EGS operated more than 70 contact centers across 11 countries, with major operational hubs in the Philippines, India, Mexico, and the United States, enabling scalable delivery models.^[17] EGS's workforce peaked at approximately 43,000 employees around the 2012 merger, reflecting its scale as a major business process outsourcing provider.^[5] This employee base supported multilingual agents capable of handling 24/7 operations across multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, Hindi, and others.^[1] Key facilities included large-scale centers such as the flagship site in Manila, Philippines, which served as a center of excellence for EGS operations, and operations in Guadalajara, Mexico, supporting nearshore capabilities for North American clients.^[28]^[29] These examples highlight EGS's focus on high-capacity sites to accommodate workforce demands and ensure operational efficiency post-merger.^[3]

Controversies

FTC settlements and debt collection practices

In 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged NCO Group, Inc., one of the nation's largest debt-collection firms at the time, with violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by inaccurately reporting delinquency dates to credit bureaus, which extended the negative impact on consumers' credit histories beyond permissible periods. To settle the charges, NCO agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty, the largest FCRA penalty imposed by the FTC up to that point, and was permanently barred from such reporting practices. The company was also required to establish a comprehensive program for monitoring consumer complaints related to credit reporting errors and promptly correcting inaccuracies.^[30]^[31] Nearly a decade later, in 2013, the FTC brought charges against Expert Global Solutions (EGS), formerly NCO Group, and its subsidiaries—including NCO Financial Systems, Inc., ALW Sourcing, LLC, and Transworld Systems, Inc.—for widespread violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the FTC Act through deceptive and abusive tactics. These practices included making multiple daily calls to consumers even after requests to cease contact, calling at prohibited early or late hours or at workplaces, leaving voicemails that disclosed debts to third parties, and continuing collection efforts without verifying disputed debts, which often involved time-barred or outdated obligations. Collectors also falsely threatened consumers with arrest, lawsuits, or other legal actions they had no intention or ability to pursue, aiming to coerce payments on invalid claims. EGS settled by paying a $3.2 million civil penalty—the largest ever obtained by the FTC against a third-party debt collector at the time—and agreeing to halt these illegal activities.^[32]^[33] As part of the 2013 settlement, EGS and its subsidiaries were mandated to implement significant reforms to ensure compliance, including protocols for validating disputed debts before resuming collection, restrictions on voicemails to prevent unauthorized disclosures, and a requirement to record at least 75% of outbound calls for a minimum of 90 days to facilitate internal monitoring and auditing. The company also committed to providing employee training on FDCPA requirements and establishing oversight systems to detect and prevent abusive practices, affecting operations across its global debt-collection units.^[34]^[33] These FTC actions heightened regulatory scrutiny on the debt collection industry, signaling stricter enforcement against deceptive tactics and prompting broader adoption of compliance measures among major players. For EGS, the settlements marked a shift toward more regulated customer service operations, emphasizing ethical debt recovery and reducing reliance on aggressive collection methods in the years following 2013.^[34]^[32]

Other legal and regulatory issues

In addition to federal actions, Expert Global Solutions (EGS) and its predecessors have encountered state-level consumer protection settlements related to debt collection practices. In 2006, NCO Group settled allegations brought by the Pennsylvania Attorney General, addressing violations of state consumer protection laws that involved harassing debtors and contacting them at inappropriate times.^[35] A similar multi-state action occurred in 2012, when NCO Financial Systems, an EGS predecessor, agreed to a settlement with attorneys general from 19 states, including Ohio and Alaska. The agreement required a $575,000 payment to the states and up to $950,000 in restitution for affected consumers who had paid unowed debts, overpaid interest, or paid more than agreed due to improper collection tactics.^[36]^[37]^[38] More recently, in 2020, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board imposed a $44,972 penalty on Alorica and its affiliate EGS for labor relations violations, including unfair labor practices affecting call center workers. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor reached a settlement with Alorica, requiring payment of $3.1 million in back wages and benefits to over 3,100 workers for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act related to prevailing wage and fringe benefit requirements on federal contracts.^[39]

References

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