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Sharp Introduces Worlds First THX Certified LCD TVs
Sharp says these models are the world's first LCD TVs to acquire certification under the THX Certified Display Program for home theater applications established by THX Ltd., and can replicate in the home a visual environment on a level envisioned by filmmakers...more

Whirlpool US Shipments Down; Global Shipments Up
Based on current economic conditions, Whirlpool continues to expect full-year 2007 U.S. industry unit shipments to decline approximately 2 to 3 percent...more

LG Reports Record Q2 Sales; Company Sees Increased Demand For 40 Inch Plus LCDs
Sales of Digital Appliances jumped 21.4% year over year to $3.8 billion while sales of TVs and monitors decreased 2.1% year over year...more

Retail Shopping Takes A Holiday
The all-important back-to-school season is just around the corner. To stop the bleeding and lure customers back retailers will have to rearrange their marketing strategies and offer consumers real discounts on quality merchandise...more

RTO Stores Should Not Give A False Sense of Security
Often times, new businesses try to make it appear as though they have cameras by installing “dummy cams” at their store or business. These hollow camera housings give a “false sense” of security, and make way for real problems to occur when it comes to being sued for liability...more

Avoiding Legal Hassles With PCRental Agent Remote Computer Lockdown Software
PCRental Agent's addendum not only covers the store’s right to disable the computer, it also covers other items such as “offensive” information, illegal uses and computer viruses...more

Artistic Resource Team To Show Custom Art In Berkline Booth At Nationwide PrimeTime
"We want Rent to Own dealers to spend less time decorating and more time maximizing the profitable use of wall space." - Joseph G. Rizk, Owner, Artistic Resource team...more
 

Tony Craig, Michael Novembrino, Thomas Archer To Present At RentDirect Nationwide Member 2 Member; Targeted Breakout Sessions Offer Best-Practice Information
These informational segments are short and meant to pack a bunch of very useful information into a single half-day session. It’s just another way RentDirect provides value to our membership – by making sure they stay ahead of the curve with the latest products and knowledge." - James MacAlpine, Executive Director, RentDirect...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Frigidaire Partners With RentDirect To Bring Appliance Revolution To Rental Customers
Today, rental customers closely follow trends in the retail marketplace and demand more in performance and appearance from their home appliances. Advancements by companies like Frigidaire have made today's appliances not just more attractive, but also more energy-efficient...more

ACE Cash Express To National Consumer Law Center; Nuts!
The National Consumer Law Center report fails to present the facts about payday loans and utility payments, and consists of erroneous arguments and false conclusions." - Jay B. Shipowitz, President and CEO, ACE Cash Express...more

U.S. PC Shipments Accelerate; HP, Dell Continue As Top Brands
The quarter ended better than expected, driven by intense channel activity and vendors' strategic adjustments. The indirect channels, for instance, have proven to be an important source of growth, a trend likely to continue in coming quarters." - David Daoud, Manager, Personal Computing and PC Tracker...more

Stratford Connecticut Aaron’s And Bridgeport Police Join Forces to Support Special Olympics
Aaron's "ACORP" program allows individual stores to earn money for donations at the community level. For every month a store hits $100k monthly revenue, they get $1,000 to give back to the community in any way they see fit...more

easyhome Testing Branded Pre-Paid Phone Service
Pre-paid phone service is a natural complement to our core operations. It targets a wide base of customers whom we already know, and this will allow us to strengthen our relationship with them." - David Ingram, President and CEO, easyhome...more

Consumer Electronics Factory To Dealer Sales To Grow Eight Percent In 2007
The single largest contributor in terms of dollar sales continues to be display technologies. Over 30 million digital televisions are projected to ship by year’s end...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Quarter of a Million Reasons to Choose E.H.P. Direct South
There are distributors and then there are fulfillment partners. What's the difference? While both fill similar roles in storing, selling and then getting merchandise to rental stores, a fulfillment partner tends to be more focused in its approach. Just ask E.H.P. Direct South President Gilly Bailey...more
 

RTO Manager Chris Muniz Drives Home a Winner
Chris Muniz, manager of the Allentown, Pennsylvania Premier Rental Purchase, picked the winning set of keys and walked away with a 2007 Chevy Impala at the June 24th DUB Show in Atlantic City...more
 

easyhome To Webcast Q2 Conference Call August 2nd
Audio of the call will be broadcast live. A link to the live webcast will be available from My RTO Portfolio...more

Dell, Sony Among Top 10 Most Recognized Brand Names
Three industries are represented on this year’s list. Four of the companies are from the Electronics industry, while three are each from Autos and Consumer and Package Goods...more

Experts Predict Wage Increases, Rise in Short-Term Interest Rates
"As growth picks up, so will employment and wages. Consumers should get some relief from high gas prices later in the year as refiners' margins tend back toward their averages, even if oil prices don't come down. If oil prices drop, the benefit to the consumer will be just that much greater." - Gail D. Fosler, Executive VP and Chief Economist, The Conference Board...more
 

Stanley Furniture Sees Continued Weakness; Q2 Net Down 12.6%; Lowers Guidance For Q3
"We are not anticipating any significant improvement in the demand environment for the balance of 2007. Consequently, we have lowered our sales and earnings guidance." - Jeffrey R. Scheffer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Furniture...more

First Cash Reports Same-Store Sales Increase 11%; 43 New Store Openings YTD
"We expect same-store revenue growth to remain significant for the foreseeable future due to the large number of newer stores in our development pipeline." - Rick Wessel, Chief Executive Officer, First Cash...more

Whirlpool Young Professionals Diversity Network Named 'Young Innovator of the Year' by Western Michigan Business Review
Young Professionals, or YP!, as it is known inside Whirlpool, is the company's first and only diversity network to focus outside the federally protected groups of gender, race and sexual orientation...more

Hispanic Heritage Month 2007; September 15 – October 15
September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua...more

RTO Vendor Profile
DSI Warehouse Direct
Not only is DSI the nation's largest distributor of electronics and appliances, but they also employ a dedicated RTO team made up of employees who have spent decades in the field working for rental stores themselves...more

American Rental Wraps 2007 Trade Expo; Podcast Interviews With CTO Raouf Bishay and Buyer Donna Hinshaw
There was a bit of unexpected excitement when hundreds of fireworks that were being set up for the evening's grand finale were accidentally ignited. The resulting explosion and fire thankfully resulted in no injuries, but did provide the best daylight fireworks display in Indiana history...more

Podcast Interview With David P David, CEO Of American Rental; Now the largest independently owned rental purchase company in the Midwest
"Growth is about overcoming challenges. With every jump from, 12-20 or 20-30 stores, there are unique challenges to overcome, but we we feel our distribution system has been the key to our success." - David P. David, CEO, Full-o-Pep Inc, American Rental...more

Las Vegas Furniture Market To Host Rep Appreciation Day July 29
"Rep Appreciation Day is our way of showing the rep community how much we appreciate them as a driving force for the industry." - Harvey Dondero, CEO, World Market Center...more

VIDEO
Not Your Daddy's PC; Today's Computers Are Legitimate Entertainment Devices
"Everywhere we turn we see signs of how technology is changing the way media is consumed, and at its core, I think this is really about consumers’ desire to have more choice and more control of their media experience." - Kevin Conroy, Executive VP, AOL Products...more

Rent-A-Center To Webcast 2nd Quarter 2007 Conference Call
Rent-A-Center will broadcast its quarterly earnings conference call on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 10:45 AM ET over the Internet...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Dimplex; Blazing The RTO Trail
Dimplex North America fireplaces continue to warm the hearths of rental customers and the hearts of rental dealers. Mantel fireplaces are gaining steam throughout the rental industry, as more and more dealers take advantage of their great looks, functionality and versatility...more

Wal-Mart CEO, "Consumers Continue To Be Challenged Financially"
"Consumers continue to be challenged financially, with more pressure on discretionary spending." - Eduardo Castro-Wright, CEO, Wal-Mart Stores U.S...more

772 Million People Online Worldwide in May; Google Continues Domination
Google continues to lead as the most popular property, reaching almost 70 percent of Internet users...more

LCD Sales Outpace Plasma
LCD outstripped Plasma in shipments in the 40-inch and 42-inch market at the end of last year. In the super-large size market, the Plasma is still holding the leading position...more

Tennessee Governor Signs Regulatory Flexibility Law; Requires Lawmakers To Consider Legislative Impact On Small Business
Senate Bill 0055 / House Bill 1276, cosponsored by Representative Susan Lynn and Senator Raymond Finney, requires state agencies to analyze the economic impact of a proposed rule on small businesses...more

Orion Software Voted Best Rental Management Software
"Being voted as the top Rental Software in the industry encourages us to strive to continue to bring tangible benefits to our clients through technology." -
Andre Gilbert, President, Orion Software...more

Payday Giant Cash America To Offer Advances In United Kingdom
"We see our entrance into the United Kingdom as a demonstration of our ability to touch new markets where we determine that the customer demand is sufficient." - Daniel R. Feehan, CEO, Cash America...more

Convention coverage
American Rental Expo Kicks Off Friday
The 2007 American Rental (Full-o-Pep) Trade Exposition begins Friday in Nashville, Indiana at the Season’s Lodge & Conference Center. The two day company show includes a golf tournament, a tradeshow featuring 30 exhibitors and caps off with a hog roast Saturday evening...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Coaster Company of America Offers Integrated Delivery Program To Rental Dealers Across The U.S
"We operate logistics centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and New Jersey. From these seven strategic points we serve the largest amount of independent dealers, blanketing all 50 states on an economic basis." -  Larry Furiani, Vice President of Dealer Relations for Coaster Company of America...more

Record-Breaking Attendance Expected at RentDirect Nationwide Member 2 Member (M2M) and PrimeTime! Buying Show
"RentDirect membership has increased beyond any previous year. What we have consistently heard from members is the fact that incorporating our M2M conference within the PrimeTime! schedule makes this a must-attend event. - James MacAlpine, Executive Director, RentDirect Nationwide...more

Three Quarters Of Small Business Owners Say High Gas Prices Hurting Business
74 percent of small business owners polled by the National Association of the Self Employed (NASE) said that high gas prices were either significantly or moderately hurting their business, up from 67 percent in 2005...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Central File Is all About Retention, Retention, Retention
According to Sales Manager Al Benson, what sets Central File Direct Mail Marketing apart is their deep RTO-centric background. “All of us at Central File from the owner to the very last salesperson has RTO savvy. Most of us were operators in the rental-purchase industry, holding various positions of responsibility...more

Payday Association Lands Former Senator Tommy; Moore Resigns State Senate Seat To Become EVP of Association
Tommy Moore (D-SC) resigned his state Senate seat on Saturday and announced he would join the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) as Executive Vice President. CFSA is the nation's largest payday loan industry trade associations...more

RTO Vendor Profile
CBK Accessories
CBK provides RentDirect members with unique accessories that turn a showroom into a showplace. CBK Director of Strategic Sales Initiatives Kimberly Watts' first exposure to the rental industry was during February's Nationwide RentDirect buying show in Orlando...more

VIDEO
Sony Slashes PS3 Price; Will Ship New 80 GB Model In August
Effective immediately, the current 60GB PS3 model will be available in North America for $499 - $100 below the original launch price. The company also announced a 80GB model, available in August, for a suggested retail price of $599. The PS3 has lagged both the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 in sales...more

History Of Labor Day; Sept. 3 2007
Labor Day is September 3, 2007. The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary...more

Game Console Competition Fierce; Penetration To Reach 50% in 2008
Console market revenue growth will reach a high of $12.8 billion in 2007 when new platform sales are strongest. And, in 2008 US household penetration will surpass the 50 percent mark...more

Just Say No To Government-Mandated Paid Sick Leave
Most small-business owners already have their own guidelines regarding time off, and they often are more flexible than what the government would require...more
 

MEGA Group USA National Convention Set For September 10-13
Rent to Own dealers take the time to work on their business instead of in it when they attend the National Convention." - Mallory Parker, Director of Business Services, Mega Group USA...more

07-09-07
Microsoft To Spend $1 Billion On Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage
Microsoft will expand its global Xbox 360 warranty coverage to three years for any unit that experiences a general hardware failure indicated by the so called "red ring of death"...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Capital Solutions Offers RTO Companies Unique Financing
Capital Solutions for the Home Product Industry's' name says it all. The company has a proud history of providing rental dealers with unique and varied financing opportunities and creating new programs to keep the rental business model a profitable one...more

Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Panasonic’s Sakamoto, Intel’s Otellini to Deliver 2008 CES Keynotes at The Venetian
The tech giants will discuss their visions for the future of consumer technology, particularly the impact new consumer technology products will have on digital content and services...more

RTO Solutions Aims To Be Single Source Accessory Supplier; Podcast Interview With Brian Rosen; National Director of RTO Solutions
The first step in reducing a Rent to Own company's expenses is being able to measure them accurately. Since most accessories and supplies are purchased out of petty-cash, accurate tracking is nearly impossible - and Petty cash is anything but "petty". The amount spent per item may be small, but added together for multiple locations, the amounts can be very large and significantly affect a companies bottom line...more

Ideal Software TIRM Users Invited To Training July 10-11
Ideal Software Systems, Inc. is holding a two-day training class for “Ideal Rental Manager (TIRM) software” at its corporate headquarters in Meridian, Mississippi on July 10th & 11th. All TIRM users are invited to attend...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Baseline Assists in Scoring New Customers
After racking up a year and a half of successful sales history, Brown Councill of Baseline Licensing Group says his company is prepared to take the concept of sports home lifestyle furniture to the next level...more

Asset Limited Income Constrained; Study By Clemson University Attempts To Better Understand Subprime Consumers And The Industries That Serve Them
"While it’s easy to see these households as victims of the marketplace, they are making the best choices available, given the broader systemic issues facing them. Similarly, those who provide goods and services to ALIC, including used car dealers, sub-prime lenders and rent-to-own outlets, are seen as villains rather than entrepreneurs seeking to meet the needs of underserved consumers." - John Mittelstaedt, Associate Professor of Marketing, Clemson University; President of the Macromarketing Society...more

Sands Expo To House All Temporary Exhibits At 2007 Las Vegas Furniture Market
"Grouping our exhibitors into meaningful segments allows them to be readily discovered by the relevant buyer." - Michelle Monteferrante, Director, Trade Show Operations, World Market Center...more

RTO Online Releases Website Traffic Numbers For June, 2007; Exceeds Half Million Sessions In Month
RTOonline.com registered over 519,000 visitor sessions and 4.3 million page views in June, 2007; a 74% increase in visitor sessions and a 95% increase in page views over June 2006...more

Sharp Introduces Slim G-Series LCD; 26 to 52 Inch Models Less Than 3.5 Inches Thick
Sharp will introduce 16 new G-Series AQUOS models with the industry's thinnest profile of 8.1 cm - about 3.2 inches...more

Silko Radio Enters Rent to Own Sector With Toshiba, Sony Refurb Program; Bob Bradlin Named National Rep
"This is one of those rare win-win situations. Many of our new rent to own dealers are excited about having name brand recognition along with savings of at least 30% over new product." - Bob Bradlin, National Sales Representative for Silko Radio...more

Convention Coverage - Podcast
ColorTyme Wraps 2007 Convention; Podcast Interview With Company President Bob Bloom
The single greatest predictor of a franchisees success is the quality of the relationship with the franchisor. The more effective a franchise is at sharing its expertise, the greater the possibility an individual franchisee...more
 

Payday Lender PLS Opens 300th Location
"At the outset, we focused our attention on operations. We recognized that you can never over-invest in good people." - Bob Wolfberg, Co-President, PLS...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Ashley = Inte-greated Supply Chain
Ashley Furniture Industries is hardly your typical furniture company. As the nation's top-selling furniture brand, Ashley continues to dominate the industry and differentiate its offerings by working with customers as a complete business partner – with increased store profit as the common goal...more

Convention Coverage
ColorTyme Conventioneers Attend Night Game At Great American Ballpark; Cruise The Ohio; New Photo Galleries
Friday was a day to relax for ColorTyme franchisees midway through the 2007 ColorTyme National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio - A golf tournament in the morning, a riverboat cruise in the afternoon and a Reds versus Cardinals night game at Great American Ballpark...more

Midwest RTO Expo Registration Open; Focus Is On Product Training
In 2004, the Ohio Rental Dealers Association created the country's first regional rent to own industry tradeshow - the Midwest RTO Expo...more

Las Vegas Summer Furniture Market Offers 50 Educational And Entertainment Events
"The seminars and programs we are presenting at our Summer Market offer an incredible range of options for attendees and represent the most diverse line-up to date." - Dana Andrew, Director of Marketing, World Market Center...more

Convention Coverage
Ken Schimpf Named ColorTyme franchisee of the Year
Ken Schimpf was named ColorTyme Franchisee of the Year for 2006. Schimpf was awarded the company's prestigious Eagle Award Thursday at ColorTyme's 2007 National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio...more

Convention Coverage
ColorTyme Packs Cincinnati Welcome Reception
ColorTyme franchisees and families packed the Hilton Netherland Plaza Rose Room Wednesday night to officially kick off the company's 2007 National Convention. 200 people were registered to attend...more

Survey Finds Women Most Pessimistic About Economy; Data Indicates Furniture, Appliance Spending Increase By Q4
Shopping trips are being impacted by higher gas prices as 41.9% of consumers say they are taking fewer trips and 40.1% are shopping closer to home...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Advertising Made Easy? Know Sweat!
AME has been a partner of Nationwide, RentDirect's parent retail buying group, for nearly a decade. This type of service has been offered on the retail side for some time, but Sweat says offering this service to RTO is relatively new...more

Apple iPhone to Grab 10 Percent Smartphone Share By End of 2007
Some experts predict the Apple iPhone sales will account for 2 million of a total 20 million smartphones sold this year...more

High Touch Sponsors Special Olympics Softball Tourney
"The Special Olympics tournament is one that High Touch employees find deeply rewarding." - Carol Church, High Touch...more

One Third Of US Households Own an HDTV; Most Buy HDTV For Movies, Gaming
16 million high-definition televisions (HDTV) will be sold in 2007, bringing the total number of HDTVs sold in the U.S. to 52.5 million...more

ColorTyme Kicks Off National Convention This Week; Pete Rose To Keynote
ColorTyme, the nation's oldest rent-to-own franchise, is expecting over 200 franchisees and vendors at the company's 2007 National Convention this week at the Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, Ohio...more

D&H’s Home Theater Furnishings Create New Opportunities For High End Media Room Rentals
Rent-to-own dealers and store owners can significantly increase the value of a home theatre or gaming room sale by including a media sofa or other home theater furniture, creating a deluxe overall atmosphere for the rental customer...more

RTO Vendor Profile
Artistic Resources Makes RTO Add-Ons Simple
"You can only rent one sofa per room, but you could rent up to four pictures per room. That is why we have a program with Ashley Furniture to coordinate wall art with their latest fabrics. We want to make it simple for rental dealers and their customers to create a beautiful, comfortable living room and increase profits with an easy add-on item." - Joe Rizk, President, Artistic Resources...more

D&H Distributing Sponsors Digital TV Transition Webcast; How To Prepare Your Business And Your Customers
D&H Distributing, a major national computer and consumer electronics distributor to the rent to own and retail sectors, is sponsoring a Dealerscope Webcast covering the government mandated transition to Digital TV. Transition...more

Report; Over 2,000 Americans Start Their Own Business Every Day
A daily average of 2,356 people went into business for themselves as the nations number of businesses without a payroll reached 20.4 million in 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today...more

RTO Online Raises 2007 Traffic Estimates
"RTO Online continues to be the dominant information brand in the rental-purchase and home goods leasing sectors." - Roy Griffaw, founder and President of RTO Online Inc...more

Gordon and Roads Open Premier Rental Purchase In Lakewood Colorado; Plan Second Denver Area Store Mid 2008
"We are old school RTO and live with the philosophy that it takes lots of hard work, lots of sales training.. I’ve built a large customer base that will come to us in our new store. I feel if you treat customers well, they will follow you" - Mitch Roads, Premier Rental Purchase Franchisee...more

RentCash Buying Back 9% Of Its Own Stock
Rentcash believes that the market price of its shares are undervalued...more
 

RTO Vendor Profile
Amcase - The Multiple Benefits of Modular Design
The design of major appliances and home electronics has changed drastically in the past several years, and it only makes sense that the way rental dealers display these items would change, too. Albert Turick, Creative Director for Nationwide Design Center, is animated as he discusses the merchandise display options available through Amcase – the exclusive supplier of in-store merchandising solutions for members of Nationwide RentDirect...more

Americans Conducted 7.6 Billion Internet Searches in May; Google Captures 51%
Americans conducted 7.6 billion searches online in May, up 4% versus April and up 11% percent versus May 2006...more

RTO Vendor Profile
ALMO - Warehouse Direct
ALMO President and COO Warren Chaiken explains the ALMO advantage, “We understand the products, we understand the rental business, and we help even a small operation work under a ‘just in time’ inventory process. When you work with a company like ours, there is no need to place a truckload order of similar merchandise from a single vendor that will just take up space in your back room...more

Sony Goes NASCAR; Dale Earnhardt Junior To Be New Pitchman; Says Earnhardt "It's Cool"
Sony has signed a personal endorsement deal with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Jr Motorsports to participate in the company’s marketing efforts...more

Large-Size TFT-LCD Shipments Record 33.1 Million in May
Looking at shipment trends by supplier, the top three players, AU Optronics, LG.Philips LCD and Samsung Electronics, added up to 62% of the total volume and 65% of the total revenues...more

Experts Recommend Multichannel Approach To Hispanic Marketing
31 percent of Hispanics visit the senders website when responding to direct mail received in the past month, compared to just 20 percent of non-Hispanic adults. Hispanic adults are just as likely, and in some cases more likely, to use technology as are non-Hispanic adults...more

8th Annual National Small, Diversity Business Awards Program Announced
All Small, Women and Minority owned businesses are encouraged to register. Last years winners received enormous recognition and exposure for their companies...more

New Standard Aims At Easing Set Up Of Digital Electronics
"As we approach the analog television transmission shutoff date, and as more Americans install digital TV sets in their homes, the ability to easily hook up accessory devices like DVRs to DTV sets is critical." - Brian Markwalter, Vice President of Technology and Standards, CEA...more

Rent-N-Roll Adopts House Of Hope As National Charity; Kicks Off Relationship With $15,000 Gift
I urge all Rent To Own organizations and Wheel and Tire companies, that are looking for ways to make a difference in their communities, to look into their local chapter of The House of Hope as they are worthy of your consideration" - Larry Sutton, President, Rent-N-Roll...more

Over 70% Of Online Adults Listen to Audio On PC; Quality Is Everything
In the span of a few years, the PC has risen from an enigmatic beige box to what some consumers today might call the epicenter of infotainment in the home...Steve Koenig, Consumer Electronics Association...more

Apple iPhone May Not Be All That
Despite all the hype, there is little clarity on Apple's service plans for the device. This lack of clarity could adversely impact consumers' purchase decisions...more

25% Of Female Workers, 29% of Hispanics Experience Discrimination or Unfair Treatment at Work
Nearly one-third of women said they feel discriminated against or treated unfairly based on their gender at least once a week...more

Oregon Governor Signs Four Bills Affecting Payday Loans, Check Cashing, Title Loans
Oregon House Bill 2871, caps interest rates on all consumer loans, such as those made by payday and car title loan companies, and makes sure borrowers have at least 31 days to repay a loan...more

Convention Coverage
Podcast; Interviews With Past Missouri Rental Dealers Association Presidents
There have been six MRDA presidents since the group was chartered in 1987 - John Thompson, Gary Romine, John Cleek Sr., Dan Cole, Chuck Kuluva and current President John Cleek Jr...more

Rent One's Trent Agin Wins Heartland RTO Bass Tournament
Trent Agin, Vice President of Business Systems for the Midwest's largest rent-to-own chain - Rent One -, took the prize for biggest fish in Tuesday's Buddy Bass Tournament at the 2007 Heartland of America RTO Tradeshow in Lake Ozark, Missouri. The event is organized by Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA)...more

Survey Finds CEOs Lack Confidence In Hiring Systems
The survey also found that internal company issues like growth, employee retention and marketing & sales outrank all external issues including economy, fuel prices and real estate fluctuations in importance to future business performance...more

Convention Coverage
Heartland RTO Tradeshow Attendance Up 10%
Sixty five vendors are displaying goods at the show and MRDA President John Cleek Jr. predicts that, despite a typically soft summer, buying will be up 15% from 2006 levels...more