
The 2025 Midwest Training Expo was held mid-September in a new central Ohio location – the Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, close to Columbus – offering the same great connecting, sharing, and shopping opportunities as ever. The two-day event, sponsored by the Ohio Rental Dealers Association (ORDA), is considered one of America’s best regional rent-to-own trades hows.
Against the hotel’s verdant backdrop of botanical gardens and gentle waterfalls, almost 200 attendees participated in 11 different education roundtables focused on a broad spectrum of RTO hot topics, followed by the opening of the tradeshow and dinner served on the exhibit floor. Then, folks enjoyed an evening of strikes, spares, and networking at Park Lanes Bowling Center.
Day two of the event offered more morning time at the tradeshow, and included training presentations by a few of the 38 vendors at the event – Ashley Furniture Industries, O’Rourke Sales Company, Serta Simmons Bedding, and Whirlpool Corporation.
“We had very engaging discussions, showed our colleagues what a vibrant vendor show looks like, and loosened everyone up a little with a night of bowling, cornhole, and pool,” said ORDA President Keith Ferriman. “I think we had a pretty good time and gave our people another excellent experience.”
Ferriman also expressed deep gratitude for the event sponsors: ALMO Corporation Inc., Benefit Marketing Solutions, Dorrance Supply Company, JLR America LLC, TRIB Group, and Whirlpool.


