Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

The Premier Companies Reunite for Business, Pleasure, and Kudos

Premier Companies gather for their annual
National Convention in Houston.

APRO member The Premier Companies held its 2022 Annual National Convention in late March in Houston, Texas, following almost two years of strictly virtual events. Premier franchisees, vendors, and their guests from across the country attended the weekend event, which was held at the corporate house on Tiki Island.

Premier President and CEO Trooper Earle kicked off the General Session with a State of the Company address, applauding company achievements that included infrastructure advancements, completion and utilization of the Development Center, and successful investment in producing resource materials – all for the benefit of Premier franchisees.

Other topics covered during the meeting included franchise sales, online sales, a review of the company’s recent rebranding and remodels, interactive training and development, and a vendor tradeshow.

Premier President and CEO Trooper Earle kicked off the General Session with a State of the Company address

“It was wonderful to watch everyone reunite for a weekend full of successes and celebration,” said Earle. “We always see strong comraderies among attendees emerge during our events; they call and text each other even after it’s over about what they learned. We love to see those connections and conversations continue.”

In addition to taking care of business, attendees enjoyed golf at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, a catamaran ride around the bay, the attractions of Kemah Boardwalk, and a traditional shrimp boil at the Tiki Island corporate house.

A key component of the convention was acknowledgments and awards. A special cocktail reception at Top Golf featured the presentation of Premier’s Vendor of the Year, Rob Schilb of Dorrance Supply.

“We’ve been working with Rob for only about a year, but it was at a time when we were experiencing extreme supply issues, and he was consistently able to fill in the gaps and provide product when no one else could,” said Premier Vice President of Operations Mike Lewis. “His company made a world of difference for us.”

APRO Director of Education and Membership Jen Troke presented Industry Service Awards to Premier franchisees who have contributed to charitable industry foundations.

The crown jewel of the convention, the Awards Banquet, spotlighted franchisees for work in Premier service, community service, store anniversaries, sales volume, and extraordinary contributions. Three corporate team members – Tiernan Boland, Laura Emerson, and Mike Lewis – along with Kevin Campbell of Kevin Campbell Films – were honored with the President’s Award for having “forever changed Premier.”

From left: Mike Lewis, Angelo Gughiocello, Ruben Flores, John Manzari, Sandi Frye, Scott Kinnear, and Trooper Earle

The highlight of the banquet was the Franchisee of the Year Award, which went to Sandi Frye and her team in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Store Manager (and Sandi’s daughter) Ebony McCloskey, shared her extreme pride in her boss/mom, saying, “My mom really fought for this, putting in the time and seeing things through. Her ability to retain employees is amazing; she takes a personal interest in them and their families, which makes a huge difference in how our store operates.” Event videos can be found at The Premier Companies’ Vimeo.com channel.

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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.