APRO's Exclusive Rent-to-own Audio and Podcasts

Rent to own Audio and Podcasts:

Welcome to RTOHQ's Rent to own audio and Podcasts!

Here you'll find audio including rent to own industry interviews, rent to own industry news, coverage of rent to own companies and events and much more. You can stream, download, and share these rent to own audio bits rigth here on APRO's RTOHQ.org.


Category: Company Features
Audio Title: David Kraemer, President and CEO Bestway Rent-To-Own September 23, 2009
Audio Description: David Kraemer is the President and CEO of Bestway Rent-To-Own. Kraemer is a 26-year RTO veteran who served as past executive vice president with Rent-A-Center and joined Bestway in 2002. The company is currently the largest independent rent-to-own comp
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Audio Title: Beth Durrett, CFO Bestway Rent-To-Own September 23, 2009
Audio Description: NEW PODCAST: Beth Durrett, CFO Bestway Rent-To-Own Beth Durrett is the chief financial officer for Bestway Rent-To-Own. In her 30 years with the company -- dating back to its pre-RTO well-servicing days -- Durrett has lived the Bestway philosophy o
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Audio Title: Ray Oribello, BriteLite March 24, 2009
Audio Description: Roy Oribello is the senior vice president of BriteLite a 14-year-old company that offers a line of DJ audio rack systems for home and professional use. Kits start in the low $600's to the $1,200. BriteLite is a first time vendor at the TRIB show th
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Audio Title: Tony Farrell of PTS Financial Services March 24, 2009
Audio Description: Tony Farrell is the owner of PTS Financial Services, one of the largest and oldest successful independent tax service providers in the country since 1988. PTS Financial Services provides "in-store" tax services for rent-to-own dealers and was one of 85
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Audio Title: Bill French Interview July 19, 2008
Audio Description: Bill French, vice president of national accounts with O'Rourke Sales Company, is one of a half dozen new vendors at the Full-O-Pep show this year. French sits in a bank of high resolution television screens broadcasting stunning images of cooking dem
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Audio Title: Herb Carlson Kinetic Cookware June 17, 2008
Audio Description: Herb Carlson is a sales representative with Ginsu Knives and Kinetic Cookware and hopes to make high quality cookware and cutlery as much a staple of the rent-to-own product line as some of these once new, now commonplace products. Carlson is one of 13
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Audio Title: HD Canvass Art June 17, 2008
Audio Description: Kevin Van Kirk is the owner of three-year old company HD Canvas Art -- a company that specializes in high definition digital art on canvas. The highly durable, indoor/outdoor art is "gallery edge wrapped" eliminating the need for a frame and potential
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Audio Title: Mike Tissot Interview May 9, 2008
Audio Description: Mike Tissot, owner of Countryside Rentals, is a hands-on owner who has used High Touch software for over a decade. In this exclusive APRO podcast, Tissot describes his participation with the company in helping to develop new enhancements to the High Touch
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Audio Title: John Rogers Interview May 9, 2008
Audio Description: John Rogers is the sales group director for High Touch Technology Solutions and has been with the company for 13 years. In this exclusive APRO podcast, he describes some new High Touch software enhancements introduced to rent-to-own dealers at the company
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Audio Title: Gary Ferriman Interview May 8, 2008
Audio Description: Gary Ferriman, owner of Showplace Rent-To-Own, is a long time user of High Touch software.In this exclusive APRO podcast, he discusses the importance of building relationships with customers and why he thinks new High Touch software enhancements will make
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Audio Title: Wayne Chambers Interview May 7, 2008
Audio Description: In this exclusive APRO podcast, High Touch President and CEO Wayne Chambers discusses some of the changes he's seen in the rent-to-own industry over the past two decades. Chambers explains some of the new enhancement features his company has developed as
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Audio Title: Ellison Crider of RSSS discusses trends in rent-to-own software industry March 22, 2008
Audio Description: Live from the buying floor at the historic TRIB-AVB trade show in Dallas, RSSS General Manager Ellison Crider shares his observations on trends within the rent-to-own software industry and predictions on what it means it for customers and dealers.
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Category: Legislation
Audio Title: Dwight Dumler October 14, 2008
Audio Description: Dwight Dumler, senior vice president of government affairs, RAC With over 11 years of experience in the industry, Dumler has worked stints for both Rentway and Rent-A-Center before settling in for keeps with Rent-A-Center in 2002. Although he works
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Audio Title: Legislative Conference Follow Up March 22, 2008
Audio Description:
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Category: Rent-to-own News
Audio Title: APRO President "Tiger" John Cleek reflects on the state of the rent-to-own industry September 2, 2009
Audio Description: APRO President "Tiger" John Cleek talks about the rent-to-own industry's victories in the past year and challenges for the upcoming year.
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Audio Title: Cynthia Baber-Strunk talks about her new role as an APRO Board Member September 1, 2009
Audio Description: Cynthia Baber-Strunk talks about her recent election to the APRO Board of Directors.
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Audio Title: Todd Evans talks about the state of Aarons franchising September 1, 2009
Audio Description: Vice President of Aaron's franchising, Todd Evans, talks about the state of Aaron's franchising during APRO's annual convention.
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Audio Title: Vontoo has a message for you September 1, 2009
Audio Description: Vontoo messaging company provides rent-to-own companies voice technologies for increased promotions and labor saving collections.
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Audio Title: BestWay's Steve Kruse on Congressional Grassroots September 1, 2009
Audio Description: BestWay's Steve Kruse, who received the award for most Congressional meeting during APRO's 2009 Legislative Conference, talks to APRO about the most effective tips to generating support for rent-to-own in Congress.
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Audio Title: A Conversation with New APRO Board Member Dennis Adams September 1, 2009
Audio Description: American Rental Dennis Adams talks about his new role as an APRO Board member.
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Audio Title: Paul Davis Nations Rent-To-Own May 4, 2009
Audio Description: Paul Davis, owner of Nation's Rent-To-Own, is running for Riverside City Council Ward 4. He was interviewed at the APRO Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
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Audio Title: Ernie Lewallen, TRIB Group president March 24, 2009
Audio Description: Ernie Lewallen, a 28-year rent-to-own veteran, has served as TRIB Group's president for the past two years. He also owns 10 UHR Rents stores and three custom wheel and tire rental stores. Lewallen is a past APRO president who has been on the front li
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Audio Title: Kevin Quinn, Quality Rentals March 24, 2009
Audio Description: Kevin Quinn is the owner of 20 Quality Rentals rent-to-own stores and two RNR Custom Wheels and Tires stores, all in Washington. Kevin, a past president of the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations, has been a TRIB Group member since the mid
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Audio Title: Dan Fisher, Majik Rent-To-Own March 24, 2009
Audio Description: Dan Fisher is the owner of four Majik Rent-To-Own stores in Lancaster, York and Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Fisher got his start in rent-to-own in 1984 when his father -- who owned a video rental store -- started allowing customers to rent-to-own VCR's.
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Audio Title: David Moore, marketing director Countryside Rent-To-Own March 24, 2009
Audio Description: David Moore is the Marketing Director for Countryside Rent-To-Own, one of the most active and dynamic rent-to-own companies in the country. In this exclusive APRO Podcast, Moore, who has previously worked in newspaper and radio advertising before putti
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Audio Title: Lyn Leach March 3, 2009
Audio Description: Lyn Leach is the vice president of TRIB Group a past president of the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations and owner of 14 Ace Rent-To-Own stores in Nebraska and Iowa. Leach started in the rent-to-own industry in 1982. In addition to his vic
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Audio Title: John Cleek Jr., MRDA president February 19, 2009
Audio Description: John Cleek Jr., an Aaron's franchisee, is serving his third year as president of the Missouri Rental Dealers Association. In this exclusive podcast, Cleek discusses his take on the MRDA board's recent decision to add "vendor" training to the associatio
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Audio Title: Gary Romine, Show Me Rent To Own February 19, 2009
Audio Description: Gary Romine is a past president of the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations and a current board member of the Missouri Rental Dealers Association. Romine opened his first Show Me Rent-To-Own in 1988 and now runs nine stores in Missouri. His
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Audio Title: Dan Cole, National Rent To Own February 19, 2009
Audio Description: Dan Cole, National Rent To Own Dan Cole is an MRDA Board Member and its political action committee chairman who opened his first National Rent To Own -- now a 33-store chain located mostly in metropolitan St. Louis -- in 1984. MRDA's decision to in
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Audio Title: Xavier Dominicis, Rent-A-Center vice president of public affairs January 9, 2009
Audio Description: Xavier Dominicis, 44, is the new vice president of public affairs for the world's largest rent-to-own company, Rent-A-Center. With more than 27 years experience in public relations, most recently as head of public affairs in field operations for Toyota
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Audio Title: Mark Key December 12, 2008
Audio Description: 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 convenien
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Audio Title: Mark Anderson December 12, 2008
Audio Description: Mark Anderson owner of FastTrack Rent To Own in New Britain, Connecticut, is the new president of a new rental dealers association in the northeast representing Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Anderson began h
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Audio Title: David Kraemer, president, CEO Bestway Rental November 11, 2008
Audio Description: APRO Board Member David Kramer is president and CEO of Bestway Rental -- a 74 store rental company based in Dallas, Texas. Elected to the board in 2007, Kramer currently serves on APRO's government affairs committee. He spoke with RTO Today during the
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Audio Title: APRO Board Member Dave Edwards November 7, 2008
Audio Description: APRO Board member Dave Edwards is president and COO of SEI Aaron's, the largest Aaron's franchise in the country. Edwards, who is also the president of the New York State Rental Dealers Association, recently took the helm as chairman of the APRO State
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Audio Title: Mike Hickey, Aaron's VP Management Development October 23, 2008
Audio Description: Mike Hickey is the vice president of management development for Aaron Rents. He's a 15-year employee in charge of e-learning, field training and managers-in-training programs. On Thursday Aaron Rents announced it is dedicating a day from its annual man
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Audio Title: Sam Choate October 23, 2008
Audio Description: Newly re-organized Georgia Rental Dealers were treated October 22 to a talk by 30-year rent-to-own lobbyist and attorney Sam Choate of Atlanta law firm Drew, Eckl and Farnham. He also works for public relations firm ConnectSouth. Veteran RTO Lobbyist Sam
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Audio Title: GRDA President Andrea Bozeman October 23, 2008
Audio Description: Andrea Bozeman of RTO Unlimited in Thomasville, Georgia, was elected October 22 as the newly re-organized Georgia Rental Dealers Association's new president. Around 25 rental dealers representing over 200 store fronts attended the meeting in Atlanta. I
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Audio Title: William McCrae October 14, 2008
Audio Description: William McCrae is vice president for the Texas Association of Rental Agencies and president of Buzz's Lease Purchase and Sales -- a seven store rental chain with locations in Texas and Louisiana. He's worked in the rent-to-own industry since he joined
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Audio Title: Kelly Sayre October 13, 2008
Audio Description: Kelly Sayre is the president of Alliance Rental Centers, an 8 store Aaron's franchise headquartered in Denton, Texas. Sayre, whose been a member of TARA since 1992, served a two year term as the association's president and another two year's as chairma
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Audio Title: Becky Reopelle Interview August 21, 2008
Audio Description: Becky Reopelle was the first KLQ Education Foundation Scholarship Recipient four years ago -- the first of 28 students to win the four-year $1,000 per year scholarship award to date. A student in the dental hygiene program at Pierce College in Tacoma,
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Audio Title: Angela Quinn Interview August 21, 2008
Audio Description: Angela Quinn is president of KLQ Education Foundation. In this exclusive APRO Podcast, Quinn shares some of the history of the foundation and the annual golf tournament and auction that support it. To date, the KLQ Education Foundation has awarded $70,
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Audio Title: Tracy Snow Interview July 19, 2008
Audio Description: Tracy Snow is store manager of the Shelbyville, Kentucky American Rental store, a position she has held for four years. Snow holds two masters degrees, an MBA and and a Master of Arts in Human Resources. The annual trade show is just one example of what m
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Audio Title: David P. David Interview July 19, 2008
Audio Description: David P. David, vice president and general manager of Full-O-Pep/American Rental, began his career with the company as a manager in 1981. He took over as general manager in 1987 when company owner Jim Hammond retired. The company's 12 stores did both reta
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Audio Title: John Cleek Jr. Interview June 17, 2008
Audio Description: MRDA President John Cleek Jr. of Cleek's Lease or Own, discusses the growth of the Heartland of American Tradeshow from a state event to a true regional show with participants this year from Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky.
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Audio Title: Stacy Davis Interview June 10, 2008
Audio Description: Stacy Davis is the vice president of store operations for Option Rentals,and one of several Tennessee dealers who trekked to the Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville for the annual meeting of the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association.
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Audio Title: Chris Bolin Interview June 10, 2008
Audio Description: In this exclusive APRO podcast,TRDA Vice President Bolin shares his thoughts on the recently concluded TRDA annual conference in Nashville. Bolin discusses ways to recruit new members and keep the association active and viable in an RTO friendly business
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Audio Title: Larry Goad Interview June 9, 2008
Audio Description: Tennessee Rental Dealers Association President Larry Goad shares his insight on how to motivate membership in a state where business is good and there are no immediate threats on the legislative horizon. Goad, who owns five Zion's Rental Purchase store
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Audio Title: Bob Bloom Interview May 16, 2008
Audio Description: Bob Bloom, president and CEO of ColorTyme was one of 50 attendees at the recent New York State Rental Dealers Association meeting in Verona, New York. Having made a career of expanding such companies as Rent-A-Center and saving struggling companies lik
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Audio Title: Charles Smithgall Interview May 16, 2008
Audio Description: Charles Smithgall is the president and CEO of SEI Aaron's, the third largest rent-to-own company in the industry -- excluding Rent-A-Center owned ColoryTyme -- with 63 stores and annual revenue of over $80 million. In this exclusive APRO podcast, Smith
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Audio Title: TARA President Dan Matthews April 23, 2008
Audio Description: Dan Matthews is the president of the Texas Association of Rental Agencies (TARA) and owner of Dallas-based Rent Plus. Matthews recently addressed attendees at the Louisiana Rental Dealers Association (LRDA) meeting in Marksville April 22-23.
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Audio Title: Jeff Everson, regional representative for Sen. Mary Landrieu April 23, 2008
Audio Description: Jeffrey Everson, regional representative for Sen. Landrieu, gave attendees at the recent Louisiana Rental Dealers Association annual conference an update on the "Computers for Kidz" initiative -- a community partnership program led by APRO, LRDA and Land
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Audio Title: James Stephens of ColorTyme April 23, 2008
Audio Description: James Stephens is a new LRDA member and first time attendee at the association's annual meeting in Marksville, Louisiana April 22-23. Stephens is a new ColorTyme franchisee with a store in Shreveport.
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Audio Title: LRDA President Jeff White April 22, 2008
Audio Description: LRDA President Jeff White explains the role of a proactive state association and the benefits of membership to the independent rent-to-own dealer.
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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.
Click the links below to download each article as a PDF

Complete issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine | January-February 2010
Download the entire January - February 2010 issue of RTOHQ: The Magazine by clicking on the link above (PDF).

 

The Year of the Tiger
by Kristen Card

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.

 

Following the Leaders

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
by Ed Winn III

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?
by Neil Ferguson

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...

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