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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
