Gary Ferriman
APRO President
This summer and fall have been very active for your APRO board of directors and their committees. Since the association’s 2014 National conference & Trade Show in Indianapolis, we have held many committee conference calls and three board meetings: one this summer in Daytona Beach, Florida; a second this fall in Atlanta, Georgia; and one by conference call. Here are a few highlights of the APRO board’s activities:
At the fall board meeting, APRO’S PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE was authorized to spend $94,000 to commission a survey that will help rental dealers identify strategies aimed at finding more business. Increasing Millennial and Hispanic business were prioritized. We want to use some tried-and-true survey methods, as well as new-technology strategies in order to assess better ways to get a good sampling. Public relations chairman Dan Fisher and his committee recommended, and received board approval for. a comprehensive set of surveys that should give us the most information we have ever garnered from such surveys. Hats off to them and Richard May for working through this challenging task. Popular APRO Conference speaker Kelly McDonald, a nationally recognized authority on consumer trends, will present the results of the survey next May at APRO’s National Conference & Trade Show in Daytona Beach, Florida. I anticipate that she will have some extremely valuable conclusions to share with us.
On the EDUCATION COMMITTEE, chair Trent Agin presented his committee’s guidelines on APRO’s YouTube video contest project, including a proposed $500 award for the top entry. The goal of the contest is to solicit short videos from members and compile a YouTube channel filled with valuable how-to programming for rent-to-own businesses. We also reviewed the APRO Conference promo videos provided by next year’s featured speakers and agreed to email the promos to the membership ahead of the conference next May. APRO Executive Director Bill Keese shared new promotional materials for the 2015 conference, including a new theme entitled “Fuse: Uniting RTO Professionals. Igniting New Ideas.”
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE chair Gopal Reddy is exploring new ways to improve board recruiting and diversity. He has strengthened the APRO board’s resolve to seat more non-board members on standing committees each year. I encourage all APRO members to volunteer for one or more of committees each year. We value a wide variety of input and views.
Our COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE, led by chair Shawn DiLeo, received board approval for an improved, more elaborate smartphone app, which should be ready for APRO’s 2015 National Conference & Trade Show in Daytona Beach.
APRO MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE chair Dan Cole reported on key contributions from committee member Mark Connelly and the APRO staff on a huge scrubbing of our member-prospects database. The board unanimously approved a method to allow Internet-based rent-to-own companies to join APRO and pay appropriate dues. We have received a verbal commitment from a large Internet company wishing to join the association.
The board approved this year’s budget as presented by the BUDGET COMMITTEE, chaired by Ernie Lewallen. The association stands on firm financial footing. When I was elected as your president this past May, I committed to spending a week in Austin with Bill Keese and the entire APRO staff to develop a better understanding and support for each others’ roles, goals and needs. During the first week of November, I spent quality time with each member of the APRO staff. I am struck by the sheer talent and commitment of this group of professionals. There is a lot of tenure and known history at APRO headquarters from which we, as members, benefit. I have heard many APRO presidents say it before, but wow, great support is in place for our industry. Bill, his staff and I concurred on the many efforts the staff is pursuing. I urge you to let me- and the APRO staff-know what they can do to support you. They are strong, willing, able and ready to help. And they are only a phone call or email message away.
On the rent-to-own business side, it is getting to the point where I can finally declare that business is improving! Show place Rent To Own has now seen four consecutive months of growth. It has been a while since that has happened for us. I hope your business is experiencing the positive swing, too.
Happy holidays. I look forward to visiting with you on the beach in Daytona next spring!
