RentDirect’s Record-Breaking Meeting and Trade Show
APRO’s Tony Pintarelli with RentDirect’s Tyra McEwen and Bruce ManningRentDirect Nationwide’s 2018 Meeting and Trade Show was held this week in Orlando, Florida. RentDirect’s event was in conjunction with Nationwide Marketing Group’s PrimeTime! show, and marked the highest attendance in the group’s history. The event included a significant announcement for parent company Nationwide Marketing Group with an introduction to their new President Tom Hickman.
At the show, Hickman emphasized the company’s commitment to its members by way of various initiatives such as access to emerging technology, marketing and operational solutions while aiming to be the largest scale buying group in the market. He also announced the company’s investment in Retailer Web Services (RWS) and the release of AdRocket, a new automated digital marketing solution developed by RWS. Hickman was promoted from merchandising executive vice president to the company’s president was announced on the eve of the PrimeTime! member conference.
APRO Executive Director Jill McClure with Full-O-Pep’s David P. David, Amy Fwain and David Powell
At the General session, Google’s Jo Chick covered digital consumer trends including research on an increase in consumer impatience and curiosity. Longtime APRO member and RNR Tire Express Founder Larry Sutton spoke to the rent-to-own attendees, discussing RNR’s company culture. He accredited the company’s success to their unique leadership perspective. RNR has flipped the traditional flow of hierarchy and enforces that its leaders serve their managers, managers serve their employees and so forth.
McClure and Nationwide Marketing Group’s new President Tom Hickman
“Overall, the entire show did exactly what was expected—great buys, opportunities to share ideas, learn and have fun with old and new friends,” shares RentDirect Director Bruce Manning. “I will always judge the success of a conference by the feedback of our members and based on their comments, it was a wonderful success. We thank everyone for attending and hope to see you next time.”
Additional highlights of the conference included a variety of educational sessions and a Hot Show and Primetime! Palooza, a 90-minute buying frenzy offering members exclusive pricing, carnival-style games, hor d’oeuvres and drinks.
“It was a pleasure to attend RentDirect’s conference where I was able to visit with APRO members and to also meet the new Nationwide president. APRO and RentDirect have had a long relationship, and we look forward to continuing our work together under the leadership of RentDirect Director Bruce Manning and Tom Hickman as their new president,” says APRO Executive Director Jill McClure.
Click here to view more photos of the 2018 RentDirect Nationwide Meeting and Trade Show.
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.
