Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Illinois Tax Bill Signed Into Law

This week, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Rental Purchase Agreement Occupation and Use Tax Act into law. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Tom Cullerton, potentially could save Illinois rental dealers millions of dollars in use tax obligations. The new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2018, means that rental dealers will no longer pay a use tax on wholesale purchases, which aligns with other states where consumers pay a sales tax on rental payments. It shifts the manner in which rental property is taxed, helping to reduce the final taxation and saving RTO dealers money. Illinois rental dealers have been trying to get this issue addressed for two decades, but faced continuous hurdles, both in the political arena and from the Illinois Department of Revenue. “I told the IRDA board that passage of this bill was 25 percent to 30 percent at the outset of the spring session,” says Michael Houlihan, the association’s lobbyist. He observes that the effort succeeded this time because of IRDA’s grassroots efforts, which helped generate a good bipartisan push for the bill among the leadership and rank-and-file members in the legislature. The effort also required explaining the nuances of the bill, as many lawmakers thought that it increased taxes. “This particular bill is tricky to explain in an elevator pitch,” Houlihan adds. “This was a challenging yet exhilarating effort,” says Casey Pristou, president of the Illinois Rental Dealers Association. “We’ve been trying to help pass this bill for years; now that it will finally become law, it’s a very rewarding feeling. I want to thank all of our IRDA members for uniting in this team effort.” “I remember working with [then] lobbyist Herman Bodewes [on this issue] 20 years ago, and him saying it will never happen,” says Rent One’s Larry Carrico, a longtime IRDA member. “But we finally got it done.” There are more than 200 rent-to-own stores in Illinois representing, an estimated $200 million dollars in annual revenue.  

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.