NEWSLETTERS - TRIB Group to celebrate 25 years of RTO buying power

TRIB Group to celebrate 25 years of RTO buying power

TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields

When an expected 500 rent-to-own professionals -- vendors and dealers -- make their way to the annual TRIB Group buying show in Dallas next week, they will be making history.

In more ways than one.

Established in 1983, TRIB Group is the oldest and most respected rent-to-own buying group in business. That's why the group has dubbed this year's 2008 show, "Silver at the Summit", in honor of its 25th anniversary.

And to celebrate, TRIB Group will give away $25,000 to one lucky company in a drawing at the conclusion of the conference. Tickets for the raffle will be awarded based on the volume of purchases made by attending companies.

In addition to celebrating a quarter century of rent-to-own progress and buying power, TRIB's  March 17-19 member conference and buying show will also prove historic in another way.

The March show will mark the first time TRIB and Associated Volume Buyers (AVB) have co-located their respective shows since signing a strategic alliance in May 2006, according to TRIB Executive Director Dennis Shields, who says the move is sure to save TRIB members money.

"The advantage of co-location," says Shields, "is that we can bring more value to our members on their purchases through increased volume."

Shields, who first became associated with TRIB when his company joined in 1994 -- he served four years on the TRIB board before becoming executive director in 2000 -- says, aside from the alliance with AVB, TRIB will maintain its unique rent-to-own focus.

"The main thing about TRIB is, we are rent-to-own 100 percent of the day," Shields says. "We walk rent-to-own, we talk rent-to-own, that's what we do. By keeping our own identity as a rental industry buying group, everything we do is focused on the rent-to-own member. We live RTO."

The "Hot Show" -- a frenzied event that allows TRIB members to bid on special vendor offerings in an auction type setting -- will officially kick off "Silver at the Summit" Monday March 17 at 5 p.m. followed by a welcome reception at 6:30 p.m.

The next two days will be jam packed with a general session, membership meetings and of course "a very busy exhibition floor with lots of products purchased," according to Shields.

Around 80 vendor companies will display their wares to an estimated 250 TRIB member dealers on 12,000 square feet of floor space at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.

Winning and keeping members in an increasingly competitive market will come down to knowing the rent-to-own business and providing services that will help members enhance the bottom line.

"The industry itself has grown and we've brought a lot more services to our members," Shields says. "It's not just about buying washers, televisions and sofas, it's about supplemental vendors, its about playscapes, holiday season items, health insurance and human resources programs."

TRIB Group's "Silver Summit" will mark Shields' 9th convention as the group's executive director.

APRO will be providing timely features and profiles leading up to the "Silver at the Summit" buying show, as well as full coverage of the event itself.