Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - Missouri rental dealer's annual membership meeting largest ever

February 6, 2008

By Murlin Evans
 

127 dealers, employees and vendors turned out for the annual Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA) annual membership meeting February 6 in Columbia, Missouri, making this year's meeting the largest in the association's history.


Store level professionalism, personal growth and legislative issues dominated the meeting which kicked off with opening remarks from

Salesman Bryan Dodge pitched goal setting as a means to personal growth at the recent annual MRDA membership meeting.

MRDA President John Cleek Jr. Cleek displayed a plaque awarded by the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) naming MRDA the state association of the year in 2007. Cleek also urged members to contribute to the association's political action committee.


APRO Executive Director Bill Keese stressed the important role played by store level personnel in shaping the public image of the rent-to-own industry. Keese said the professionalism displayed in store level interactions would translate into a more positive perception of the industry at both the state and federal level.


"The efforts of store personnel to help millions of customers achieve the American Dream is a message we will take to the U.S. Congress," Keese said.


Keese also updated MRDA members on the upcoming APRO legislative conference February 11-13 in which 126 rent-to-own industry members have signed up to attend. The rent-to-own bills currently active are S 1012 in the Senate—sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu—and HR 1767 in the House of Representatives—sponsored by William Lacy Clay.


Salesman Bryan Dodge closed out the morning portion of the program with a pitch for personal growth centered on goal setting and getting outside of oneself. Dodge told the audience the top two reasons people do not set goals are both the fear of failure and the fear of success.


The MRDA annual business meeting will round out the seminar ending at 3:15 p.m. followed by a meeting of the board in which all MRDA members are welcome to attend.
 

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.




Featured APRO Photo:
From the 2006 Buddy Walk Album
Buddy Walk 2006

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.

Complete issue of Progressive Rentals April - May 2008
Download the entire April - May 2008 issue of Progressive Rentals by clicking on the link above (PDF file size is approximately 9 MB). by APRO

 

Make the Connection!
APRO's 2008 Rent-to-own Convention and Buying Show
By Shelley Martinek and Neil Ferguson

Meet us in St. Louis and make your rent-to-own connection at APRO's 2008 Convention and Buying Show, August 11-14. It's the industry's must-see event of the year and we've got all the details and registration forms within these pages.

 

In Search of the Industry's Finest
By Richard May
APRO's annual RTO Customer of the Year and Employee of the Year awards shed light on what makes this industry great. We're asking for your help in finding this year's recipients--we'll even pay you for your efforts! Check out profiles of past recipients and then start your search.

 

Rent-to-own and Islam
By Ed Win III
What do rent-to-own and Islam have in common? Quite a lot, actually. Islamic populations governed under Sharia law are being told they cannot enter into transactions where interest is charged. Enter ijara--rent-to-own Muslim-style.

 

APROfile: Scott Brown
By Kristen Card
Scott Brown, a former record-breaking swimmer, now dives into his ColorTyme franchises with ambitious goals, plans and processes for unsinkable success.

 

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