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Florida Rental Dealers Finally Get a Meeting Mulligan

Alex Rindone of O’Rourke Sales Company, Chris Kale Jr. and Katey Kale of Happy’s Home Centers Inc., and FRDA President Paul Metivier enjoy connecting, learning, and sharing at the recent state association annual meeting.

Following three years of thwarted annual meetings – two by COVID-19, one by Hurricane Ian – the Florida Rental Dealers Association (FRDA) was finally able to hold a 2023 meeting mid-July. The two-day event, aptly themed “The Mulligan,” attracted about 200 attendees to Tampa, Florida, for a warm but wonderful time.

“The true focus of our meeting was our people,” said FRDA President Paul Metivier, who is also Vice President of Operations for Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center. “Keeping the people we have, honoring the ones we’ve lost, and encouraging those who are next to lead the rent-to-own industry.”

Jason Winters, a regional manager with Impact RTO Holdings dba Rent-A-Center, served as the event’s keynote speaker, delivering the impactful “Jeffrey Story,” which details how one deficient associate can destroy a whole store. And Rick Gallegos, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie of Tampa Bay, presented his training seminar on “The Great Retention” – how to develop trust with associates in order to help them be their best on the job and enjoy their work.

Teresa Hill (holding check L) proudly accepts the monetary portion of FRDA’s first-ever Kirk Kaye Volunteer Award from Cecilia Kaye (holding check R). They’re flanked by Paul Metivier (far L) and Mike Zagar (far R).

During the meeting’s awards ceremony, the inaugural Kirk Kaye Volunteer Award – named to honor C. Kirk Kaye, the Owner of Kaye Ventures Inc. dba Gator Rents who died in late 2021 – was presented. Cecilia Kaye, Kirk’s wife of 31 years, offered a moving speech about her late husband before presenting the award to Teresa Hill, Vice President of Operational Support for Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings. Hill gave a terrific acceptance speech of her own, encouraging all present to do more for folks in need.

“It was a great meeting,” said APRO President and CEO of Buddy’s Newco LLC dba Buddy’s Home Furnishings Michael Bennett. “I’m eternally appreciative of the Kirk Kaye Volunteer Award, in memory of Kirk’s contribution to the RTO industry and to the many he touched in life.”

“It’s remarkable to experience firsthand the unity within our industry,” said Metivier. “From the FRDA Board of Directors to our vendors, to all of our members and APRO, the passion for rent-to-own is extremely high, and everyone is so generous and gracious with their time and support. I have no doubt that whenever a challenge comes, we’ll be ready to address it.”

Some of the 200 or so attendees to the FRDA annual meeting peruse valuable goods and services offered by various RTO industry supporters.

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

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.