For Adam Sutton, CEO of APRO Member RNR Tire Express, giving back to the community is not a marketing strategy. It is part of how a company chooses to operate.
Sutton recently joined Ratchet+Wrench Radio for the episode From Giving Back to Getting Ahead: How Smart Shops Turn Community Impact Into Growth, where he shared how RNR Tire Express has built charitable giving into its culture, how businesses can create community programs that last, and why authenticity matters more than the size of a donation. The episode, hosted by Ratchet+Wrench Editor-in-Chief Christine Schaffran, focused on building trust, loyalty, and visibility through meaningful local engagement.
Making Community Giving Part of the Culture
RNR Tire Express has grown to more than 200 locations across the United States and Canada, giving the company opportunities to make an impact in communities throughout its franchise system. Sutton said RNR and its franchisees collectively gave more than $3.2 million to charitable initiatives in 2025.
But Sutton told listeners the company did not begin giving because it expected a business return.
“Our ultimate desire is to be a company that gives more than we take,” said Sutton.
Over time, he said, companies that genuinely invest in their communities can also build stronger relationships, trust, and loyalty. Those business benefits, however, work best when they remain the result of authentic involvement rather than the reason for it.
That philosophy has led RNR to make community involvement an intentional part of its operations rather than relying solely on one-time donations or sponsorship requests.
Start Small and Stay Consistent
For smaller businesses wondering how to begin, Sutton offered a straightforward approach: “Start small, stay consistent.”
Businesses do not need a national campaign or a large charitable budget to make a difference, he explained. Instead, Sutton encouraged business owners to identify one cause that matters to their team and commit to supporting it over time.
Consistency can be more important than the size of the contribution because repeated involvement allows relationships to develop among the company, its team members, and the people it serves. Sutton also encouraged business leaders to involve their teams in identifying local nonprofits and community needs rather than making every decision at the corporate level.
RNR itself began giving back long before it had hundreds of locations. Sutton recalled the company hosting soup kitchens in its parking lot when it had just one store. As an organization grows, he said, the programs can grow with it.
Building Community Programs That Can Scale
For a franchise system like RNR Tire Express, turning good intentions into sustained community impact also requires structure.
Sutton described how RNR creates repeatable processes that make it easier for franchisees to participate in charitable programs. That includes providing timelines, marketing materials, resources, and internal support so local operators can spend more of their time developing relationships within their communities.
RNR also conducts a systemwide survey to help identify opportunities for charitable giving and gives stores resources to participate locally. Sutton described the company’s larger philosophy as a cycle connecting culture, customers, and community: a strong internal culture improves the customer experience, and both can contribute to a stronger community. Community involvement, in turn, can strengthen the culture inside the company.
That connection can also influence recruitment and retention. When companies communicate what they value and demonstrate those values through action, Sutton said they can attract people who want to be part of the same kind of culture.
“Make the Cause the Hero”
Businesses should not be afraid to talk about the good happening in their communities, Sutton said, but how they tell those stories matters.
“Make the cause the hero, not the company,” said Sutton.
RNR has used programs tied to teachers, mothers, fathers, breast cancer fighters and survivors, and other community members to highlight individual stories while supporting charitable causes. The company has also given away more than 20 vehicles through its community programs, Sutton said.
Capturing and sharing those stories can show team members what their work helped make possible while encouraging others to become involved. The key, Sutton emphasized throughout the conversation, is ensuring that the story begins with genuine service rather than publicity.
Leading With Time, Talent, and Treasure
Sutton connected community involvement to a broader view of leadership.
At RNR, owners and operators are referred to as mentors, and Sutton described three expectations attached to those roles: lead, lend, and legacy. Leaders should lead by example, lend their “time, talent, and treasure,” and work toward creating what Sutton calls “a legacy worth repeating.”
That philosophy extends beyond RNR Tire Express and reflects Sutton’s own approach to leadership within the rent-to-own industry. Sutton, who serves on the APRO Board of Directors, was named CEO of RNR Tire Express in 2024 after previously serving as company president.
For business owners who want to become more involved in their communities, Sutton’s message was ultimately simple: begin somewhere, listen to the people around you, and keep showing up.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” said Sutton.
For RNR Tire Express, that commitment has grown from serving local communities around individual stores into a structured effort reaching communities across North America. Yet Sutton’s measure of success remains centered on the people impacted along the way.
As he explained on the podcast, the company’s vision is “changed lives, changing lives,” creating a cycle in which people who have been helped are empowered to help others.
Listen to the full Ratchet+Wrench Radio episode, From Giving Back to Getting Ahead: How Smart Shops Turn Community Impact Into Growth, to hear Sutton’s conversation about community engagement, company culture, leadership, and building charitable giving into a business for the long term.
About RNR Tire Express
Founded in 2000 in Tampa, Florida, RNR Tire Express is a national rent-to-own tire-and-wheel dealer and franchise system offering tires, custom wheels, and related automotive services through flexible rental-purchase options. The company has grown to more than 200 locations across 31 states. RNR Tire Express has been an APRO member since 2001.
