Interstate Billing Service: The team is the thing

DECATUR — How does a small, niche-driven business of just five people in Decatur grow to an international company and is in 47 states?

Teamwork.

“Every success we’ve had is people-centric, team-centric,” said Jason Windham, president of Interstate Billing Services. “It’s years of dedicated and exceptional service to our client base: Vision-focused, mission-driven and business values we live by daily.”

Today, Interstate Billing Service has grown to employ about 130 people from that five-employee start in 1984.

And, there’s something special about IBS, too, Windham said, because some employees have been there since Day One.

“We still have people still in the business who were there,” he said. “We have a lot of long-term team members.

“We have a remarkable team.”

IBS serves some 500 clients with annual receivables exceeding $2.5 billion, while handling the billing and collecting of an average customer base of over 100,000.

In August 2009, Bank Independent purchased IBS and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the bank.

“The bank gives wonderful support to us,” Windham said. “They are a wonderful partner.”

So, what does IBS do?

“It’s something a lot of folks really don’t understand,” Windham said.

The company provides full-service accounts receivable management for clients in primarily “wheels-based” industries (such as automotive, truck dealerships, transportation, etc.) which gives clients more time and flexibility to grow their business.

“It’s business-to-business,” Windham said. “We don’t deal with consumers.”

Windham was with Bank Independent when he left in 2016 to join IBS – “It’s been a blessing; quite the journey.”

And that journey included taking IBS international, as in north of the border.

“I was told there was an opportunity in Canada,” Windham said. “Our largest truck client bought a franchise in Canada and asked us to help.

“We are now serving clients in Canada.”

But, that doesn’t mean IBS is going to go full throttle in Canada.

“We are being selective and diligent,” Windham said. “We had to understand there is a difference between doing business in Canada and doing business with Canada.”

While IBS has a sales team with three offices in Alabama and “dispersed throughout the country,” Windham said, “people call us because of our reputation. The reach is magnificent. We get calls from customers of clients.

“I’m as excited today as I was, if not more, about the business for our team, for our clients …”

And that excitement carries into the future, he said.

“Through the partnership with Bank Independent and our dedicated and bright and forward-thinking team … the future looks fantastic.”