State rental dealer associations are the grassroots organizations that play a vital role in the continuing health and safety of the rent-To-Own (RTO) industry. We’re so grateful of all the grateful work happening with our existing rental dealer associations, and excited to share the latest on associations that are either just coming together, or re-activating!
State rental dealer associations have been around since the 1990s, with the shared goal of protecting the RTO transaction. APRO works with over 20 state associations that host regular annual meetings, keep lobbyists on retainer in state capitols, hold annual elections of officers and boards of directors, and collect dues money to be held in reserve for future battles. The benefits of a strong state association include: legislative oversight and advocacy, including state legislative day events; a shared state defense fund all members contribute to; information-sharing to ensure compliance with industry standards; and training opportunities for employees.
As perceived threats to the RTO industry ebb and flow, participation in state associations can naturally lose momentum, so APRO works closely with industry leaders to reactivate state associations across the country and launch new associations where they don’t yet exist. During the past year, we’ve hosted a series of state rental dealer association organizing/re-activation meetings for Arizona, Colorado, New York, North Carolina/South Carolina, and Texas. The meetings have helped produced some exciting developments, including:
- Arizona is joining Cal-APRO to become the Southwest Rental Dealers Association;
- Colorado is solidifying the Central Rockies RDA and adding Utah and Wyoming to the organization;
- New York is in talks to potentially merge with another regional rental dealer association; and
- North and South Carolina are poised to become a new rental dealer association, and will be up and running soon.
Interest in state associations is surging, with the largest number of state rental dealer association meetings ever hosted at an RTO World, including Central Rockies (Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming), Georgia, Kentucky, New York, Northeast (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island), North and South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Also at RTO World 2023, state rental dealer associations that have sustained a high level of engagement over the years were recognized as President’s Circle Award winners: Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, and Tennessee. The Ohio Rental Dealers Association was named State Association of the Year, and we can’t wait to see who will win in Orlando, Florida, next year!
A State Presidents Meetup will be held via Zoom on November 2, 2023, to discuss education needs for the coming year, and ways to support dealers in attending industry events – such as APRO’s Legislative Conference in April 2024.
If you’re interested in joining or leading a state rental dealer association, please contact Jen Troke at info@rtohq.org
