Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Rent-2-Own Celebrates 2019 Successes at 2020’s “#BETTER” Annual Meeting

Countryside Rentals Inc. dba Rent-2-Own knows what it takes to be the best: Look what you’ve done and make it better.

Uniting at the firm’s 2020 annual meeting under the theme of “#Better!” in mid-February, employees and management celebrated a banner 2019 in which they exceeded the company’s strategic goals of renting more and collecting better – and pledged to achieve even better, more robust results this year.

CEO of Countryside Rentals Inc. Mike Tissot addresses the crowd.

“The entire company worked together, shared ideas, paid attention to and beat the competition, and focused more on customers’ experiences and happiness,” says Mike Tissot, CEO and owner of Countryside Rentals Inc., of last year’s results. “We have much to congratulate ourselves for, and we are using those results as a foundation for even higher achievements this year. Once again, we will make every effort to rent better, collect better and be better in every way.”

The company’s Wilmington, Ohio, annual meeting was well attended as R2O closed all of its stores for the day to promote employees’ participation in the games, shared meals and team-building experiences. The event’s theme for the day was “Look better, feel better, be better,” which was enthusiastically adopted by the participants – all of whom dressed in button-down, collared shirts, presenting a coordinated look.

Attendees applaud the results of the “R2O Family Feud” game.

One of the most popular activities was friendly competition between the company’s sales regions in a rousing version of “R2O Family Feud.” Each region selected five individuals to answer survey questions over seven rounds, with the winning region earning 100,000 YEI points.

Drawings were also held throughout the day to randomly select additional prize winners.  Tyree Askew from Milford and Chas Rick from Lebanon won automobiles at the event.

Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals’ running back, made a special guest appearance at the meeting. Asked to describe three things the Bengals could do to be better in the 2020 season, Bernard gave answers that were also relevant for business success.  His first response stressed the importance of getting the right people on a team – those who can persist through tough times and are driven to come out on top. His second response underscored the necessity for getting rid of individuals on a team who don’t fit, particularly if they negatively influence the team’s morale. His third response stressed the importance of working collaboratively as a team – including with teammates you might not personally agree with.

Employee Travis Duvall attentively listens to the announcement.

Bernard also posed with employees for photographs, autographing photos and sports gear.

The annual meeting also included a highly-anticipated awards ceremony that recognized outstanding performances, starting with the presentation of appreciation plaques to R2O’s vendors, then turning to employee awards.

Among individuals honored for stellar 2019 results were Grayson Store Manager Jonda Justice, Employee of the Year; Jason Salyers, Assistant Manager of the Service Department, Home Office Employee of the Year; and London employee Tamika Wall, winner of The Dianne Smalley Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tissot awards the Grayson Store Manager Jonda Justice the Employee of the Year.

The firm’s Waverly operation earned Store of the Year honors in the wake of its 2019 $3 million revenue achievement.

Other winners included Lancaster’s Jeremiah Guisinger, Manager of the Year; Ironton’s Bonnie Sargent, Assistant Sales or Collections Manager of the Year; New Philadelphia’s Brendan Metarko, Account Manager of the Year; Washington Courthouse’s Haley Anders, Rookie of the Year; Wilmington’s Nate Norris, Customer Sales Representative of the Year; Grayson’s Mike Stevens, Customer Sales Representative of the Year; and Middletown’s Wyatt Chandler and Scott Knapp, Delivery Specialists of the Year.

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Mike Lewis

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.