South Whitehall Already 'Feels Like Home' for Creditsafe USA

Creditsafe USA's North American Headquarters opened in South Whitehall about three months ago but Group Marketing Director David Knowles said it already "feels like home."

Creditsafe hosted a grand opening party and ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday night at its office in Suite 100 of the Winchester Plaza at 1550 Pond Road. The company is a European-based  provider of on-line company credit information. 

CEO Cato Syversen said Creditsafe is changing the way business information is used. For an annual fee, clients can access vital information like solvency, payment records and timing on 47 million U.S. businesses and 67 million European companies. 

"It's like a fitness gym against bad debt - the more you use and work it, the better it works," Syversen said.

So far, 50 people work at the South Whitehall headquarters and Knowles said the company plans to hire as many as 250 over the next five years. The company, which is 15 years old, employs nearly 700 people.

"We are asking people to do a hard job - cold calling 80 to 100 businesses a day," Knowles said. "They have to take a lot of rejection."

It may be a tough start but Creditsafe rewards its employees. Knowles said 75 percent of senior management, including Syversen, started on the phones.

Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, welcomed Creditsafe to the Lehigh Valley. The chamber helped organize the event, attended by its members, Creditsafe employees and elected officials.

Read more about how Creditsafe USA came to South Whitehall here.