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TRIB Group’s signature roundtable event, Meeting of the Minds, now with a second Group Buy Fair added, begins next week, Sunday, Aug. 29 through Wednesday, Sept. 1.
The event will be co-located with Brand’s Source’s National Convention at the Paris/Bally’s Resorts in Las Vegas.
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TRIB Group’s signature roundtable event, Meeting of the Minds, now with a second Group Buy Fair added, begins next week, Sunday, Aug. 29 through Wednesday, Sept. 1.
The event will be co-located with Brand’s Source’s National Convention at the Paris/Bally’s Resorts in Las Vegas.
Registration is Sunday, August 29, prior to the ‘Meeting of the Minds’ opening remarks which begin at 9 a.m. Monday.
First day ‘Meeting of the Minds’ topics include renting and collecting, promos, contests, pricing, product, legal, fee collection and packaging facilitated by Countryside’s Mike Tissot and Sam’s Furniture and Appliance’s Seth Weisblatt.
The first day of roundtable discussions will also include presentations on cutting costs, the health care effects on business and breakout sessions with over 20 topics to choose from.
Monday evening, TRIB Group will host its ever-popular HOTSHOW with the best discounts and deals on everything from furniture to appliances to electronics and specialty.
The ‘Meeting of the Minds’ will continue Tuesday morning with a third roundtable discussion on human resources, facilitated by Rent One’s Trent Agin. Tuesday will also be unity shirt day for members to wear the 2010 Meeting of the Minds shirt that will be distributed at registration.
The buy fair will open to all members for lunch and purchasing at 12:30pm on Tuesday. There will be great purchasing discounts from TRIB Group including fast cash money, passport options, summit savings vouchers and special buys from top vendors.
Last minute registration can be completed at www.brandsourceconvention.com. All vendor representatives attending the show must also register for name badges.
Currently, 69 member companies and three guest companies are slated to attend the event, with over 190 total attendees. These attendance numbers represent a 53% and a 78% increase over 2009 attendance numbers, respectively. A full, downloadable copy of the event agenda and schedule of topics can be found at www.tribgroup.com.
The Rental Industry Buying Group (TRIB Group), based in Atlanta, Georgia, was established in 1983 and is currently the largest member owned, member run buying cooperative in the nation specifically for the RTO industry.
TRIB Group’s membership is currently 153 member companies strong representing over 3,400 storefronts and is proud to be a strategic alliance partner with AVB/Brand Source.
After a seven-year absence, Woonsocket has a ColorTyme to serve the community thanks to Ray Bird. A rent-to-own franchisee for 20 years, Bird recently opened the doors to his new store – the third including his Providence and Pawtucket, R.I. stores.
“Woonsocket is a perfect place for ColorTyme, and we’re glad to have the opportunity to re-introduce the brand here,” Bird said. “Residents deserve a better choice in rent-to-own, and now they have it.”
The new store offers a vast selection of furniture, appliances, computers, electronics and more. ColorTyme offers customers flexible payment options to get name-brand products they need without a credit check. In addition, service, delivery and set-up are included at no extra charge.
Bird is confident customers will enjoy the hometown feel of a smaller rent-to-own store and benefit from the level of value and service it provides.
“Due to the competition, we feel customers can take advantage of an independently-owned store where they get the utmost respect and attention and a better selection of furniture,” he said. “We know that customers can rent from the others, that’s why at ColorTyme we have the products they want to own.”
The new ColorTyme is located at 825 Front St. The store will celebrate its grand opening on Sept. 1 with a free public event.
Rent One technicians participated in the company’s first ever "Delivery Technician Rodeo" last week, honing install skills and team building across Rent One’s seven regions and making the front page of the August 19 edition of The Paragould Daily Press in the process.
Delivery technicians competed in seven events including: range cord hook-up, removal and reinstall of fridge freezer door, installing anti-tip bracket on range, computer memory install, TV hook-up wit blu-ray DVD, dollying and lifting techniques and vehicle backing.
The winners in these categories received trophies and techs also competed in a team workout and written testing and training.
Rent One Manager Tim Daugherity said the competition was a great way to combine training and recognition.
"We spend a great deal of money training the delivery techs and we have some really skilled technicians here," Daugherity told the Paragould Daily Press.
Regional competition continues through September and one store will be chosen as the best over all store. That store will then go on to compete against other stores in Illinois and Kentucky. the overall winner will win cash and prizes.
Premier’s Frye celebrates five years in business
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| Sandi and Mike Frye. |
Sandi Frye recently celebrated her fifth year as a Premier Rental-Purchase dealer in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her RTO career spans nearly two decades, beginning with Rainbow Rentals where she worked up to award-winning management before opening her Premier store.
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| Sandi and Mike Frye. |
Sandi Frye recently celebrated her fifth year as a Premier Rental-Purchase dealer in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Her RTO career spans nearly two decades, beginning with Rainbow Rentals where she worked up to award-winning management before opening her Premier store.
Like many Premier dealers, she has turned from being an employee to starting and running a family business. Husband Mike, son Matt and daughter Nicole share her passion for both independence and the rental-purchase industry.
“It is great to see my family working together for the success of the store. Even my mom, who is retired, does filing and store shopping,” said Frye.
Included as part of her business mission is serving her community. This past year, the Premier Altoona store supported a local Cub Scout troop and missionaries from Frye’s church.
For Frye, being part of the Premier network of fellow dealers has been an important factor in her success. She has enjoyed payroll, legal and purchasing services that have enabled her to focus more on her customers and growing her business to meet their needs.
“Opening Premier was the best thing I could have done for myself and my family. I find it very rewarding to be able to meet the needs of our customers and give them good customer service.”
Sandi Frye is also a leader in the rent to own industry, serving multiple terms as the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers.
The national office of Premier Rental-Purchase is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier’s website at www.premierrents.net or call (800) 2-Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.
August 20-22, Tupelo Furniture Market,
KLQ golf, auction raise 58 K for local scholarship program
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| Nancy Quinn and daughter Shana Quinn-Watkins celebrate a key shot at the KLQ Golf Tournament in Tacoma Thursday. |
Around 150 golfers representing a broad range of the rent to own spectrum braved drizzling weather Thursday to participate in the 6th annual Dan Quinn and James Webber Memorial Golf Tournament and Auction — the primary fundraiser for the KLQ Education Foundation’s home grown scholarship program — at the Hawk’s Prairie Golf Club in Tacoma, Washington.
This year, organizers estimate the event raised around $50,000 from sponsorships and golf tournament registrations. Approximately $8,000 was raised from the live and silent auctions which featured a broad range of original artwork, collectibles, specialty furnishings and memorabilia, were not available by press time.
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| Nancy Quinn and daughter Shana Quinn-Watkins celebrate a key shot at the KLQ Golf Tournament in Tacoma Thursday. |
Around 150 golfers representing a broad range of the rent to own spectrum braved drizzling weather Thursday to participate in the 6th annual Dan Quinn and James Webber Memorial Golf Tournament and Auction — the primary fundraiser for the KLQ Education Foundation’s home grown scholarship program — at the Hawk’s Prairie Golf Club in Tacoma, Washington.
This year, organizers estimate the event raised around $50,000 from sponsorships and golf tournament registrations. Approximately $8,000 was raised from the live and silent auctions which featured a broad range of original artwork, collectibles, specialty furnishings and memorabilia, were not available by press time.
Fundraising for the events comes primarily from rent to own industry affiliates, friends and colleagues of foundation co-founders Kevin and Angela Quinn who own local rent to own company, Quality Rentals.
"This is so much fun because of the camaraderie," said Larry Sutton, president of Rent-n-Roll Custom Wheels and Tires and multiple year participant in the KLQ tournament. "Most of us have been together in the rent to own industry for 30 years and we get to tell our old stories and have fun while all the time raising money for kids to go to college. You can’t beat that."
This year the foundation was able to award eight scholarships. Read more.
Shana Quinn-Watkins, daughter of Dan Quinn — Kevin’s brother who did not see his idea for the scholarship program realized before his untimely death – said the golf tournament was a befitting legacy for her father.
"This far exceeds anything he ever envisioned," Watkins said. "It’s so touching year after year to see the donations from people who give because they cared about my father. He was such a caring person and he loved golf. This is the perfect fundraiser."
The auction began after a post-golf dinner.
Each year the foundation provides seven $1,000 scholarships to deserving Washington state students. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years provided students continue to meet all qualifying criteria. Over the past five years, 35 scholarships have been awarded and the foundation has raised more than $320,000 at the golf tournament and auction.
The KLQ Foundation was the brainchild of Dan Quinn, Kevin Quinn’s brother. After his untimely death six years ago, Kevin and Angie Quinn created the foundation and turned Dan’s dream into reality.
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KLQ scholarship fundraiser draws loyal RTO participation
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| Mark Windsor, Angela Quinn and Bill French at the Quinn’s KLQ Golf Tournament welcome reception Wednesday. |
Close to 150 golfers from across the rent to own industry are in Tacoma, Washington today for the 6th annual KLQ (Kevin L. Quinn) Golf Tournament and Auction — the primary fundraiser for a home grown scholarship program that for each of the past five years has awarded $4,000 scholarships to seven Washington students.
Some 60 attendees arrived a day early for a welcome reception at the home of program co-founders Kevin and Angela Quinn owners of Quality Rentals.