APRO member Ace Furniture & TV Inc. dba Ace Rent-To-Own recently held its annual company picnic – a tradition that began in 1990 – at Nebraska’s largest amusement park, Fun-Plex Waterpark & Rides. More than 230 Ace employees, family, and friends spent the day amusing themselves with water rides, go-karts, and thrill rides like the state’s biggest rollercoaster, Mammoth.
“Ace is a small, family-owned company with just 119 employees, but they’re spread across Nebraska and Iowa, so they don’t often get a chance to see colleagues beyond their own store,” said President & CEO Ben Leach. “Folks really enjoy meeting new people, or putting a face to a name with someone they talk with on the phone. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity for spouses and family members to see whom their loved ones spend so much time with, and to meet some of their coworkers.”
Two Employees Celebrated for Excellence
A highlight of the annual picnic is the presentation of Ace’s President’s Award of Excellence, designed to honor the employee who has helped make an important impact on their store and the company so far for the year. District and Store Managers are excluded, so that the recognition focuses on Sales Managers, Account Managers, and Delivery Drivers.
“This year, for the first time, we awarded two people with the Ace President’s Award for the same year,” Leach said. “Two Account Managers at our Beatrice, Nebraska, store – Britney Scott and Amanda Wenzl – co-managed their store for seven weeks while their regular manager was out on medical leave. Together, they raised the potential rent on the books by about 7%, while maintaining 100% collections. Their location is up over 28% to date this year.”
A Tradition Focused on Fun
While the Ace annual picnic originated as a barbecue on a farm in Bellevue, Nebraska, it has been held at other venues over the years, including the Omaha Zoo, and Fun-Plex has hosted it for the past several years. Employees seem to like the park for its versatility – families can ride and play all day, while others can hang in the adult pool with grown-up refreshments, while still others can sit in the shade and catch up with colleagues.
“Everyone gets to spend their day the way they want,” said Leach. “We just want to give back to our employees by providing a fun day of leisure to spend with their families and to mingle with their coworkers. Enjoying the people you work with is a key component of enjoying what you do, and this event is really important for fostering that at Ace.”
About Ace Furniture & TV Inc. dba Ace Rent-To-Own
Ace Rent-To-Own has been an APRO member since 1982.
