Rent-to-own News - Awards banquet closes Heartland Show, product training begins

Mark Windsor (l) and Don Juleson teach Windsor's grandson, Ezekiel Jackson, the finer points of DJ-ing.

Attendees at the Missouri Rental Dealers Association Heartland of America Conference topped off a day of recreation and buying Tuesday with the 7th annual dinner and awards banquet which recognized more than a dozen vendors -- some for double digit years of membership -- for their loyalty to MRDA, and winners of golf and fishing tournaments held earlier in the day.

"This show holds value," said MRDA President J.C. Cox. Cox is vice president of four-store Gateway Rent to Own. "Especially in this economy when we are recognizing vendors for five, 10 and 20 years of membership, that really speaks for itself. We've added six new vendors this year and this show, combined with our product training and other member benefits, it's one of the best values in the industry."

In the golf tournament the team of John Mays, D-Ann Reyering, Ron Baum, T.J. Swafford took home first place. Second place went to the team of Alex Davis, Shaun Murphy, Will Hopkins, Tim Scoles.  Jerry Pinkley, Curt Bannigan, Dan Anderson, Bill French took home third place.

In the fishing tournament, Gib Collins of Show Me Rent to Own took home top honors for the single largest catch, a 4.3 pound Big Mouth Bass. Collins and teammate Nathan Young also of Show Me, also claimed the greatest total fish weight.

The team caught 14.2 pounds of total bass.

Second place for total pounds caught went to the team of Steve Branning and Ron Mueller; third place went to Doug Neuhaus and Vic Lombardo; fourth place went to Dan Cole and Joe Fagin.

See awards photos.

Earlier in the afternoon, rental dealers swarmed the convention hall at the Lodge of the Four Seasons Resort to peruse some 47 exhibitors across 70 booths offering the latest in consumer electronics, furniture, appliances, software and marketing tools.

Cindy Boyers owner of Heartland Furniture and Appliance.

Cindy Boyers, owner of Heartland Furniture and Appliance and 10-year MRDA member said the Heartland Show was the best example of a truly regional opportunity to get face time with vendors and also fellowship and share ideas with area rental dealers.

"It's a local show and that means you get to see lots of people and make connections," Boyers said. "You get to make connections with sales reps and, even if you don't buy their product right away, you've got that relationship so that maybe in a few months or a year when you're ready, you've got someone there that you know you can work with."

See full Heartland 2011 photo gallery.