Rent-to-own News - RNR celebrates gains, eyes new opportunities at annual franchise meeting

RNR Customer Wheels and Tires franchisees from across the country will huddle up for the 5th annual company meeting next week at the Hilton Airport Westshore Hotel in Tampa, Florida.

The meeting, scheduled for Jan. 19 - 22, will be as much about celebrating the company's successful past year as it will be about preparing for the next one.

RNR now hold the figurative key to 67 stores -- 59 franchisee and eight corporate -- and the company leap-frogged in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2008 Top Franchise 500 listing -- moving from 426 in 2007 to 252 last year.

RNR is also the 22nd largest tire dealer in the U.S. and that standing could continue to improve as more and more retail tire customers find themselves with reduced or cut-off credit lines, said Larry Sutton, founder and CEO of RNR.

That passenger tire market helped 23 Rent-n-Roll stores cross the million dollar mark last year in spite of skyrocketing gas prices and the worst U.S. economic crisis since the Great Depression.

"Wheels are what we do and what we're known for and we're not backing down from that," Sutton said. "But in 2009 we are going to start really talking about passenger tires because there's no credit crunch in our stores and more people are coming in our doors because of it. We're going to grow our customer base by a big chunk this year."

Watch Larry Sutton 2008 RNR Convention Video.

As to whether the current economy will have customers re-thinking that sweet, though non-essential set of wheels, Sutton is adamant the only thing that will change in 2009 is how customers get what they already want.

"The reality is, this economy is better for rental business than anything else," Sutton said. "Some guys that may have bought wheels retail in the past may be in a credit crunch and unable to do it that way anymore, but their desire doesn't change. How they get those wheels will change and that's where we come in."

The convention opens Jan. 19 with a golf tournament at the scenic Westchase Golf Course followed by three days of general sessions and vendor exhibits, specialized trainings and an awards banquet.

The conference concludes Jan. 22 with the popular franchise only and operator/manager discussion forums where operators and managers get together for a round table discussion with RNR corporate operators Jason Sorrell, Andrew Grub and Ryan Schrader.

January 19:

Golf Tournament
Welcome Reception – 8 p.m.
 
January 20:

General Sessions
Vendor Exhibit #1
 
January 21:

General Sessions
Vendor Exhibit #2
Awards Banquet – 8pm
 
January 22:

Franchise Only Meeting
Operator/Manager Discussion Forum