Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
JOIN APRO
JOIN APRO

Rent-2-Own Honors Founders’ 40-Year Legacy

R2O Founder Darrell Tissot and his lovely and loving wife, Jane.

APRO member Countryside Rentals Inc. dba Rent-2-Own (R2O) is proudly celebrating 40 years of business this month by honoring founder Darrell Tissot’s legacy of caring – for his employees, customers, and communities.

Darrell founded R2O in a small Ohio service station with humble roots and a grand vision. Access to funding was a challenge at the time, so Darrell used high-interest Borg Warner loans, keeping tight records to measure “months to recover” costs – a metric the company continues to use today.

“Dad built Rent-2-Own on three guiding principles,” said current R2O Owner & President Mike Tissot. “First and foremost, if you take care of the people who take care of the customers, the customers get the best care. Secondly, he wanted to be in small towns, where he could give folks second and third chances, and in county seats, where his stores might gain more exposure.  And third, he knew he had to think bigger. He loved visiting the Tupelo Furniture Market, buying truckloads of furniture he could barely afford, and stacking it high – a tradition we still keep up!”

Darrell during the early days of his RTO career.
The original location of R2O, adjacent to an Ohio service station.
Darrell (R) and son Mike (L) enjoy a ballgame together.

Today, R2O has grown to 42 locations across two states, averaging almost one new store each year, continually breaking records, and achieving record same-store sales growth – also part of Darrell’s leadership philosophy: “If you’re not growing same-store sales, then you have no business adding stores.”

To pay tribute to Darrell’s spirit and in celebration of Rent-2-Own’s 40th anniversary, the company launched a “40 Days of Kindness” campaign from July 21st through August 31st. R2O’s almost 500 employees are doing good deeds within the communities they serve – giving supplies to animal shelters, groceries to food banks, shoes to kids going back to school, meals to first responders, and much more.

Hillsboro, Ohio, store employees Lonette Manley (second from L) and Larissa Taylor (second from R) deliver supplies to the Highland County Humane Society.
Zanesville, Ohio, employee Beth Valentine brings lunch for firefighters at one of the five stations R2O visited.
Dee Evans (far R) and Shawn Selvage (far L) of R2O’s Louisa, Ohio, location partnered with Shoe Sensation to provide footwear for kids headed back to school.

“Sadly, my father died earlier this summer following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease,” Mike said. “But he passed with great pride in his heart. He was proud of this industry, where he served as President of both TRIB Group and APRO.  He was proud of what he learned from everyone about being a better businessperson. He was proud of the lifelong friendships he had made. He was proud of all the golf outings he led. And he was proud of the many, many ways he gave back.”

Upcoming Events

View Calendar


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.