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MRDA Hosts Event with Lots of Heart(land)

Heartland Trade Show attendees get together to catch up before the Tiger Social.

The Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA) recently held the 2024 Heartland of America Regional Trade Show and Seminar at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. With 162 attendees from 13 dealer companies and 42 vendor businesses, the Trade Show featured a full-of-fun schedule and trade show with 64 booths of marvelous merchandise and show specials.

As ever, the event began with the “Tiger” John Cleek & Ben Neuharth Memorial MRDA Buddy Bass Tournament on lovely Lake Ozark, followed by the Tiger Social that evening. These events honor the memories of rent-to-own legend and former APRO President “Tiger” John Cleek and Ben Neuharth, a former Regional Manager with National Rent To Own.

The next morning, the Mark Windsor Memorial Golf Tournament honored former APRO Board Member and National TV Sales & Rental Founder Mark Windsor, with eight teams of rental dealers and vendors finding a number of birdies and, literally, two eagles – the Bald-Headed national symbol kind!

Michael Chen (L) and Ben Crowder (R) won first place in the event’s bass-fishing tournament on Lake Ozark.
(L to R) Dennis Shields, Charles Smitherman, John Cleek, Jr., and Scott Young earned first place golfing at the Lodge of the Four Seasons championship course.

Following a packed trade show that facilitated almost $900k in purchases, the annual banquet and awards presentation featured speakers Kevin Welker, Owner of MKW Investments, Inc. dba Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership, and APRO CEO Charles Smitherman. MRDA President John Cleek, Jr. – who also serves as President of Cleek’s Home Furnishings/Rentals & Sales – noted the many industry awards earned by both “Tiger” Cleek and Windsor during their decades of service to RTO, then presented trophies to the winners of their named tournaments. Cleek, Jr., TRIB Group Executive Director Dennis Shields, Smitherman, and Scott Young won first place golfing, while Michael Chen, Owner of NeoLiving, and Ben Crowder of Global Furniture earned first place in the fishing competition.

(L to R) Moderator Macy Mitchell guides panelists Jerica Norvell, Adam Ball, Marcus Marter, Andrew Hajduk, and Daniel Hajduk in a fascinating discussion of RTO marketing today.

The event concluded with education sessions and meetings. C&L Supply Inc. and O’Rourke Sales Company provided popular and informative product-training sessions, followed by a panel discussion on marketing.

Moderated by All American Rental Inc. Chief Operations Officer Macy Mitchell, panelists included Adam Ball with Esquire Advertising, Andrew Hajduk and Daniel Hajduk with Vox Pop Uli, Marcus Marter with WOW Brands, and Jerica Norvell with SKC Enterprises Inc. dba Rent One. This lively dialogue covered a broad spectrum of trending marketing topics – including social media, door-to-door, business-to-business, apparel, and van wraps – while delivering key takeaways about the importance of multi-channel efforts to ensure consistent and consistently visible messaging. After lunch, the event concluded with MRDA’s Annual Member and Board of Directors Meetings.

MRDA President John Cleek, Jr. (L) shows off his Big Bass Award-winning catch (6.06 lbs.) alongside colleague and fishing partner Darryl Darling (R). Together they placed 2nd in the tournament (11.04 lbs.).
3rd Place: Aaron (L) and Charlie Windsor (R) from National TV Rental (10.90 lbs.).
4th Place: Mike Kays (L) and Chris Reyering (R) from Ashley Furniture Industries (8.04 lbs.).

“This year’s trade show and seminar was a tremendous success and we want to thank everyone who participated,” said Cleek, Jr. “Next year’s Heartland of America show is scheduled for June 10-12, 2025, once again at gorgeous Lake of the Ozarks – and ALL rental dealers nationwide are welcome to attend!”

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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.