2017 Store of the Year was awarded to Rent-2-Own in Marietta, Ohio.
Longtime APRO member Mike Tissot’sCountryside Rentals, dba Rent-2-Own, held its annual meeting early February in Wilmington, Ohio. As a salute to some exciting changes in the upcoming year, this year’s theme was “Reinvent R2O.”
All 34 R2O ceased operations its doors for a day so every associate could attend the meeting and celebrate the company’s successes. In keeping with the “Reinvent R2O” theme, attendees participated in science geared games such as “Periodic Paranoia” where players answered questions about the company with answers from a custom made R2O periodic table. Regional managers acted as mad scientists who took score and after four rounds of the game announced Team Heath as winners. Various prizes were also awarded at random throughout the day, including a car that was awarded to the very lucky Jason Mays of R2O in Waverly, Ohio.
Countryside Rentals President Mike Tissot
During the awards ceremony, vendors were recognized and received “Valued Vendor” plaques on stage before moving onto the 2017 R2O associate awards: Bill Fox and Mike Rayburn, Warehouse Associates, Diane Smalley Lifetime Achievement; Kate Addy, Creative Director, Home Office Employee of the Year; Ben Davis Sr., Regional Director and Vice President, Employee of the Year; Marietta, Ohio, Store of the Year; Donna Treboni, Manager of the Year; Brandon Myers, Assistant, Sales, or Collections Manager of the Year; Michael Svarda, Account Manager of the Year; Jaquie Decker and Gary Horsley, Rookie of the Year; Derek Schild, Customer Sales Representative of the Year; Wes Godwin and Jason Mays, Delivery Specialists of the Year; and Diane Smalley celebrated 30 years with Rent-2-Own.
Thus far, the company has transitioned its 34th store from a satellite to a traditional store, created a new marketing plan including new products, and have promoted some of its associates. “Rent-2-Own is planning for a successful 2018,” says Communications Manager Jessica Mahon. “We will continue to break this business apart and reinvent ourselves as we do it.”
Click here to view more photos of the 2018 Rent-2-Own Annual Meeting.
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.
