Buddy’s Home Furnishings Celebrates Successful Year
Buddy’s Home Furnishings 2018 Annual Leadership Conference award winnersBuddy’s Home Furnishings recently held its Annual Leadership Conference at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida. The event highlighted the success of the “Buddy’s System,” a field tested, data driven system of connecting products with consumers that outperforms the industry.
“Success in today’s environment demands precise planning and execution,” says Chief Operating Officer of NewCo LLC., parent company of Buddy’s Michael Bennet. “Our commitment to franchisees is to provide a proven, unified model that integrates purchasing, marketing and operations.”
The general session and breakout sessions focused on sharing data from every segment of the Buddy’s System. The data shows that stores following the system consistently outperform those that do not. Over the past year, Buddy’s Marketing Team has developed systems that automatically track inventory throughout its life and drives marketing at every turn. Bennett explains, “From purchase to first rental to exit, the Buddy’s System never loses sight of its primary objective – maximizing return on investment.”
Buddy’s COO Michael Bennet with Company of the Year Award winner Tom Tucker of Pentex.
Buddy’s Purchasing Department organized a 30,000 square foot trade show with over 40 vendors. “This was our largest show to date and our vendor-partners knocked it out of the park,” shares Bennett. Orders written at the event grew 200% over 2017.
The company also held its annual Peak Performance Awards Dinner where attendees were treated to a Polynesian luau and fire show. “Recognizing the best of the best is one of my greatest honors,” says Bennett. Company of the Year Award was presented to Buddy’s franchisee Tom Tucker of Pentex. Pentex regional manager Aaron Hembree took Region of the Year. Store of the Year was presented to Pentex General Manager Corry Bradford.
Buddy’s Community Service Award was presented to Franchise Consultant Sabino Milner for his support of Buddy’s associates in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. In presenting this special award, Bennett says, “Sabino knew hotels in the area would be scarce but he was loading up with water, food and other supplies and would sleep in his car if necessary. The entire Buddy’s family owes thanks to Sabino for his efforts and for the example he sets for others.”
Click here to see more photos of Buddy’s Home Furnishings 2018 Annual Leadership Conference.
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.
