Editorial
Preparing America's Graduates for a Hard Job Market
By Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com
There are many resources to help young people along the career path, including Internet career sites, books and school-based programs. The National Job Shadow Day initiative helps students explore various vocations by spending a day with a workplace mentor ...more

RSSS Growth Spurs Relocation
Ellison Crider
RSSS General Manager
“RSSS, L.P. has enjoyed the opportunities of company growth since our recent acquisition by High Touch, Inc...more

Study Shows African Americans Take Lead in Adapting New Technologies
Study Shows...
43% of online African Americans access the Internet using a broadband connection compared to 36% of the general online population ...more

Whirlpool to Honor Top U.S. Suppliers
Out of Whirlpool Corporation's 645 U.S. suppliers, the company's procurement department rated 30 companies the best. The suppliers were judged on their quality, productivity and material management...more

Senate Legislative Update
Michael Crapo (R-ID) Becomes 11th Senate Cosponsor of RTO Legislation
10% of Senators showing active support is seen by insiders as 'critical mass' where debate is assured, and a vote is likely. However, Senate rules are written in such a way as to allow any Senator with a 'bone to pick' to block debate on any bill...more

House Passes H.R.2; Benefits RTO Industry
Bill Thomas (R-CA)
Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee
"When we talk about something like reducing peoples’ taxes, we have to look to the larger collective needs of this country...more

House of Representatives
Avalanche of Support for Rent to Own Legislation Following APRO Legislative Conference
14 Representatives signed on as co-sponsors of HR996, the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act, bringing the grand total to 50; 35 Republican and 15 Democrat...more

Rent-Way Announces Refinance!
The notes will mature on June 15, 2010, bear interest at 11 7/8%, payable semi-annually, and will be secured by a second priority lien on substantially all of the company's assets...more

Dan Cortez
Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Rent to Steal
Falsely reporting rental merchandise as stolen a growing problem in Fort Wayne...more

Ideal Software Systems moves to new 30,000 sq ft facility
David Goldman, Owner and President of Ideal, said the company is expecting many new developments in 2003 and the move will allow his company to continue to grow...more

Rent-n-Roll Expands Into North Carolina
Larry Sutton, president of Rent-n-Roll, LLC announced the completion of a multi-store License agreement for the Greensboro and Charlotte N.C. ADI’s with John Miller of Hometown Rentals...more

Lane Furniture Recalls 620,000 Recliners
The recall includes three-position, high leg recliner chairs that have a five-digit style number beginning with 026 or 027 and a shipping date prior to May 2002...more

hot
Dealer Profile
Renting, Racing and Relationships
Interview with Ken Chapman of Chappy's Rent to Own
excerpt:  RTO Online: What do you see as the Rent to Own industry's biggest challenge in the coming year?

Ken Chapman: The soft economy is a concern, but the real challenge will be finding the next hot category of rental merchandise...more

05-21-03
Jobs for Progress and RentWay Launch Job-Skills Computer Training for Hispanic Americans
Rent-Way is donating equipment and 18 computers in Dallas/Ft. Worth, including 12 computers to Ft. Worth SER - Jobs for Progress and six computers to the Casa Guanajuato adult training center in Dallas...more

Whirlpool Sponsors Habitat for Humanity
Whirlpool and Lowe's, the Premier Sponsors of the JCWP 2003, will send hundreds of employees to the JCWP 2003 week, dedicating a total of 6,200 volunteer hours...more

Legislative Update
John Breaux (D-LA) Cosponsors RTO Legislation in Senate
Senator Breaux has sponsored RTO legislation in the past. His signature brings the Senate cosponsor count to 10; 5 Democrat and 5 Republican...more

Natuzzi Reports Q1 Sales Drop 14.1%
First quarter net upholstery sales in the Americas decreased 18.8 percent to $85.0 million. In Europe, net upholstery sales decreased 13.3 percent...more

Bassett Aims to Redefine Furniture Advertising
The ads are revolutionary in the furniture sector because they tap into consumer emotions, rather than simply display furniture or having a spokesperson hard-sell products and services...more

Women Still A Long Way from Parity In the Workplace With Male Counterparts
The report cites this year's Business Leadership Index of The Committee of 200 (C200), which measures women's clout in business and concludes that "women business leaders continue to show slow, but steady and determined progress toward parity...more

Rentcash Reports 94% Revenue Increase in Q3
Gordon J. Reykdal
President and Chief Executive Officer
"Rentcash Inc. has been able to maintain profitability in the third quarter even after absorbing $259,000 of new store start-up costs and losses...more

Arson, burglary charges filed over RTO fire
A Sikeston man is in custody in connection with a fire that destroyed Glenn's Rent to Own on May 7th...more

Class Action Denied!
Judge denies certification in RAC wage case
Mark E. Speese
Chairman and CEO
"We are pleased with the court's ruling, which we see as a very favorable development in this matter. We believe we are in compliance with Washington's wage payment laws...more

10 Q's filed
Rainbow Rentals
Aaron Rents
Rent a Center

Aspire Debuts First Low Priced Wireless Home Theater; MSRP $459
The AD-1100 player delivers superior-quality playback from a multitude of media, including DVD, CD, CD-R/RW, CD+G, JPEG and MP3...more

Legislative Update
Jim Talent (R-MO) Cosponsors Bill;
Sees Rent to Own Legislation as "Pro Growth"
Senator Talent told RTO Online, "We need to create jobs and economic growth in Missouri and around the country. The rent-to-own industry employs about 1,400 people in Missouri and there are about 300 rent-to-own businesses in our state...more

Recommended Reading
Impress Your Customers by Asking Them Smart Questions

new
U.S. Unveils New $20 Note With Background Colors
The new $20 note will be issued in the fall, with new designs for the $50 and $100 following in 2004 and 2005...more

S&P Views Rent-Way Offering as Positive
Upon completion of the deal, Standard & Poor's will raise the corporate credit rating to 'B+' from 'CCC'...more

New Study
CD Technology Rules 2003
Sean Wargo
Consumer Electronics Association's senior industry analyst
"We are seeing strong and steady growth among CD-based and home theater audio categories...more

Rental Information Systems to Launch RAM for Windows
Doug Ruby
Director of Marketing
"...This new generation of The RAM System software will revolutionize the rental-purchase software industry."...more

Rent Way Publishes EBITDA For 1998 to Present
The filing states that Rent Way management believes presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information regarding the company's ability to service its debt...more

3 More House Republicans Co-Sponsor Rent to Own Legislation
3 more Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of HR 996, the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act, bringing the grand total to 36; 24 Republican and 12 Democrat...more

Flash
Rent-Way Announces New $215 Million Offering to Payoff Banks
...net proceeds of the offering, together with borrowings under a proposed new revolving bank credit facility, to repay all amounts outstanding to its current bank group...more

RTO Software Guru Raouf Bishay Named Chief Technology Officer at Ideal Software
David Goldman
President, Ideal Software Systems
"The addition of Raouf Bishay is a coup for Ideal. His extensive experience in Rent to Own operations coupled with his two decades of IT experience make Raouf uniquely qualified...more

The Day the Earth Stood Still
I own 'Rufus Mudsuckers Rent Emporium', a small rent to own store in the Midwest. I arrived at the store an hour early Monday morning...more

Flash
Rainbow Founder Larry Hendricks Resigns; Replaced By Robert Harris as COO
Hendricks, one of Rainbow's founders, is leaving to pursue other personal and business interests. He will be replaced by former Remco Chief Operating Officer Robert Harris...more

Standard Democrat
Glenn's Rent to Own in Sikeston Mo. Destroyed By Fire

Rent to Own Accounting Principles & Standards
Avoid Them At Your Own Peril
Snippet: Cooking the books is relatively easy. The perpetrators usually think the business will eventually work its way out of the hole...more

Shelby Star, NC
Broyhill Closing Rutherford NC Casegoods Plant
Closing will Eliminate 500 Jobs...more

Zacks Issues 'Strong Buy' on Rent-A-Center
Here is a synopsis of why Rent a Center has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy)...more

Rentcash Gets Funding For Expansion
Rentcash Inc. (RCS.V) announces that it closed today a non-brokered private placement of 1,585,000 Common Shares ...more

Refinance at RentWay?
Bill Morgenstern
RentWay CEO
"We can be as competitive as anybody else in this business when we are not distracted on a day to day basis managing things that are not part of our core business...more

Aaron Rents Declares Dividend
The Board of Directors of Aaron Rents has declared the Company's thirty-fourth consecutive semi-annual cash dividend...more

Rent-A-Center Purchases 11% Senior Subordinated Notes
Closes Offering of 7 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2010 ...more

RTO Enterprises Shareholders Approve Name Change to easyhome Ltd
RTO Enterprises (Toronto:RTO) announced that at this year's meeting of shareholders held May 1, 2003, shareholders overwhelmingly approved the name change of the Corporation to "easyhome Ltd.". (Click here for Jan 29 interview with company CEO David Ingram on the effort to consolidate brands)...more

Recommended Cartoon
requires flash
Village People vs Saddam

Seattle Area Furniture Stores Team Up to Help the Homeless in Hard Economic Times
Between April 30th and May 18th, Greenbaum and La-Z-Boy will be giving their customers $50 in credit towards a new living room chair or recliner and $100 in credit towards a new couch when customers trade-in their old living room furniture...more

Rainbow Rentals Ad Agency of Record, Innis Maggiore Group, Ohio's Fastest Growing Agency
"Advertising Age," the industry's leading weekly, published its annual ranking of ad agencies in its April 21 issue...more

Legislative Update
6 More Representatives sign on as Co-Sponsors of Rent to Own Legislation
6 more Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of HR 996, the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act, bringing the grand total to 33; 21 Republican and 12 Democrat, including main sponsor Rep. Walter Jones (R -SC)...more

Rainbow Rentals Employee Organizes Tribute
"I felt there was only one message coming out of Youngstown concerning our troops," Stein said, noting that Youngstown City Council had passed a resolution opposing the war. "I didn't want that to be the only message."...more

Rent-A-Center Announces $50 Million Reduction in Senior Term Debt Sought
Rent-A-Center announced today that it will be seeking $400 million of new term debt in connection with its senior debt refinancing efforts, rather than the $450 million of such debt previously announced...more

RentWay Reports Same Store Sales Up 1.9%; Q1 Loss $27.9 Million
William A. McDonnell
Vice President and CFO
"We remain focused on our top priority of refinancing the company's existing bank debt. While at this time we cannot comment on the details of our efforts to refinance the company, we are working toward completing a refinancing in the near term."...more

Breaking News
Exclusive
From the Front Lines
Report from Rufus Mudsucker, embedded with the 92nd RTO division somewhere in Eastern Iraq;
"In early November, electronic listening stations at RTO Online world headquarters picked up rumors of Saddam taking delivery of rental merchandise. This was just the break the 92nd had been waiting for"...more

Rainbow Rentals Reports Same Store Sales Decline in Q1;
Announces Addition of Robert Harris
Wayland J. Russell
Chairman and CEO
"Robert comes to us [with] over 20 years experience with the Remco Enterprise Corporation, one of the premier rent to own companies of its time"...more

Customers Love Us
Charles Loudermilk
Aaron Rents CEO
"One of our franchisee stores put over $300,000 in the bank in February. I don't think there is a rental company in America that's put $300,000 dollars in the bank in one month"...more

Aaron Rents Reports Record Q1 Revenues and Earnings
R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
"Our Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division continues to perform very well. The first quarter results were better than anticipated...more

Flash
Rent a Center Reports Record Q1
Mark E. Speese
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
"We continue to witness the resilience of our industry, and more specifically, our own business model, as evidenced by the record levels of revenue and profitability for the first quarter of 2003."...more

Rent-Way Schedules Second Quarter Earnings Release
Rent-Way today announced it will host a conference call in connection with the release of financial results...more

Maytag to Close US Plant; Move Production to Korea
Production at Galesburg, Ill. facility will begin phasing out later this year, and the plant will be closed in late 2004...more

Rent-A-Center Commences Modified Dutch Auction
...stockholders will have the opportunity to tender all or a portion of their shares at a price or prices specified by the stockholder within the stated price range...more

Rent Way Coordinates "Support the Troops Rally" in West Virginia
Mark Albert
RWY Credit Manager
Project Coordinator
"RentWay corporate is supporting us by donating pre-paid phone cards from our sister company, Dpi Teleconnect. The VFW and American Legion will mail the phone-cards to troops overseas...more