Who Are We?
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) is America’s only national trade association for the rental-purchase industry.
We were founded in 1980 when the Rent-to-Own industry was coming under pressure from several lawsuits and government regulation.
Since then, APRO has been committed to promoting the interests of its members and putting forth the best foot for the RTO Industry .
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide valuable member benefits, maintain a benevolent business climate, and promote professionalism with responsibility and integrity throughout our industry.
Meet Our CEO
Charles Smitherman is the newly installed CEO for APRO!
Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO and General Counsel for PTS Financial Services where he played an active role in RTO representing his company with APRO member dealers through PTS’s club program offering.
Charles has twenty years of experience being an attorney in a variety of areas including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law.
Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD from the University of Oxford in England. Charles is credentialed as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association and as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
Understanding APRO
The following links will help those interested to understand more about APRO.
How Have We Impacted the RTO Industry?
Currently, APRO membership spans across all 50 US states. For over two decades, no new federal legislation has passed that would threaten rent/lease-to-own.
We personally Climb the Hill with members and arrange meetings with Senators and House Representatives on Capitol Hill so our members can have closer connections with their elected officials.
We help unite an industry through our yearly event - RTO World™ - where dealers are not afraid to share their knowledge with each other.
It is a time where industry leaders within the industry come together to make connections, learn about rent-to-own, and celebrate how far we have come as an industry. Join is this year and register today!
