Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
JOIN APRO
JOIN APRO

ORDA Upped the Ante at Route 66 Meeting

Todd Homberger, ORDA Special Guest Speaker, and Moriah Eberhart, APRO Membership Manager

Tulsa, Oklahoma, was once again the host city for the Oklahoma Rental Dealers Association [ORDA] 2019 Route 66 Meeting & Tradeshow at the Hard Rock Casino Hotel. This year’s event took place on September 10 and 11 and dealt plenty of good hands. Highlights of the event included a welcome reception followed by a poker tournament, a hot show that hit $80k more in sales than last year totaling $330k, and a trade show that sold $500k for the entire show. Also on the agenda were industry presentations from Keven Dalke, Nationwide RentDirect Director; Dennis Willich, Nationwide Southwest CEO; Moriah Eberhart, APRO Membership Manager; and Todd Homberger, Buddy’s Home Furnishings Franchisee Owner.

Special guest speaker Homberger presented a training on “Achieving Organic Growth” that provided insights on how to grow your business at the store-level without having to tap into marketing dollars. Longtime ORDA supporters and event sponsors, Willich and Dalke, spent some time discussing the benefits of Nationwide membership and meeting those who had not yet met with RentDirect’s new Director, Dalke. First-time attendee, Eberhart, spoke on behalf of APRO, presenting how the association safeguard’s the industry as well as the benefits it offers its members including state association services.

Attendees enjoys a poker tournament following the annual meeting’s welcome reception

The business meeting closed with an Oklahoma state industry report from the Department of Consumer Credit. They informed the group that out of the 151 rent-to-own stores in the state, there have been zero consumer complaints and only a 10% margin of operational audit errors.

The winners of this year’s poker tournament, sponsored by Leopard Mobility, were Tim Workman, Rent 1st, first place; Mike Hale, Buddy’s Home Furnishings, second place; and Aaron Peloquin, Buddy’s Home Furnishings, third place. Prizes included Samsung Note 8, an iPhone 8, an iPad, and cash.

“Every year we come together for the same objective – to gather the troops and allow them to share ideas,” shares Clifford “Chip” Guy, ORDA President. “All of our members walked away from the annual meeting with gratitude for the exchange of knowledge and many continued side-discussions once the meeting wrapped up.”

The ORDA newly elected and re-elected directors for the 2019-2020 term are Clifford “Chip” Guy, President; JD Epley, Vice President; and Andy Sanders, Secretary.

Click here to see more photos of this year’s Route 66 Meeting & Tradeshow.

Upcoming Events

View Calendar



Popular Resources

Sign up for APRO Today

Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy · APRO Antitrust Policy

Facebook Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Copyright © · All Rights Reserved · APRO Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Youtube Flickr

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.