Rent-to-Own

Rent One donates $20,000 to youth reading program

Larry and Sharon Carrico Wednesday, presented United Way of Southern Illinois with a check for $20,000 for the local Imagination Library Program.

Rent One owners Larry and Sharon Carrico Wednesday, donated $20,000 to the Jefferson County Dolly Parton Imagination Library program to commemorate the one year anniversary of the program they initiated.

Around 175 pre-kindergarten students were on hand at Benjamin Franklin Early Childhood Education Center in Mt. Vernon, Illinois to welcome the news.

Half of the funds are from Rent One and its employees, Larry said, but the other half is from the Our Great Expectations Foundation, which he and his wife recently established.

Additionally, Carrico pledged to donate an additional $10,000 to the program if the number of participants increased from its current number — about 870 — to 1,000.

This revelation thrilled United Way of South Central Illinois (UWSCI) organizers and volunteers who were just coming off a disappointing donation campaign

UWSCI Executive Director Rhonda McCowen told the Mt. Vernon News the organization’s results from its last left a hole of about $270,000.

“This is a special day,” she said. “This dream of mine would not have happened without Larry and Sharon’s support.”

McCowen said the $20,000, plus the Carricos’ pledge to donate $50,000 over the next five years, helped relieve her fears that the Imagination Library wouldn’t be able to continue. She said the goal of the United Way is to reach 2,400 children with the Imagination Library, which is the total number of children who qualify for the program.

“We already knew the gift of $50,000 was going to keep the library secure for the next five years,” she said. “Larry is a man of character, truly. He tries to give back, and it’s not like he owes Mt. Vernon anything. He doesn’t live here, but it’s still home to him.”

She said UWSCI and the Imagination Library still need the community’s support, even if it’s just the $26 that funds one child’s participation in the program.

“We really want to get to five years with the program to measure its impact on the students who are in it,” she said. “It’s so important for us to get to five years to report on the value and the difference it make in the kids’ lives.”

Larry said the Great Expectations Foundation will work to fund 501c3 not-for-profit organizations in the region and anywhere there is a Rent One store.

The Carricos’ Great Expectations Foundation works to promote educational, spiritual and physical fitness programs and grew out of a childhood reading initiative launched last year in conjunction with Uand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library– an initiative that seeks to provide a book every month for children up to 5 years of age at no charge for Jefferson County Residents.

He said the foundation’s goals are to promote fitness, education and spiritual growth in youth.

The $10,000 to the Jefferson County Dolly Parton Imagination Library is the foundation’s first grant, he said.

In addition, Carrico this year is allowing each of Rent One’s seven regions to champion the causes they see as most beneficial to the communities they serve. The regions will also be able to apply for matching grants not only from Rent One, but from the Great Expectations Foundation.

Extreme Volunteering: 2,000 Aaron’s managers commit to community service in Dallas today

Aaron’s Lucky Dog at the company’s community outreach project in Washington, D.C. in 2009.

Aaron’s Inc. is once again pairing community service and outreach with its annual national store managers meeting March 20-22 in Dallas.

For the fourth year in a row, Aaron’s associates will dedicate one day to "Extreme Volunteering" – a large-scale outreach effort to community projects benefiting military service members, area children and the community. This year marks Aaron’s second visit to the Dallas area for its national meeting and community service endeavor.

Nearly 2,000 Aaron’s associates will invest 5,100 hours and more than $500,000 in product and service donations. As part of the donation, the Company will present the American Cancer Society with a check for approximately $200,000 from funds raised during an employee campaign. Over the past four years, Aaron’s managers will have invested 20,800 hours and $1.5 million in product and service donations to surrounding communities through outreach projects conducted at national meetings.

"The community outreach component of the annual managers meeting has become a highlight for all our participants, and the event reflects how deeply giving back to the communities we serve is embedded into our Company philosophy," said Ron Allen, Aaron’s, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer. "Texas is one of Aaron’s largest and most successful markets, and we wanted to give back to a community in which we’ve been fortunate enough to build so many loyal customer relationships."

Updates from the meeting will be posted on: http://aaronsmeeting.wordpress.com/

Aaron’s 2012 Dallas-Area Community Outreach Events for Wednesday, March 21

    1.    The Be the Match Foundation

Location: The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the Be the Match Foundation are nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating an opportunity for all leukemia patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it. Every year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases. About 70 percent of patients in need of a transplant do not have a matching donor in their family and depend on the NMDP’s Be The Match Registry® to find an unrelated donor or umbilical cord blood unit. Aaron’s will proudly host a Be the Match event to expand the registry and save more lives. This project was inspired by Mercede Joy Carmichael, the granddaughter of Mike Stewart, assistant regional manager of the Central North Carolina Region, who lost her battle with leukemia last month at the young age of 9. For more information, visit www.marrow.org.

    2.    Buckner Children & Family Services

Location: 5200 Buckner Blvd. Dallas, TX 75227

Time: 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Utilizing the power of volunteers’ commitment, knowledge and expertise, Aaron’s, Inc. is partnering with Buckner Children & Family Services in an effort to enrich the lives of children in foster care, enhance community programs for at-risk youth and provide aid and support to disadvantaged families. With an emphasis on education, recreation and essentials, volunteers will work together to create a lasting impression by executing various on-site service projects on the Buckner Campus. Associates will install new bedroom furniture and computers in the Sadler Cottages, and thousands of books, bookcases and rocking chairs will be donated. Additionally, assigned volunteers will work alongside Buckner staff on campus at the Shoes for Orphan Souls warehouse and Center for Humanitarian Aid, where thousands of new shoes and supplies will be processed, sorted and packed. Lastly, selected entries of the Fostering Our Future Art & Writing Contest (pre-event contest) will award scholarship funds to four children while honoring their foster parents for their contribution and sacrifice. For more information, visit www.buckner.org.

    3.    Carter BloodCare Blood Drive

Location:  The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carter BloodCare is pleased to once again be partnering with Aaron’s to host an on-site blood drive at the Gaylord Texan Resort. In 2010, dedicated Aaron’s managers donated 180 units of lifesaving blood; while this year nearly 450 Aaron’s associates have committed to donating blood. As the level of sophistication in medical treatment increases, so does the need for blood. Every two seconds, someone somewhere in America needs a blood transfusion, and the supply can only be maintained by volunteer donors. Additionally, blood credits earned during the drive will be donated to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. For more information, visit www.carterbloodcare.org.

    4.    The Helping Hands Project

Location:  The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Helping Hands™ Project is a destination community service project that partners Aaron’s with The Boys and Girls Club of America. One hundred and fifty Aaron’s team members will be on-site at a local Boys and Girls Club in the DFW area to complete an extreme makeover in just 3 hours. This project entails painting in and outdoors; landscaping including planting new flowers, trees and shrubs; building maintenance; and general clean-up and re-organization of the facility’s outdated library. New bookshelves and cubbies, along with a portion of the books collected from the Aaron’s Book Drive, will be donated to the club to create a warm and inviting environment that fosters motivation for reading. 

    5.    The Leave a Legacy Workshop

Location:  The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Most of the reading problems faced by today’s adolescents and adults are the result of issues that might have been avoided or resolved in early childhood. Aaron’s will help provide an environment that fosters motivation for and exposure to literacy by building reading benches, storage cubbies, rocking chairs and bookshelves that will be donated to The Boys and Girls Club of America and to Buckner Children & Family Services for the use by the foster children and parents. Aaron’s will also donate books collected from the Aaron’s Book Drive. For more information, visit www.leavealegacy.org.

    6.    Turn Up The Heat On Hunger – North Texas Food Bank

Location:  The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Texas leads the nation with the highest percentage of food-deprived families. In effort to end the increasingly urgent issue of hunger in North Texas, Aaron’s is teaming with the North Texas Food Bank to bring hope to the tables of deserving families. Teams of Aaron’s associates will work together to pack food boxes based on nutritional requirements. Aaron’s will partner with the North Texas Food Bank to assist in assembling 20,685 meals for those in need. Aaron’s will also be donating a Frigidaire 30-inch freestanding electric range stove for the Food Bank’s Kids Cafe. For more information, visit www.ntfb.org.

    7.    Relay for Life – American Cancer Society

Location:  The Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051

Time: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Continuing their commitment to the American Cancer Society, Aaron’s volunteers will host a mini Relay for Life Event onsite at the Gaylord Texan. Relay for Life is one of the largest fundraising events for the American Cancer Society. It allows communities around the world to join together with one common goal – to fight cancer. Aaron’s will have a host of activities and games as the associates walk to celebrate survivors, remember loved ones and fight back against cancer. The company will present the American Cancer Society with a check for more than $200,000 raised from a company-wide employee campaign. For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org.

    8.    VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas VA Medical Center

Location:  4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216

Time: 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

VA North Texas Health Care System serves over 111,000 patients each year, delivering over one million outpatient visits to veterans in 38 North Texas counties and two counties in southern Oklahoma. The second largest VA in the nation, Dallas VA Medical Center is an 84-acre campus with four ICUs, a spinal cord injury center, state of the art MRI center and a women’s mammography suite. Innovative clinical services include cardiac surgery, geriatric care and chronic pain intervention procedures, to name a few. In support of Dallas VA Medical Center and its commitment to providing veterans excellence in patient care, Aaron’s will demonstrate its strength in numbers with furniture donations to be used in the patient and waiting areas of GI, ICU, dialysis, homeless domiciliary and the Guest House on the 9th floor. For more information, visit www.northtexas.va.gov.

Rent One crowns top performers

Elvis Riley (center), Rent One’s 2011 Employee of the Year, celebrates with company president Trent Agin (L) and founder Larry Carrico.

Rent One topped its three-day annual managers meeting in St. Charles, Missouri with an awards banquet Wednesday, where more than a dozen individual managers and high performing stores were recognized.

Elvis Riley took home the Rentastic! 2011Employee of the Year Award. Riley’s attention to his community, particularly his active involvement in creating and running youth baseball, softball and t-ball leagues that have served more than 11,000, was cited as a deciding factor in choosing him for the award.

"I’m blessed to be able to do these things for the kids of Harrisburg," Riley said. "Set yourself up for success everyday and you’ll win."

Rent One’s Regional Manager of 2011 is Tim Daugherity of region six; Rent One store of the year  award went o Lisa Curry; manager of the year award went to Anton Luster, rookie store manager of the year award went to Marcus Jones; vendor of the year award went to Wally Moon of Woodson and Bozeman Company.

Trent Agin’s President Award of Excellence went to Jordan Kirkpatrick who joined Rent One in 2004.

Stephen Carrico was presented his five-year ring.

See full photo gallery of the event here.

ColorTyme hires industry veteran to support franchise development

Clyde Stutzman, ColorTyme’s new franchise development manager.

ColorTyme, Inc., the nation’s oldest franchisor of independently owned-and-operated rent-to-own stores, announced today that industry veteran Clyde Stutzman has joined the organization as Franchise Development Manager.

Stutzman, who has over 15 years of experience in both franchising and the rent-to-own business, will be responsible for helping grow the ColorTyme store count by bringing on new franchise owners. He will work with both RTO professionals and entrepreneurs/investors and assist existing RTO operators who wish to convert their independent RTO stores to ColorTyme via a strategic conversion program.

“The addition of Clyde and his extensive knowledge of the industry to our Franchising team is another positive step for ColorTyme,” said President and CEO Cathy Skula. “He will be a valuable asset to our organization and will help us achieve our aggressive goals for growth.”

Prior to joining ColorTyme, Stutzman was the Owner and President of Competition Consulting, a franchise consulting firm which focused on the development of national franchisors’ systems whose clients include a number of high-profile companies in the rent-to-own and retail fields. Previously, he was the Vice President of Franchise Development for Premier Rental-Purchase.

Clyde attended the University of Kansas where he majored in Business Administration, Political Science and History. He will work out of ColorTyme’s corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas.
 

Ten days remain to book a room for APRO’s 2012 Dave Egan Legislative Conference at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel.

If you have not made your reservation, please call:

L’Enfant Plaza Hotel – 202/484-1000

Request the APRO room rate – $259

 
TUESDAY, APRIL 17                   

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.    State Association Presidents’ Meeting – Lafayette Room

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.    Registration – Foyer A & B

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.    APRO Board Meeting – Quorum Room

            Sponsored by               
                               
4– 5:30 p.m.        General Briefing Session – Ballroom A & B
           
            Sponsored by    
                               
5:30 – 7 p.m.        Welcome Reception – Solarium

            Sponsored by             

       
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18   

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.    Meetings on the Hill   

6:30 p.m.        Load buses in front of L’Enfant Plaza Hotel    

                               
7 – 9:30 p.m.        Networking Reception/Dinner

            Reception sponsored by    

            Dinner sponsored by               

THURSDAY, APRIL 19

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.    Meetings on the Hill   
           

Please contact Jeannie Hutchison (800) 204-2776, ext. 108, to register your attendance to the conference. Make your hotel reservation at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel (202) 484-1000, mention the APRO room rate of $259. Hotel reservation deadline is March 23.
 

Milby elected KRDA President

New KRDA President Bill Milby.

The Kentucky Rental Dealers Association welcomed a record number of dealers to its annual meeting Thursday at the Belterra Casino Resort and Spa in Florence, Indiana, where they elected new board members and executive officers.

Bill Milby of Hometown Sales and Lease based in Mayfield, Kentucky was elected the new KRDA president replacing outgoing president Chris Bolin of Bolin Rental Purchase who has served in either vice president or president roles since 2008.

Milby owns four rental stores in Louisville, Ragcliff and Mayfield, Kentucky.

 "The Midwest Expo is one of the things we are really going to focus on, getting as many states involved as possible, working with Ohio, Illinois, and other surrounding states," Milby said. "It’s a great honor to be elected and an honor to serve."

Bolin still serves as president of the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association and was recently elected president of TRIB Group. 

KRDA attendees

"I’ll have my work cut out for me, but I’m still on the KRDA board so I’ll still be involved for sure," Bolin said. "It was time to get some new blood in there and give someone else the chance to serve."

Vice president is Jessie Fraley of Bestway Rent to Own and treasurer is Mark Kracium of Rent-A-Center.

Four boardmembers were also elected including Shawn DiLeo of ColorTyme, Eric Holland of Rent-A-Center. Bolin and Milby were re-elected to the board.

Bolin elected new TRIB Group president

New TRIB Group President Chris Bolin.

The TRIB Group Board of Directors Thursday, in its last order of business, elected new officers to head the nation’s only member-owned rent to own buying group.

The board unanimously elected Chris Bolin, of Bolin Rental Purchase, as president. Bolin will takeover for immediate past-president Lyn Leach of Ace Rent to Own who served the past two years as president and is declining a third term.

“I am honored to be elected to this position by the TRIB group Board of Directors and confident this will be a fantastic year for The Rental Industry Buying Group," Bolin said. "Along with our experienced executive director, Dennis Shields, we will leverage our relationships and create opportunities that will bring even more value to this outstanding member run organization. This entire board is energized and eager to get to work, doing great things for our membership. I am fortunate to be surrounded by such dedicated and experienced professionals.”

Board members also elected Shannon Strunk of Baber’s as vice president, Kit Knight of Central Rent to Own as secretary and Kevin Quinn of Quality Rentals as treasurer.

"Overall the was a very successful meeting with high attendance and, so far, our unofficial purchase order tally is just north of $17 million," said TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shield’s. "Our members are looking forward to a strong spring and a great 2012."

Three new board members were elected Tuesday including Louis Bacille with 1st Choice, Lee Duval from Buddy’s and Mike Tissot of Countryside Rent2Own, who was returned to the board. Kathy Windsor of National TV Sales and Rental and Todd Homburger of Buddy’s did not seek re-election to the board.

The election of officers concludes TRIB Group’s five-day convention and buy fair in Orlando.

See photos.

Watch videos.

Kevin Quinn honored with "Slats President’s Award"

"Slats" President’s Award Winner Kevin Quinn plants one on wife, Angela, as TRIB Group President Lyn Leach looks on Wednesday night.

TRIB Group celebrated the rent to own industry’s finest Wednesday, recognizing outstanding dealers and vendors at the rent to own buying group’s farewell dinner and awards banquet at SeaWorld Orlando.

RTO veteran and past APRO President Kevin Quinn nabbed TRIB Group’s most prestigious award when he was named TRIB Group’s 2011 Norman W. "Slats" Slatton Sr. President’s Award Winner. The selection was made by TRIB Group President Lyn Leach of Ace Rent to Own.

From industrious mobile home salesman who once took 852 pairs of jeans as a down payment to car salesman, Quinn’s colorful road to rent was complete when he inherited an asparagus farm and sold it for seed money to move and open his first rent-to-own store in 1979.

Quinn also led the industry through one of its darkest hours. As APRO President it was Quinn’s staid hand that guided rent to own through a tri-pronged assault from the media, Capitol Hill and the IRS during his tenure from 1993-1995.

"He revved up public relations efforts and began changing the image of rent to own," Leach said during Quinn’s introduction. "The legislative issue was begun under his presidency and today’s continued effort to secure federal legislation was initiated under his leadership. He is kind, caring, hard working, honest and committed to his God, his family and our industry."

Quinn is a past APRO Rental Dealer of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

An emotional Quinn called his wife, Angela, to the stage with him and humbly said she was the true award winner and without her support he would not be on the stage.

"Your dad was a tough "nice person"," Quinn said, addressing Slatton’s son, Jamie Slatton, in the audience. "To  have this award with his (Norman Slatton Sr.) name on it, it means everything. TRIB is in my blood."

Felix Mendez, of O’Rourke Sales Company, is TRIB Group’s "Lowrey Shrader People’s Choice Award" for Vendor of the Year.

Three new board members were elected Tuesday including Louis Bacille with 1st Choice, Lee Duval from Buddy’s and Mike Tissot of Countryside Rent2Own, who was returned to the board. The board will elect new officers tomorrow.

Members enjoyed dinner and the run of the SeaWorld Orlando Park after the awards banquet.

See event photo gallery here.

TRIB Group raises $7,000 for APRO Scholarship Fund

Miriam Eichlin is welcomed by Mark Windsor (L) and her husband Dick at TRIB Group’s member reception Tuesday.

TRIB Group announced Tuesday that the rent to own buying group’s golf outing raised more than $7,000 for APRO’s Educational Scholarship Foundation. The announcement was made at the opening of the groups two-day buy fair at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida.

"We’ve raised money for charitable organizations at golf outings in the past, but this year we wanted to do something for APRO’s Scholarship Fund," said TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields. "Through independent hole sponsorships and contests we were able to raise this for this very important cause within our industry."

Some 80 golfers participated in the outing.

TRIB Group members Monday night, turned in a whopping $5.2 million in purchase orders at the organization’s "Hot Show" which opened the show.

A majority of the group’s 153 members are in attendance representing 31 states and the Caribbean islands.

Tuesday kicked off with the group’s membership meeting and the buy fair opens with some 80 TRIB-approved vendors exhibiting.

 The second half of the group’s membership meeting takes place Wednesday with the conclusion of the "Buy Fair", closing dinner and reception at Sea World, Orlando.

See photo gallery of TRIB Groups Convention and Buy Fair here.

NEW VIDEOS: PrimeTime! Buying Show opens

James MacAlpine at RentDirect meeting Monday.

Thousands of independent rent to own, appliance, furniture and electronics dealers opened day one of Nationwide Marketing Group’s (NMG) PrimeTime! Meeting and Buying Show Monday at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando.

Rent to own dealers packed one of the convention center ballrooms for NMG’s rental channel meeting — RentDirect — led by James MacAlpine, NMG’s vice president of rental and business development.

MacAlpine reviewed the past year in the industry using a variety of public and proprietary data that indicated continued growth in rent to own driven particularly by the success of kiosk stores and by "second look" financing models such as  RAC Acceptance and Why Not Lease It.

MacAlpine introduced several new RentDirect Vendor Partners including O’Rourke Sales Company and Netassertive.

Ed Winn III, APRO legal counsel, followed up with a legal update for rent to own dealers prior to the RentDirect Hotshow.

The PrimeTime! Buying Show and education courses began Monday and run through Tuesday.

See videos from the PrimeTime Buying Show below:

Dan Cole, National Rent to Own

Brian Dick, Netsertive

Trent Agin, Rent One

Bill Blonden, TV Town

Michael Novembrino, Curry Real Estate Service

Dan Matthews, Rent Plus

See photo gallery.