APRO member SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One and its RNR Tire Express business held its 2022 Annual Managers Meeting in early March at the historic Chase Park Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The three-day event – the first in-person since 2019 – included store managers and leadership teams from each of the company’s 100+ locations, and followed the theme “Level Up.”
“In gaming terms, ‘leveling up’ is a concept in which a character experiences a progression that typically unlocks new abilities or skills, grants access to new items or areas, or benchmarks how far into the game the character is,” explained Angie Brubaker, the company’s Director of Training and Development. “We can definitely relate all that to our business and our coworkers’ professional journeys, and we want to keep encouraging everyone to keep on leveling up!”
CEO Larry Carrico and special guest, Jamie Slatton kicked off day one by honoring the business’ Over-the-Top Achievers and presenting the top two profit-makers – Joe Barks with RNR-St. Louis and Joe Tubb with Rent One-Poplar Bluff – with Gold Ties to celebrate their success and value to the organization.
The rest of the day was filled with educational sessions – where store managers learned about certifying coworkers, hiring and recruiting, and loss prevention – followed by some quality time spent with VIP Vendors.
“At the end of each session, we asked our store managers to write down two things,” said CEO and Owner Larry Carrico. “What did you hear, and what will you do differently? When putting these key takeaways into action, you ultimately add value to your learning toward personal and professional growth.”
That evening, the Awards Banquet honored the companies’ top performers, including:
For Rent One –
- Store of the Year: Dexter, MO, managed by Melissa Lamar
- Store Manager of the Year: Joey Hall, Huntington, TN
For RNR –
- Store of the Year: Evansville, IN, managed by Wes Hutton
- Store Manager of the Year: Joe Barks, St. Louis, MO
Overall Organization –
- Employee of the Year: Regional Sales Manager Erica Winters
- Presidential Award of Excellence: Bryan Clark, Alton, IL
Acclaimed author, speaker, podcaster, and Human Resources consultant Laurie Ruettimann began day two, telling work-life stories and offering work-life-balance solution. More educational sessions followed, covering topics like using Facebook to grow business, PERQ, and sales training. More time with vendors rounded out the day’s activities, leading into a highly anticipated Trivia Night that had teams dressed as their favorite Level Up video game characters and ended with a round of karaoke.
The organization’s Vice President of Culture, Kelly Martin, closed the meeting the next morning with a session of setting business goals and creating region mottos.
“This year’s meeting was special for multiple reasons – the biggest reason being it was the first time we had all 100+ stores in attendance,” Martin said. “It was great to see everyone in person for the first time in three years, and to watch memories being made at our new location, the Chase Park Plaza. Overall, we were just happy to have everyone join us to learn, connect, and have fun!”
