 APRO: The Official Voice of the Rent to Own Industry
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APRO's Exclusive Rent-to-own Audio and Podcasts
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Rent to own Audio & Podcasts: Mark Key
Mark Key, manager with SEI Aaron's, is the new secretary/treasurer for the newly created New England Rental Dealers Association December 11.
Key is a native Texan who's spent all his life in retail -- operations internal auditor and buyer for convenience store chains and field marketer for big box drug in the northeast. He traded in his retail boots for rent-to-own three years ago when he went to work for the largest Aaron's franchise in the country and never looked back. Key manages nine SEI Aaron's locations in Rhode Island and south coast of Massachusetts, locations "Our customers really don't have many options," Key said. "Retailers really don't pay attention to the folks who walk through our doors. Without us, where do they go. Certainly we want the industry to survive and organizations like these help that effort." Key said the diversity of the new association, which includes the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island is its strength. The association's inaugural meeting drew dealers with from one to over sixty stores with a seat reserved for Rent-A-Center, the nation's largest rent-to-own company. "It helps bring not only different minds from different places together, but we can be more likely to ensure that we're covering all our bases, that all voices are being heard," Key said. I'd like to see the diversity that was represented here today also to get and stay active. We do have the ability to have an impact from a grassroots level. We will have a significant impact in a short period of time." | ||||
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APRO's 2010 Legislative
Conference!
We would like to
thank our attendees for a great success! 
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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. | |||
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Click the links below to download each article as a PDF
Complete issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine | January-February 2010
The Year of the Tiger According to Chinese astrology, the Year of the Tiger begins in February 2010. Tiger John Cleek is making the most of it as he winds down his two-year term as APRO’s president. He reflects on personal and industry-wide accomplishments and the love of family that sustains him.
In the 30-year history of the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations, 17 rental dealers have served as president. To mark APRO’s special anniversary, 15 of these leaders share their experiences in helping to shape the rent-to-own industry.
The Keep Rate Conundrum Calculating keep rate does not seem to improve the rent-to-own business in any discernible way—and yet this calculation, beyond all the others, has had enormous legal and political implications for rent-to-own almost since its inception.
Vendor Spotlight: What's in a Name? These three departed rent-to-own vendors--Joe Eason, Tom Kitchens and Norm Smith--live on, their names indelibly linked to key industry events and honors.
See the current issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine... [PDF format] [HTML format]
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Association of Progressive Rental Organizations 1504 Robin Hood Trail Austin, Texas 78703 800/204-2776, ext. 103 Fax 512/794-0097 |