Dennis Shields, Executive Director of TRIB Group, had no idea his name was about to be called.
Each year, the sitting APRO president personally selects the recipient of the President’s Award of Excellence, recognizing an individual for outstanding service to the rent-to-own industry and to the president during their term. At RTO World 2026, outgoing APRO President Dan Fisher surprised his longtime friend and colleague with the honor.
“I’m just going to read this, because I’m not very good at not choking up,” Fisher told the audience before announcing the award.
For Shields, the recognition comes after nearly four decades in rent-to-own and more than 25 years leading The Rental Industry Buying Group (TRIB Group).
His rent-to-own career began in 1986 after eight years in the banking industry. Shields learned the business from the ground up, working as a store manager, multi-unit leader, administrative manager, and corporate buyer before taking the helm of TRIB Group in 2000.
Under his leadership, TRIB Group has grown to represent 198 member companies, ranging from single-store operators to organizations with nearly 100 locations. Throughout that growth, relationships have remained central to Shields’ approach, including the relationships between rental dealers, vendors, and the organizations serving the industry.
“Dennis is synonymous with the TRIB Group,” Fisher said while presenting the award. “He started as a store operator, learning the business from the ground up. With over 39 years in rent-to-own, and 25 leading the TRIB Group, Dennis remains completely committed to their work.”
That commitment has extended beyond TRIB itself. Fisher highlighted the increasingly close relationship between TRIB Group and APRO, crediting Shields and APRO CEO Charles Smitherman with helping bring the two organizations and their staffs together.
“I think you can see how integral the two of them have been to the great industry developments that we’ve had over the last number of years,” Fisher said.
Shields’ contributions to rent-to-own have been recognized throughout his career. In 2001, he received APRO’s Norm Smith Vendor of the Year Award for his work bringing dealers and suppliers together, advocating for the industry, and helping raise funds to launch APRO’s online rental training program.
In 2025, the TRIB Board of Directors surprised Shields with another tribute, unanimously voting to rename its Lowry Shrader People’s Choice Award as the Dennis L. Shields People’s Choice Award. Later that year, APRO featured Shields in its RTO Legends Take the Mic series, where he reflected on nearly four decades of industry change, vendor relationships, supply chains, and the evolution of TRIB Group.
Fisher also shared one of the running jokes between the two friends: Shields is perpetually working under a rolling 10-year contract.
“He’s signed up for a new 10 years every year,” Fisher joked before turning more serious. “I just can’t express how much Dennis has meant to me personally and to this group for his support over the many years.”
Accepting the award, Shields turned much of the attention away from himself and toward the collaboration he has watched develop between APRO and TRIB Group.
“This industry means a lot to me,” said Shields.
He thanked Fisher for the recognition and Smitherman for his leadership, noting how rewarding it has been to see the APRO and TRIB staffs work together more and more.
For Shields, whose career began inside an RTO store in 1986 and has since included more than a quarter-century leading TRIB Group, the President’s Award of Excellence recognizes not only longevity, but decades spent building the relationships that continue to connect the rent-to-own industry.
About TRIB Group
TRIB Group, also known as The Rental Industry Buying Group, is a member-owned nonprofit buying cooperative serving rent-to-own dealers across the United States. The organization has helped independent and multi-location rent-to-own operators leverage collective buying power for products, services, rebates, special pricing, and other business resources. TRIB Group represents thousands of rent-to-own store locations nationwide, co-hosts RTO World with APRO, and has been an APRO vendor member since 1983.
