Years of consistent leadership, member engagement, industry education, and advocacy have earned the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association (TRDA) APRO’s 2026 State Association of the Year Award.
Incoming APRO Board President Trent Agin presented the honor during the APRO Awards Luncheon & Business Meeting at RTO World 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. TRDA was selected from among this year’s six President’s Circle Award recipients.
APRO’s State Association of the Year Award recognizes exemplary leadership, organizational continuity, member engagement, and sustained excellence in legislative and educational initiatives.
Leading that work in Tennessee is longtime TRDA President Chris Bolin, owner of Bolin Rental Purchase, who has spent more than 17 years at the helm of the association. His state association leadership and grassroots advocacy were recognized nationally in 2025, when APRO presented him with the RTO Tiger Award.
Under Bolin’s leadership, TRDA has maintained a strong focus on bringing Tennessee rental dealers together while keeping members informed and engaged.
That was on display again at the association’s 2026 annual meeting in Nashville. The event brought together 40 attendees for industry education, vendor presentations, and opportunities for dealers to connect. Sixteen vendors participated, while speakers included APRO CEO Charles Smitherman, attorney Justin Hosie of Hudson Cook, LLP, and Tennessee State Senator Bill Powers, who provided attendees with an update on the latest session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
“Vendor participation and sponsorship were spectacular this year, and members greatly enjoyed all of our presenters and guest speakers,” Bolin said following the meeting. “The Board of Directors and I are already planning for an even better meeting next year!”
TRDA’s work extends well beyond its annual gathering.
The association has maintained an active presence in state advocacy while also supporting APRO programs that benefit rent-to-own professionals nationwide. TRDA contributes to the APRO Charitable Foundation Scholarship Fund, supports the Disaster Relief Fund, and helps fund participation in the APRO Legislative Fellows program, which brings emerging industry leaders to Washington, D.C., for APRO’s annual Legislative Conference.
Through those efforts, TRDA helps support employees and families pursuing higher education, rent-to-own professionals facing hardship after disasters, and future industry leaders gaining firsthand advocacy experience on Capitol Hill.
The association itself has deep roots. After a period of dormancy in the early 2000s, Tennessee rental dealers came together in 2004 to rebuild the organization, resume regular meetings, and renew their state-level involvement. Bolin later took the helm and has helped sustain that momentum for well over a decade.
His own commitment to state association leadership extends beyond Tennessee. Bolin also helped reorganize the Kentucky Rental Dealers Association (KRDA) and has served on the boards of both APRO and TRIB Group.
TRDA’s 2026 honor follows years of recognition through APRO’s President’s Circle Award, which recognizes state associations for outstanding leadership, community involvement, and legislative advocacy.
The State Association of the Year Award recognizes the collective effort behind that consistency, from the association’s officers and board members to the dealers and vendors who continue to participate, support its programs, and keep Tennessee’s rent-to-own community connected.
APRO proudly recognizes the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association and Chris Bolin as the 2026 State Association of the Year.
About the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association
The Tennessee Rental Dealers Association (TRDA) is a state trade association representing and supporting rent-to-own dealers and industry vendors across Tennessee. Founded in 1987, TRDA brings Tennessee’s rent-to-own community together through industry education, networking, legislative advocacy, and its annual meeting while supporting broader APRO initiatives that benefit rent-to-own professionals nationwide.
