Welcome to our APRO-FESSIONAL series, where we spotlight the dedicated individuals shaping the rent-to-own industry. Each interview delves into the lives and careers of our members, offering insights into their journeys, daily roles, and passions. Join us as we explore and celebrate their contributions to the rent-to-own community.
Angelo Gughiocello, owner of MAKA Rental Purchase Inc. dba Premier Rental Purchase in Texas City, Texas, and his son, Michael – the Store Manager – were recently honored with The Premier Companies’ Franchise of the Year award for the second time in three years. With 45 years of rent-to-own experience between them, this father-son team is clearly doing plenty right!
Angelo began in RTO in 1989 as a driver for ColorTyme in Olean, New York. He had been working at a local grocery store, but with a new family to provide for, Angelo joined rent-to-own, and was quickly promoted to Account Manager and onward to many other positions over the years. In 2003, he moved to Texas to join John Spangle’s Texas City Partners Sales & Leasing, which Angelo eventually purchased 13 years later and converted the store into a Premier Rental-Purchase franchise.
“I moved from New York to help run this store for Mr. Spangle, and from day one, he treated me like family,” Angelo recalls. “I was a single dad of three young children – Anthony, Michael, and Katherine – and Mr. Spangle supported me to be a father first and manage his store second. I’m extremely grateful for all he taught me about being a good parent as well as being a good employee. We still talk about once a week.”
Angelo cites several other RTO mentors who have played key roles in his career success, including Dowell Arnett, Trooper Earle, Bob Hardesty, Heath Peters, Mark Speese, Ernie Talley, and Angelo’s right-hand woman of many years, Shelley Dwyer. Angelo credits these and other rent-to-own colleagues with his understanding of RTO as a relationship-based business – the facet of the industry he finds the most fulfilling.
“Once you build a solid foundation with a customer, they’re your customer for life,” notes Angelo. “I love the look on a customer’s face when they pay off an account, and enjoy being there for them when they’re struggling. And I love working with my son and all the fantastic rent-to-own professionals – it’s something I never take for granted.”
Michael grew up in rent-to-own – “We had a house,” he says, “but the store always felt like home” – and like father, like son, worked his first RTO job as a driver under John Spangle. Michael went on to explore other interests, but returned to rent-to-own in 2016, when his family bought the Texas City location, which eventually became Premier’s first-ever two-million-dollar store. Today, Michael oversees operations and advances the company’s focus on technology, including gaming and other electronics.
“We’re already using AI (artificial intelligence) in many ways – rewriting ads to make them more engaging, crafting video scripts, generating graphics, and much more,” Michael asserts. “AI is a fascinating tool, and the role it plays will only continue to grow; I’m sure we’ll be talking about its impact and potential for many years to come.”
Michael says it’s this sort of constant evolution of the industry that keeps his love of rent-to-own alive.
“Whether it’s advancements in technology and programming, the changing customer base, shifts in purchasing processes, or the emergence of new, in-demand products, there’s always something new to navigate and grow with,” he affirms. “We learn from those who have built the foundation while also adapting alongside the next generation shaping the future.”
The Gughiocellos are a truly dynamic duo, doing themselves and their industry proud as they exemplify the family-oriented business that is RTO.
“We have a very yin-yang dynamic,” notes Michael. “We began with two completely different ways of thinking, but over time, we’ve met in the middle. We still have the occasional disagreement, but at the end of the day, it makes our store better.”
“I believe the key to our success has been not being afraid of failing in some ways, as long as we learn from the experience,” Angelo concludes, “and, at the end of the day, telling each other we love one another.”
