The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) is America’s only national trade association for the rent-to-own (RTO) industry.
Established in 1980 to advocate for and support the interests of RTO businesses, APRO provides its members with essential resources, industry insights, and a strong community network. Through educational initiatives, legislative advocacy, and professional development opportunities, APRO strives to elevate the standards and success of the RTO sector, ensuring it continues to thrive and serve customers with integrity and excellence.
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote the success of the rent-to-own industry.
Our Vision
We are the rising tide that elevates the rent-to-own industry through advocacy and education to better serve our customers.
Our Values
- PRO Customers
We improve the lives of our customers by renting products they want and need. - PRO Advocacy
We advocate for the benefits of rent-to own for our customers and the communities we serve. - PRO Members
We meet the current and future needs of our members. - PRO Dialogue
We facilitate dialogue across the industry to ensure we represent the collective voice.
Meet Our CEO
Before joining the association, Charles Smitherman served as COO and General Counsel for PTS Financial Services where he played an active role in RTO representing his company with APRO member dealers through PTS’s club program offering.
Charles has twenty years of experience being an attorney in various 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 from the University of Oxford in England. Charles is credentialed as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association and as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
Understanding APRO
The following links will help those interested to understand more about APRO.
