Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Rental Concepts’ First Sales Summit Delivers Immediate Benefits

When RNR Tire Express & Custom Wheels rolled out the company’s inaugural Rental Concepts Sales Summit in Benton, Arkansas, earlier this month, the company quickly realized a significant return on its human resources investment in high-quality sales training.

From Left: Sales Director of Rental Concepts LLC Darin Wigg, CEO of Rental Concepts LLC David Harrison, CEO of RNR Tire Express Larry Sutton, and Division President of Rausch Coleman Homes David Starkey.

The Sales Summit, which brought together franchisees and sales professionals from across RNR’s national network, was organized by Director of Operations at Rental Concepts LLC dba RNR Tire Express Candice Hill. The event included an opening address by RNR Tire Express’ President and Founder Larry Sutton and guest speaker Division President of Rausch Coleman Homes David Starkey.

Summit participants took part in a DISC personality assessment session and explored their personality profiles in the context of developing individualized sales goals, strategies and results.

Sales Director of Rental Concepts Darin Wiggs with a crowd.

Seventy of the sales professionals who were trained subsequently took part in a one-hour appointment-setting sales contest, with prizes for the top performing teams and individuals. Some 308 appointments were scheduled in the 60-minute period, with the winning team logging more than 50 appointments – a rate of nearly one per minute.

The first-place team received $30, the second-place team received $10, and the third-place team received $5 for each appointment scheduled.

Guest speaker David Starkey of Rausch Coleman Homes speaks to the attendees.

Dall Hinkle, from RNR’s West Plains, Missouri, franchise, and Bacari Burks, in its Blytheville, Arkansas, franchise, were the top individual performers, with each setting 23 appointments during the contest. Both received a television for their stellar performances.

“We are delighted with the results of this event with just two weeks to plan our company’s first-ever Rental Concepts Sales Summit,” says Hill. “I can only imagine the benefits we will realize from this investment in our people going forward.”

RNR Tire Express is a national franchise retailer of quality tires and custom wheels offered with payment options designed to fit customers’ unique budgets. Established in 2000 in Tampa as RENT-n-ROLL (RNR), in just two decades the company has grown to over 130 locations in 26 states.

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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.