Missouri Rental Dealers Association to focus on leadership, membership
Boosting membership and participation in the state’s annual trade show top MRDA President John Cleek Jr.’s list of goals he plans to share with fellow rent-to-own dealers at MRDA’s annual membership meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to begin with a vendors-only breakfast at 7:45 a.m. February 6 at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri.
So far, around 130 dealers, employees and vendors are registered for the event, which represents a portion of MRDA’s 19 members-companies. MRDA members operate 182 stores in the Missouri area.
Despite hosting a record breaking regional tradeshow last June that drew over 171 dealers, 52 vendor companies and over $600,000 worth of purchase orders, Cleek is convinced MRSA can draw more dealers next year.
Cleek, who co-owns Cleek’s Lease or Own with his father, John “Tiger” Cleek, also hopes to boost membership to 30 companies.
“The main thing we need to improve on is we’ve got to get more companies to these shows,” Cleek Jr. says. “My goal as president is I want every rent-to-own dealer in Missouri to be a member of MRDA, then we want to get them active.”
Cleek will open the general meeting at 9 a.m. followed by Association of Progressive Rental Organizations Executive Director Bill Keese, who will present a legislative update on the future of rent-to-own.
Author and motivational speaker Bryan Dodge will present the keynote address on “Taking Ownership of Leadership of Your Own Life” from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An update from lobbyist Jim Durham and the MRDA annual business meeting will round out the seminar ending at 3:15 p.m.
All Missouri rent-to-own dealers are invited to attend the meeting regardless of membership in MRDA. Non-members will be charged $50 for the seminar, which can be applied toward annual membership fees.
“We compete but we’re very open about our strategies, we try to help each other,” Cleek says. “We’re in a unique business, we work hard, we play hard and have a lot of fun with it.”
For more information or to register, call 573/442-2963.