Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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Viva Las Primetime!

Nationwide Director of Appliances and RentDirect John Laing gives his RentDirect audience an update on some key product areas.

Nationwide Marketing Group – parent organization to APRO Member Nationwide RentDirect –brought rent-to-own dealers and vendors together once again in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this month for the company’s spring PrimeTime member conference and tradeshow, which featured more than 85 hours of education, roundtables with peers from across North America, and an excellent (as ever!) expo.

Nationwide Director of Appliances and RentDirect John Laing kicked off with a warm welcome, followed by Director of Connected Services Eric Sindelar, who provided an overview of new services available to Nationwide members. New business-to-business offerings include cloud support, energy management, and connectivity, mobility, and security services, among others. Nationwide is even offering members a special Dark Web scan to help prevent hacks and protect against data breaches.

Next, APRO CEO Charles Smitherman shared the latest news from the association. Smitherman asked attendees to answer some questions to help learn more about their current interests and concerns, and talk over ideas and solutions. Artificial intelligence and how it’s being used in rent-to-own was one hot topic; Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mark Williams of SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One shared that his company is experimenting with AI, using it for marketing communications and more.

APRO CEO Charles Smitherman (C) hangs out on the exhibit floor with Myra Richburg (L) and Katie Welch (R) of APRO member Octillion Media.

Laing wrapped up the session with a compelling update about the state of the RTO industry in several key product areas, including good news about the rising consumer confidence index. He also noted that consumer electronics looks like it might increase slightly or may stay flat, while bedding is slightly down.

The RentDirect member meeting was followed by a combined Palooza and Hot Show event especially for rental dealers, presenting some great deals on key products, and plenty of networking opportunities with friendly vendors.

The Nationwide Expo then opened up with the rousing applause of the organization’s team, and even a mirrored stilt walker giving participants a fun welcome. More than 62 vendors populated the exhibit floor, offering tons of incredible products – and including lots of “new” ones, like recordplayers and retro-style refrigerators.

Hosted for over 30 years and more than 60 events, PrimeTime will return to Las Vegas August 11-14, 2024, so be sure to save the dates!

The Nationwide team (and mirrored friend) open up the PrimeTime Expo with cheers and applause.
A mirrored stilt walker has a little fun with Charles Smitherman.

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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.