RTO World 18 Announced at TRIB Group’s Meeting of the Minds
TRIB Group member Ben Bost collects bids at the hot show.
Rent-to-own professionals from across the country gathered August 27-30 in Las Vegas for TRIB Group’s 2017 Meeting of the Minds & Expo. The three-day event included networking, educational sessions, an expo, two hot shows, a young professionals social event and the election of TRIB Group’s new board of directors.
At the show, TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields announced some exciting changes to the organization’s annual meeting and expo calendar: a new date and location for their annual Meeting of the Minds & Expo, and the collaboration between APRO and TRIB Group on RTO World 2018. St. Louis will mark the debut of RTO World 2018: The National Rent-to-Own Convention and Trade Show, August 20-23. Shields reports that both teams have already started working together in preparation for a great convention. “It’s not really a TRIB Group convention or an APRO convention—it’s an RTO industry convention,” Shields told attendees. “It’s all coming together beautifully.” Click here to read more about RTO World 2018.Longtime APRO members Debbie and Jim Brown with Mike Lindell, center, founder of My Pillow
This year’s daily discussions included an RTO young professionals panel, which, among other things, introduced attendees to tools such as Slack, an app used to create and encourage staff engagement. The young professionals panel included Chris Kale Jr. and Jeff Kale, Happy’s Home Centers; Eric Grow, Growby’s RTO; and Lee Tanner, HomeSource Rentals. Mike Lindell, founder of My Pillow, also spoke to attendees about overcoming adversity and the success of his business.
The young professionals session, led by Kale Jr. and Jill McClure, APRO’s new executive director, focused on nurturing the next generation of rent-to-own leaders. They covered a variety of topics such as RTO branding, incorporating technology into store marketing, and the future of rent-to-own. For more information on the young professionals session, contact McClure at 800/204-2776, ext. 101, info@rtohq.org.
Young professionals enjoy a night of bowling at their social event.
TRIB Group’s event also included two highly successful hot shows that garnered $9.9 million, an expo that exceeded last year’s buying activity and a young professionals group bowling party.
TRIB Group’s newly elected, or re-elected, board of directors are Dan Fisher, president; Chris Kale Jr., vice president; Marty Auble, secretary; Mike Tissot, treasurer; and board members Ben Bost, David P. David, Todd Homberger, Jeff Lebakken and Mark Williams.
Mark your calendars for TRIB Group’s next Meeting of the Minds & Expo, March 4-6 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Click here to view more photos of TRIB Group’s 2017 Meeting of the Minds & Expo.
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.
