Rent-to-own News - RTO dealers turn out for Heartland; attendance up 26 percent

Clint Young (l) of Fisher & Paykel Appliances shows off one of the company's high tech washing machines to Murray Beck of Rent One.

Rent-to-own dealers and vendors from over five states across the midwest trekked to the banks of The Lake of the Ozarks tonight to shatter attendance records on opening night of the fifth annual Heartland of America Regional Trade Show and Seminar in Lake Ozark, Missouri.

Some 167 dealers representing 19 companies pre-registered for the vendor preview showcase Tuesday -- a 26 percent increase over last year -- to peruse some 70 vendor booths and meet factory representatives and distributors from a wide range of product categories. See photo gallery.

The official trade show kicks off tomorrow at 3 p.m. and will top off a full day of planned activities including the annual bass fishing and golf tournaments.

Several Missouri Rental Dealers Association board members attribute the spike in attendance to MRDA's decision to add a product training day to the agenda which will feature six rotating educational seminars led by top rent-to-own vendor company representatives.

"One reason for the hight turnout is we've made a decision to invest in our people," said Trent Agin, president of Rent One who serves as secretary/treasurer of MRDA. "With these trainings we're investing in the rental professionals of our industry and they recognize that and see the value in that."

Chuck Kuluva, an MRDA board member and owner of Rental City said the addition of the training day was in keeping with MRDA's understanding of the importance of well-trained employees. MRDA annually hosts a training roadshow each year.

"In the past we've always had keynote speakers and things, but we've always felt training was the way to go," Kuluva said. "We want to give value to the dealers and give them value for their dues and a reason to join and stay active."

Todd Woods and Chris Hodges of DAC demonstrate a popular merchandise display case.

Around a dozen vendors are new to Heartland this year. One of those is DAC -- a company that specializes in merchandising displays and caters almost exclusively to the rent-to-own industry.

In business for 21 years, DAC -- it stands for the owner's first names Durward, Anthony and Chris --  has two manufacturing plants located in the North Carolina.

Todd Woods, DAC vice president of sales and marketing claims professional merchandising display has paid off in as much as a 30-40 percent increase in sales with some of his clients.

"We sell almost exclusively to the rent-to-own sector," Woods said. "Our products take a store from more of a mom and pop kind of look to a more professional level which draws more attention to the product you're selling."

Appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel Appliances is also a first time exhibitor at the Heartland of America Show.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances is a New Zealand based company founded in 1934 which has been developing products and markets for over 70 years.

Representatives demonstrated the company's popular washing machines which utilize "direct current" technology which translates to a lighter washer with fewer moving parts and better energy efficiency.

"Because this machine automatically adjusts the amount of water needed, it uses less and saves money," said Fisher & Paykel Appliances Regional Manager Clint Young. "We offer the best value washer for the money, we have a great story to tell and a lightweight easy to maintain product that can be easily demonstrated in the store."

The much anticipated training portion of the Heartland Show will take place Thursday June 18 and will feature the following six education sponsors.

(1) Ashley Furniture: They will have all three divisions present to show the features and benefits of their products. A recliner,  leather sofa and a case piece will be torn down to show how their products are made and stand up to the competition.  Handouts will be provided for the dealers benefit.

(2) Archbrook Laguna: This training will focus on the features and benefits of HP products, the HP Tech Zone, which is HP’s online training website and how to get more out of your warranty. The  training will also include a look at what RTO customers are looking for in a computer, the restore process for computers as  well as parts replacement possibilities. They will also discuss other items that are new for the fall and the new specs such as  blue ray, camcorders and cameras.

(3) LG Electronics: Their training will focus on plasma and LCD product categories. In  addition, the core features such as invisible speakers, AV mode II, clear voice II and the picture wizard and benefits of these  categories will be discussed and demonstrated.

(4) O’Rourke Sales: Their training focus will be the state of art Dell desktops  and laptop computers and their features and benefits.

(5) Welton USA: Their training will consist of an overview of the  benefits of using the proper type of furniture for audio and video equipment such as adequate ventilation for today's high-tech TVs and components, the importance of wire management and the information on their website. They will also discuss  the features and benefits of Sony TVs and electronics, using the correct cable for high definition, the features and benefits of  ‘over-sampling’ DVD player technology, the highlights of BluRay technology, the new shelf systems and a ‘home theater’  movie demo.

(6) Whirlpool: This session will consist of installation tips and precautions for delivering, installing appliances  and picking up items. Also, the training will discuss how to qualify service issues and how to recognize the symptoms and  perform simple tests instead of changing the unit out and what are common issues seen in appliances. They will also discuss  the features and benefits and why to up grade to a Cabrio or frontload vs regular top load washer/dryer.

mevans@rtohq.org