Rental Viewpoint | July 21, 2005

++APRO's 2005 Rent-to-Own Convention and Buying Show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is fast approaching. The dates for this silver-anniversary extravaganza are August 8-11—less than three weeks away! Click here for more information.

Haier America drops pursuit of Maytag
++Haier America, a Chinese appliance manufacturer, has announced it will no longer pursue the purchase of Maytag Corp. Maytag, suffering from a reported 80 percent drop in profits for its first quarter, agreed in May to accept a $14-a-share acquisition proposal from an investment group, Triton Acquisition Holding Co. In June, Haier, China’s largest manufacturer of household appliances, placed an informal bid of $16 a share. This week, Whirlpool Corp., tendered an offer of $17 a share. Whirlpool intends to split the deal by paying $8.50 in cash and giving Maytag shareholders $8.50 worth of Whirlpool stock for every share of Maytag that they tender.
++Haier was one of the first Chinese companies to expand internationally, establishing factories in Algeria, Mexico, Iran, Southeast Asia and Camden, as well as in South Carolina. It has long been thought that Haier wants greater access to the U.S. market. The bid for Maytag would have provided it with Maytag’s brand names, managerial skills and distribution network.
++Maytag sells washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators and cooking appliances under brand names Admiral, Amana, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef and Maytag. The company also makes Hoover vacuums, Jade commercial ranges and Dixie-Narco beverage vending machines.

2005 Rental-Purchase Employee and Customer of the Year winners chosen
++The winners of the 2005 Rental-Purchase Employee of the Year and Customer of the Year have been selected and are scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas during the APRO Convention and Buying Show as part of their grand prize. The 2005 Rental-Purchase Employee and 2005 Rental-Purchase Customer(s) of Year are, respectively, Paul Russell of Blue Ribbon Rentals in St. Clairsville, OH, and Johnnie Bradford of Baber's in Columbus, MS. These special people will be recognized during the general session at the APRO Show on August 9.

RTO Employee of the Year: Paul Russell
++There isn’t much that holds Paul Russell back from what he wants. He opened a Blue Ribbon Rentals store in an area of Ohio—St. Clairsville—where the company originally was convinced that it did not want a store. Today, that store, which has been open for less than two years, is the company’s largest store and has won seven out of eight monthly awards.
++During the 2004 flooding in the Ohio Valley, Russell led a team to solicit and deliver several truckloads of food and clothes for families who lost everything. A youth pastor for his church, Russell started the youth ministry from scratch and now has at least 60 teenagers he tends to—mostly from broken homes and/or abusive backgrounds.
++Russell treats people—his customers, employees, friends and neighbors—with respect. He doesn’t believe in the word, “can’t.” He has taken care of employees in need and fed hungry customers who lost their jobs. He rises to each challenge without a question and more than deserves to be APRO’s 2005 Rental-Purchase Employee of the Year.
++Read related story.

RTO Customer of the Year: Johnnie Bradford
++Johnnie Bradford is pastor of Open Door Full Gospel in Columbus, MS, and was the church’s founder in 1990. Her purpose was to provide the community with a place to gather and worship, but also to provide area children with a sense of belonging. Today, Bradford’s church serves 300 members. In 1993, she added a church-affiliated youth center to the community. While in the process of building the youth center, she opened the doors of her home to many children with no place to go and no one to love and care for them. Not only does she have a special place in her heart for children, she also tends to senior citizens. In 2000, she opened a personal-care home for the elderly.
++Bradford is also a certified nurse assistant and certified in care of for the hard-of-hearing. She is very involved in her community and participates in various programs and organizations throughout Columbus. Because she has opened her heart in so many ways to so many people, she has been selected as APRO’s 2005 Rental-Purchase Customer of the Year.
++Once again, the industry has chosen two remarkable individuals who have made remarkable contributions not only to their communities, but to the industry as well.

Rent One donates $10,000 to charity
Rent One donation ++Rent One hosted its eleventh annual golf outing on June 24 and donated $10,000 of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. "We raised approximately $15,000 through a combination of hole sponsors, raffle tickets and donated auction items. The vendors always step up for the outing," says Rent One President Larry Carrico. "Last year, more than 600 families from the surrounding Rent One locations used the Ronald McDonald homes. The greatest benefit for the families is the ability to live in a similar home environment."
++Carrico was elected as a director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis last December and serves on the community development committee.

Missouri Rental Dealers Association Summer Training Program, July 21, St. Louis, 913/371-2400
San Francisco Furniture Market, July 22-25, San Francisco, CA, 415/552-2311
Las Vegas Furniture Market, July 25-29, Las Vegas, NV, 888/380-0919
RentSmart by Nationwide Buying Show, August 7-10, Dallas, 972/650-0770
APRO 2005 Convention and Buying Show, August 8-11, Las Vegas, NV, 800/204-2776
Tupelo Furniture Market, August 18-21, Tupelo, MS, 662/844-1473
2005 Midwest RTO Expo, August 23 and 24, Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH, 740/383-6020
Missouri Rental Dealers Association "Heartland of America" regional trade show, September 12-14, Osage Beach, MO, 573/442-2963
High Touch User’s Conference, September 21-23, Wichita, KS, 316/831-8132
2005 Arkansas Rental Dealers Association fall conference, October 18 and 19, Petit Jean State Park, AR, 870/910-0059
TRIB Group fall board meeting, September 27-28, 2005, Atlanta, GA, 770/451-4302
Florida Rental Dealers Association annual meeting; Norman “Slats” Golf Memorial and Vendor Appreciation Dinner and Trade Show, October 4 and 5, 813/623-5461, ext. 110
APRO fall board meeting and strategic planning session, October 10-14, Austin, TX, 800/204-2776
Arkansas Rental Dealers Association meeting, October 18 and 19, Petit Jean State Park, Morrilton, AR, 870/910-0059
Click here to view the APROVision industry calendar of events

Tennessee Rental Dealers Association kicks off new Web site
++ TRDA President Larry Goad of Zion's Television Showrooms in Harrogate, TN, is proud to announce the creation of his state rental dealers association's new Web site. Goad took advantage of the APRO state rental dealer association Web site program and, once he contacted APRO about creating the site, had it up and running in about four weeks.
TRDA Web ++ The TRDA Web site utilizes a database architecture in which APRO invested when asked to create a site for the Arkansas Rental Dealers Association last fall. Basically, all that is needed is a logo and banner for the site and a member of the state rental dealer association is responsible for keeping the site updated.
++ "I was very impressed at how responsive APRO was when I asked about creating a Web site for our group," says Goad. Goad is also an avid photographer and will be posting photos on his site as often as possible. Jill Crews of the Arkansas Rental Dealers Association also enjoys the ability to update her group's site at will. "This program is great as I can post stuff immediately and not have to have a middle man involved," she says.
++ For more information about creating your state association Web site, contact APRO Executive Director Bill Keese.

APRO board of directors
to meet in October
++The annual APRO fall board meeting will be held October 10-12 in Austin, TX, at the Austin Marriott at the Capitol. On October 10 and 11, APRO's various committees will meet to discuss how to best meet the needs of APRO’s membership. The full board will then meet on October 12 to conclude the meeting. If you have any suggestions for topics the board should discuss, please contact APRO Executive Director Bill Keese, 800/204-2776, ext. 101.

Visit the APRO Web site or call the APRO office at 800/204-2776.

July 21, 2005
Volume 4, Issue 15

PUBLISHED BY APRO
1504 ROBIN HOOD TRAIL
AUSTIN, TX 78703
800.204.2776
APROVISION.ORG

» Furniture trailer stolen on its way to Aaron's

» Rent a couch, win a trip as Babers Customer of the Year

» Chappy's Rent-to-own sponsor races on

» Covington, KY, council seeks to zone out rent-to-own

» RAC lobbies for pay day bill in Pennsylvania

» Hurricane hurts rent-to-own business

» Strikers use rent-to-own to stay their cause

»Rent-A-Center second quarter 2005 financial results conference call to be broadcast live via the Web July 26

• 2005 APRO Convention and Buying Show

Have a question or concern? Call APRO at 800/204-2776; or e-mail Bill Keese.

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APRO: Always There