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It’s GAME ON for Rent-2-Own

R2O Zanesville, OH, 2019 Store of the Year

Countryside Rentals, dba Rent-2-Own [R2O], held its annual meeting last week in Wilmington, OH. This year’s “Game On” meeting celebrated the transformation the company embarked on after its “Reinvent R20” annual meeting last year that paved the way to a new way of doing business and the success that followed. The event included company-wide games, prizes, an awards presentation, a Jeep Cherokee giveaway, and special guest speaker Giovani Bernard, running back for the Cincinnati Bengals.

“We were able to streamline our business process and focus more on the products that customers wanted in 2018,” shares R2O Communications Manager Jessica Mahon. “We saw many people grow and get promoted last year. Now we’re set up and ready for a great 2019 after having the best January we’ve had in several years!”

2019 R2O Rookie of the Year Skye Lovejoy

R2O pulled out all the stops incorporating the “Game On” theme from video and boardgame decor to attendee costumes. Each store chose a game to represent and took turns explaining how their game themed costume connected to business and rent-to-own. Various prizes were awarded at random throughout the day, including a car that was awarded to the very lucky Megan Saunders of R2O in Bainbridge, OH.

Cincinnati Bengals’ Bernard spoke to the company about the importance of being prepared and how to get back in the game even when you’re down. He motivated the group by discussing goal setting, emphasized that sharing knowledge enhances the odds of winning and identifyed what is needed to compete against a competitor successfully. After his presentation, Bernard took photographs and autographed gear for employees and even stuck around to join the fun.

R2O CEO and President Mike Tissot with parents Darrell and Jane Tissot

During the awards ceremony, vendors were recognized and received “Valued Vendor” plaques on stage before moving onto the 2018 R2O employee awards: Regional Manager Donna Treboni, Employee of the Year; Warehouse Delivery Specialist Larry Throckmorton, Home Office Employee of the Year; Todd David and Amy Troxel, Diane Smalley Lifetime Achievement; Zanesville, OH, Store of the Year; Chrissy Davidson, Manager of the Year; Rene Johnson, Assistant/Sales/Collections Manager of the Year; Rachel Patterson, Account Manager of the Year; Skye Lovejoy, Rookie of the Year; Ellie Russell, Customer Sales Representative of the Year; James Giles and James McComic, Delivery Specialist of the Year. Congratulations to all of R2O’s top performers!

“Rent-2-Own is planning for continued success in 2019. We will continue to reflect and transform the business in our attempts to smash records,” says Mahon. “Game on!”

Click here to view more photos of the 2019 Rent-2-Own Annual Meeting.

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

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.