Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - Rent One Awards Banquet names tops in company

February 9, 2011

Trent Agin, RO Store of The Year Manager Lisa Currie, Larry Carrico and Lori McGovern.

Rent One capped its annual managers meeting in O'Fallon, Illinois Wednesday, with a special awards banquet where the company's top 2010 performers were honored.

Six Rent One managers and one vendor were singled out for specific recognition including the company's manager of the year, employee of the year, district manager of the year, rookie of the year, president's award of excellence and vendor of the year.

The company's most competitive award -- the "Store of the Year" -- went to the Searcy, Arkansas location run by Lisa Currie, who has been with Rent One for only a year and a half.

"I told them when I was interviewing that I was going to be one of their top performers," Currie said. "It has been easier than I thought. I set goals and even though I didn't always achieve them I kept setting them. The support from my regional managers and officers has been awesome. I know this company is there for me."

Rent One's Regional Manager of the Year was Dusty Ray of Region 1 in Illinois and Indiana.

The President's Award of Excellence -- chosen by Rent One President Trent Agin -- went to Jason Castill, manager of the Harrisburg, Illinois store.

Rent One's Vendor of the Year Award winner is Bill French, a veteran of the industry, with O'Rourke Sales Company.

"I'm very moved and shocked," French said. "My life day in and day out is RTO. What really makes it happen for me is the people in this room."

Rent One's Manager of the Year is Antoine Lester who runs the company's Malden, Missouri store.

Rent One's Employee of the Year is Jordan Kirkpatrick, who manages the company's Benton, Illinois store.

The company's Rookie of the Year is Chad McCory, manager of the Olney, Illinois location.

Around 150 managers from Rent One's 51 stores and their families were on hand for the two-day meeting which featured a number of company updates, trainings and personal development programs.

See full photo gallery of the event here.

About APRO
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations is the official voice of the rent-to-own industry and the most accurate and trustworthy source of rent-to-own news in the industry. Founded in 1980, APRO is the national, nonprofit trade association advocating and representing the rent-to-own industry before the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, courts, media and the public.

For more information, visit www.rtohq.org.

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RTOHQ: The Magazine
RTOHQ: The Magazine is the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations' award-winning rent-to-own industry magazine, and it's available here.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DIGITAL RTOHQ: THE MAGAZINE

RTOHQ: The Magazine’s upgraded digital format

APRO's new, mobile-ready magazine is now available in addition to our print edition. The digital format provides the same informative content as our printed magazine, but also offers tools to make the reading experience more enriching. Access the table of contents page with one click or tap. Get additional information from advertisers by clicking on the links in their ads. The interface is easy to navigate and requires no special app—read our magazine on your computer, digital table or smartphone. Click here to access the digital version of RTOHQ: The Magazine March-April 2012.

A New Rent-to-Own Experience

by Neil Ferguson

Here’s the lowdown on APRO’s 2012 Convention and Trade Show, July 24-26 in Memphis. The RTO industry’s big event will offer many valuable experiences, including insights on how to turn your stores into “experiences”–the good kind for consumers

Who Is Your Competition?

by Bill Keese

In order to expand your customer base, you can learn a lot by observing your competitors. But first, you need to figure out just who they are. If you think your only competition is the rent-to-own store down the street, you’re not considering the bigger picture. APRO’s executive director offers a big-picture perspective.

A Review of Online Customer Complaints

by Ed Winn III

While rent-to-own companies have not cornered the market on negative reviews posted on consumer complaint websites, it’s no surprise that there are cyberspace beefs against RTO. APRO’s general counsel reviews some of them in search of a pattern and he considers appropriate response to online complaints.

Rent-to-Own Families, Part VIII

by Kristen Card

Our series of family-run rent-to-own businesses continues with profiles of the Homeiers in Kansas and two Texas-based sets of kindred colleagues, the Spangles and the Weisblatts.

Future issues of APRO's magazine will be available in this same new format. Click here to access past issues that are not yet archived in the new interface.

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