Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - RTO Vet opens Premier in Torrington, Connecticut

February 10, 2012

Premier Dealer Rich Barton.

His entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to customer service are some of the factors which helped Rich Barton make the decision to open his own rent-to-own business.

After being in the rent-to-own industry for 20 years, Rich discovered The Premier Companies through industry publications and networking with rent-to-own store owners in Connecticut. He researched other franchise opportunities and quickly learned that The Premier Companies was the perfect fit for him.

“I saw tremendous benefit in the support system that The Premier Companies provide with training, operations, accounting, marketing, and their own human resources service, PRPMG,” said Rich.

Torrington is a conservative community. What works here isn’t necessarily going to work in every market across the country. “Premier is flexible in that regards. It is not a one glove fits all system,” continued Rich. The Premier Companies has an open line of communication. Rich enjoys the fact that dealers are able to share ideas with each other and that they meet twice each year at the National Convention and at the Dealer Retreat.

Rich felt it was time to return to his entrepreneurial roots by opening his own store and to get back to the basics and away from non productive corporate policies and procedures.

“Opening my store is a great opportunity to get back to the grass roots of customer service – talking to people and getting to know them. Treat them the way they should be treated, and to not look at them as just another number or quota to reach,” said Rich.

Rich resides in Hartford County, Connecticut with his wife, Amy and their three children.

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 General Session and Keynote: APRO's 2010 Convention and Trade Show Album
General Session and Keynote: APRO's 2010 Convention and Trade Show
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