Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - FRDA welcomes meeting attendees

September 26, 2011

FRDA President Chris Kale with son and Happy's Home Center co-owner, Chris Kale.

The Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA) Monday welcomed participating rental dealers and vendors to its annual meeting at the Westshore Marriott in Tampa with its annual Texas Hold E'm/Casino Night.

The event held its first event, the 9th annual "Slats" Golf Memorial Golf Tournament, earlier in the day.

Close to 100 attendees from 15 rent to own and 31 exhibiting companies are here participating in the state's largest annual industry gathering that includes a jam packed agenda of social events that lead up to FRDA's membership meeting tomorrow.

Mark Connelly, COO of Arona Corp. an Aaron's franchisee, who manages a network of 38 stores including eight in Florida is attending his first FRDA meeting.

"I thought it would be good to get involved, network with some of the other dealers and build relationships," said Connelly who is also the vice president of the Iowa Rental Dealers Association. "This is a great opportunity to network and meet other dealers and vendors."

FRDA President Chris Kale of Rent King opens the association's annual meeting Tuesday at 1 p.m. where attendees will hear state and federal industry updates and FRDA's Employee of the Year will be named.

APRO Executive Director Bill Keese will present a federal industry update and review APRO's first ever rent to own marketing study which will be available to members attending the meeting.

About APRO
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations is the official voice of the rent-to-own industry and the most accurate and trustworthy source of rent-to-own news in the industry. Founded in 1980, APRO is the national, nonprofit trade association advocating and representing the rent-to-own industry before the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, courts, media and the public.

For more information, visit www.rtohq.org.

2012 APRO Convention and Trade Show

July 24-26, Memphis, TN

Attendee Information

Exhibitor Information

Thank you APRO 2012 Sponsors

Watch RTOHQ Rent to Own videos on YouTube!

Featured APRO Photo:
From the APRO 2012 Legislative Conference April 17-19 Album
APRO 2012 Legislative Conference April 17-19
View All RTO Photos
in the RTOHQ.org gallery

RTOHQ: The Magazine
RTOHQ: The Magazine is the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations' award-winning rent-to-own industry magazine, and it's available here.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DIGITAL RTOHQ: THE MAGAZINE

RTOHQ: The Magazine’s upgraded digital format

APRO's new, mobile-ready magazine is now available in addition to our print edition. The digital format provides the same informative content as our printed magazine, but also offers tools to make the reading experience more enriching. Access the table of contents page with one click or tap. Get additional information from advertisers by clicking on the links in their ads. The interface is easy to navigate and requires no special app—read our magazine on your computer, digital table or smartphone. Click here to access the digital version of RTOHQ: The Magazine March-April 2012.

A New Rent-to-Own Experience

by Neil Ferguson

Here’s the lowdown on APRO’s 2012 Convention and Trade Show, July 24-26 in Memphis. The RTO industry’s big event will offer many valuable experiences, including insights on how to turn your stores into “experiences”–the good kind for consumers

Who Is Your Competition?

by Bill Keese

In order to expand your customer base, you can learn a lot by observing your competitors. But first, you need to figure out just who they are. If you think your only competition is the rent-to-own store down the street, you’re not considering the bigger picture. APRO’s executive director offers a big-picture perspective.

A Review of Online Customer Complaints

by Ed Winn III

While rent-to-own companies have not cornered the market on negative reviews posted on consumer complaint websites, it’s no surprise that there are cyberspace beefs against RTO. APRO’s general counsel reviews some of them in search of a pattern and he considers appropriate response to online complaints.

Rent-to-Own Families, Part VIII

by Kristen Card

Our series of family-run rent-to-own businesses continues with profiles of the Homeiers in Kansas and two Texas-based sets of kindred colleagues, the Spangles and the Weisblatts.

Future issues of APRO's magazine will be available in this same new format. Click here to access past issues that are not yet archived in the new interface.

Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
1504 Robin Hood Trail
Austin, Texas 78703
800/204-2776, ext. 103
Fax 512/794-0097