...................................The History

AUTOMOBILE RECOVERY BUREAU, INC. was founded in 1930 by Mr. Paul J. Leleu. Mr. Leleu was a true pioneer and entrepreneur in the
repossession field. He worked in the collection field in the mid to late 1920's while living in California. Having friends in the collection agency and having the foresight of the growth and advancement of consumer credit involving the automobile, then known as chattel mortgage, Paul and some of his friends in the business, seeing that the automobile was creating a more mobile society, decided to set a network of "Professional Collectors" into place that would become
known as repossessors.

As their network grew, Paul and his associates soon saw the need for this service on a larger scale. Ray Barnes headed for New York, Paul moved to Chicago, some of the associates stayed in California and others were enlisted in locals through out the country. The Repossession business had been born and in some circles had been termed "The New Bounty Hunters." By the mid 1930's this group of individuals saw the need to expand into a form of cooperative
advertising. These pioneers set a meeting of their network and decided that St. Louis, Missouri would be a good central location to hold such a meeting. They all went to St. Louis and had their meeting, and from that meeting was born "THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ALLIED FINANCE ADJUSTERS
CONFERENCE." 

They produced the first repossessor directory, which was nothing more than printed newspaper stock listing the members and the towns that they were located in. They maintained and developed mailing lists of all of the financial institutions that were involved in the chattel mortgage business and hand addressed and
mailed those little news print directories to their lists. Thus, the new business of finance adjusting on a national basis was born and at the same time so was the National Trade Association. All of this was accomplished in a brief six year period.

Mr. Leleu had worked out of the same offices in Down Town Chicago until he had out grown them and in 1947 he moved his offices to a location on South Western Avenue in Blue Island, Illinois. He rented storage space several blocks from his office and proceeded to grow in business. He had built a living legacy to himself and the repossession agency as a whole.

Having been blessed with two sons and a daughter he began to bring his boys into the business during the early 1960's. His sons Henri and Paul, Jr., took to the business like fish to water, but Paul was not one to start anyone out at the top. The boys learned the business from the ground floor up, literally. They started out sweeping and cleaning, taking instruction in their spare time from the field adjusters until their father believed they were ready to go out and start repossessing automobiles. They both worked in the field and slowly were allowed to take on some administration responsibilities in the business. 

The boys were allowed to go to business meetings and were sent to various association functions around the country such as American Bankers Meetings, Credit Union Exhibits and so on. In the early 1970's the boys were given their wings within the business. 

Henri Leleu was elevated to the Corporation Presidency when his father, Paul, passed away in 1979. Henri has been in that position ever since and much the same as his father he took interest in the National Trade Associations and has held every office within the ranks of Allied Finance Adjusters and was a five term
president of that association.

As time is continuing to march on for this company that was founded in 1930, we are very pleased to announce that the third generation of Leleus is now active in the business as well and a relocation of the headquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada has taken place.

Automobile Recovery Bureau, Inc. has longevity and stability behind it, which is something that a lot of the other repossession companies in business today do not have. 

With well over 75 years in the business, you can truly trust in ARB.

Contact us and let us go to work for you today at 702-644-4398 or via email at: hleleu@aol.com