Oklahoma Rental Dealers Get Their Kicks at Route 66 Meeting
Attendees honored Bill Morgenstern (center) at the event with its first-ever ORDA Lifetime Member award.
The Oklahoma Rental Dealers Association’s second annual Route 66 Meeting & Tradeshow was held August 8 and 9 in Tulsa. The event featured RTO industry updates and insights from some rent-to-own heavy-hitters, including industry pioneer Bill Morgenstern and APRO General Counsel Ed Winn III, plus golf and poker tournaments, a welcome reception, trade show, education and training, roundtable sessions and board of directors elections.
This year’s Route 66 attendance was double that of last year’s event, with rental dealers traveling from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas to attend. In addition to the robust attendance, the trade show was also impressive, with $500,000 in sales.
APRO General Counsel Ed Winn III
Attendees were excited to catch up with Morgenstern. “Bill focused on the importance of using technology to grow your RTO business; however, the the buzz word for the rest of the day was perseverance,” says ORDA President Clifford “Chip” Guy. “Everyone was blown away with Bill’s never-give-up attitude. Through all of his adversity, he has pushed forward and, to this day, lives a humble and successful life.” Attendees honored Morgenstern at the event with its first-ever ORDA Lifetime Member award.
ORDA’s newly elected, or re-elected, board of directors are Clifford “Chip” Guy, president; Dave Miller, vice president; Todd Homberger, secretary; and JD Eply, treasurer.
Golf tournament first-place winners included Brennan Hutchins and Kelly Criss
Steve Toothman with Buddys won the poker tournament, receiving a trophy and iPhone 7, which was donated by Leopard Mobility. The first-place golf team—which also received trophies, along with gift cards from PTS Direct Benefits—was Lyle Aldridge, Skywalker; Kelly Criss, Buddy’s Home Furnishings; Bob Holiday, Skywalker; and Brennan Hutchins, Buddys Home Furnishings.
“There would have been no way to hold this meeting without the support of our sponsors,” Guy says. “ORDA has come a long way in two years. Attendance has doubled and we thank you all for your support.” ORDA’s 2017 Route 66 sponsors were RentDirect Nationwide (platinum); Noah’s Bedding Co. and The Nunn Co. (gold); C and L Supply, Million Dollar Rustic, Rental Sales Works, TRIB Group and Voxpopuli (silver); Ashley Furniture, Express Imports, O’Rourke Sales Co., PTS Direct Benefits and Serta/Simmons (bronze).
Click here to view more pictures from The Oklahoma Rental Dealers Association’s second annual Route 66 Meeting & Tradeshow.
Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.
For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.
Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!
Lauren Talicska
Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials
Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.
You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).
Charles Smitherman
APRO
Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry.
Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.
Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.
Mike Kays
Ashley Furniture Industries
As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.
Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.
The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.
Mike Tissot
Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own
Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.
He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.
Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.
