Got TOMA?; RTO Online and RTO Magazine Deliver Top Of Mind Awareness
The opposite of “Out of sight, Out of mind”, TOMA is a presence in your customer’s mind achieved through constancy and repetition...more

CFSI's Tescher to Speak on Breaking Trends in Tax Prep-Banking Partnerships; Paper Also Released Today Promotes Marketing Opportunities, Addresses Refund Splitting
"The hardest part of serving the unbanked is getting them in our door" - William Myers, CEO of Alternatives FCU...more

Rent-A-Center To Outsource Procurement
"Procurement outsourcing has been identified as a key vehicle for enabling the company to obtain sustainable cost reductions" - Robert Davis, CFO, Senior VP Finance, Rent-A-Center...more

RTA Furniture Maker Dorel Closes Missouri Facility; 300 Jobs Lost; "Our manufacturing footprint exceeded anticipated market needs"
"I want to recognize the tremendous efforts of the Wright City workforce. However..." - Martin Schwartz, Dorel President and CEO...more

RTO Blog
By: rtoguy
Value of Commission Sales In Rent To Own
I remember getting my first rto job right out of high school. When I was a kid we didn't have a lot of money and I thought that $6.50 an hour and medical insurance was like winning the lottery....more

Nationwide Club Administrators Alan Stein Recognized For 20 Years Of Leadership
"The high standard maintained by Mr. Stein not only benefits Nationwide Club Administrators Inc., but the insurance profession as a whole" - Dr. William T. Hold...more

SBA Low-Interest Loans Available as a Result of Hurricane Katrina
"As a result of this declaration, low-interest loans are available to businesses that sustained damages from Hurricane Katrina" - Frank Skaggs, SBA Acting Area Director...more

SED Extends Support To Katrina Victims
"It is our hope that we can contribute in giving some semblance of stability in the days to come" - Jonathan Elster, SED Executive Vice President...more

GE Combines Lighting and Appliances Businesses to Form GE Consumer Products
"We want to create a simpler, more efficient business that will be competitive across all product lines." - Jeff Immelt, GE Chairman and CEO...more

What Are You Doing To Hold Onto Star Employees?
As a rent-to-own company, what steps have you taken to keep your “franchise” players? You know; the people that, no matter what the obstacle, remain positive, lead by example, drive sales and always outperform their peers?...more

New DURABOOK N15RI Stands Tough Against Competition; Newest edition to notebook computer line features world class computing abilities and a rugged design
Twinhead’s Durabook N15RI boasts a magnesium alloy case that is 20 times stronger than traditional plastic cases. In addition, the Durabook N15RI includes an anti-shock mounting design that offers added protection for critical components...more

Oklahoma Rental Dealers Association Schedules Annual Meeting
"Anyone interested in becoming a new member of our association is encouraged to attend" - Craig Stanley, Oklahoma Rental Dealer's Association...more

RTO Company Needed To Fill Louisiana Contracts
update
Fiesta Rentals has completed arrangements to fill the contracts. Mamie Salazar Harper said, "I received such an overwhelming response to our call to action. We have taken care of our clients' needs."...more

Canada's InstaRent Same Store Revenue Up 63% From 04'
"We exceeded our goal of 300 stores from coast to coast a year in advance and acquired the Instaloans and Premiere Financial chains in the last quarter" - Gordon J. Reykdal, Chairman, and CEO, Rentcash...more

Tennessee Duo Co-Sponsor Rental Purchase Act
Representative Ford, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, sits on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services, both of which will play a key roll in passage of The Act...more

Dial Rent To Own Offers To Re-Locate RTO Employees Displaced By Katrina
In an unprecedented display of compassion and generosity, Robert W. O'Conner, owner of Virgin Islands based Dial Rent-to-own, has offered to re-locate up to 10 rent to own employees and their families displaced by Katrina...more

Ashley Furniture Industries Donates $1.1 Million to Help Katrina Victims
"This donation is given to show our support for all of the families that lost their homes and help them get their lives back to normal" - Ashley Furniture Industries...more

Rent-A-Center To Close 162 Stores; Cites "Over penetration"
"We believe our aggressive store acquisition program over the last few years has resulted in over penetration in some markets" - Mark E. Speese, Chairman and CEO, Rent-A-Center...more

Lynnray Financial Offers Special Financing To RTO Companies Hit By Katrina; Company will also donate percentage of RTO business to hurricane relief
"In response to this need we are issuing special assistance to those hit hardest on a case-by-case basis" - Bill Lassiter, Lynnray Financial Corporation...more

Stanley's Rent to Own Gathers Supplies For Victims; Plans Trip To Coast
Owner Craig Stanley plans fill as many trucks as possible and drive down to the gulf coast and deliver the items directly to the Red Cross...more

GE to Donate Additional $15 Million to Disaster Relief; Total support exceeds $18 million
"We want the people of the Gulf Coast to know that the people of GE are with you" - Jeff Immelt, GE CEO and Chairman...more

Sealy Donates $1 Million To Katrina Relief
"Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this tragedy. We have employees, customers and vendors who have been directly impacted and we want to help the recovery in a significant way" - Dave McIlquham, Sealy CEO...more

Rent-Way Offers Employee Assistance In Wake Of Katrina
"Our first priority was to locate every employee, then make sure each has money and a place to stay" - Tony Craig, Rent-Way Communications Supervisor...more

Smith Brothers Open Second ColorTyme Location and Acquire a Third
"Everything is about our customers: You do what you promise because this business is all about trust" - Tom Smith, ColorTyme Franchisee...more

09-02-05
Aaron's Guarantees Displaced Workers Jobs
"We will do whatever we need to help out; don’t worry about overstaffing in this situation," said Hanson in the email...more

Ace Cash Express Donates To Relief Fund
ACE has 20 company-owned stores in the New Orleans area, served by 40 employees, that have been the most severely affected by the hurricane. At this point, ACE has not been able to visit any of the affected stores...more

Sharp Names Michael Troetti President of Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America
Mr. Troetti will oversee the sales and marketing efforts for Sharp's consumer electronics and business products...more

dPi Teleconnect Adds Infinity Mobile Products
"We wanted the ability to provide a prepaid wireless plan that was competitive in today’s market" - Bryon Voltzow dPi’s Vice President of Operations...more

Aaron Rents Says Damage To Operations From Katrina "Significant"; Company earmarks $200k for employee assistance
:...total property loss and business interruption expense for all of the stores affected by the hurricane could range from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000"...more

GE Introduces Spanish Speaking Laundry
"GE is proactively responding to changing U.S. demographics. According to the 2002 Census, 13.3 percent of the U.S. population was Hispanic" - Jennifer Mintman, General Manager - Clothes Care and Dishwasher, GE Consumer & Industrial...more

ColorTyme Announces New Line of Credit to Back Payday Loan Expansion Plans; Wants 40 Payday Locations By End of 06'
"Securing this additional credit specifically for Pay Day Loans gives ColorTyme franchisees the capital to fund Pay Day Loan programs, as well the additional tools needed to use it – software, training, and security measures" - Same Lowe, ColorTyme Vice President of Operations...more

Canada's Largest Rent to Own Company Raises $52,000 In 2 Day Charity Event;
easyhome’s CEO & CFO Ride a Big Yellow School Bus To Deliver Backpacks To Kids
"Some of our stores, held car washes, BBQs, raffles, bake-sales, pie-throwing events, and even raised money to ‘shave their hair’" - Examples of ways easyhome employees raised money for the 2005 Backpack Challenge...more

Rent A Center Redesigns Website
"We set out to design a site that is more informative and consumer-centric than the previous version" - Ann Davids, Rent-A-Center vice president of marketing and advertising...more

Convention Coverage
Education Is King At Midwest RTO Expo; Event Draws Record Crowd Photo gallery (61 images)
"The Expo is unique among rent to own industry tradeshows," said Mike Tissot, President of Ohio Rental Dealers Association. ORDA organizes the event which draws dealers from as far away as Kansas. "The Expo has been a win win for everyone involved...more

Rent-A-Center Completes Advertising 'Unbundling'; Awards Creative To 'Launch Agency'
“We decided we weren't going to find one shop to meet all of our needs. With the alliance in place, we have more best-in-class marketing resources and perspectives to build our business than ever before.” - Ann Davids, VP Marketing and Advertising, Rent-A-Center...more

Father-Son ColorTyme Franchisees Announce Acquisition of Rent-A-Center Store
John Martin and John “Mark” Martin, the father and son team of JJ Rents LLC, plan to celebrate the re-opening of ColorTyme in Clewiston during the month of September - a market once dominated in the mid 1990’s by ColorTyme and former franchisee Mike Kent Sr...more

Rent A Center To Outfit 33 Boys and Girls Clubs With "RAC Rooms"
The National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers will partner with Rent-A-Center to refurbish the recreation room at the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club to kick off their “Dodgers RAC Room” program, the first of three rooms to be improved in the Los Angeles area...more

Done Deal; Whirlpool Acquires Maytag For $2.7 Billion
"The combination of Whirlpool and Maytag will create very substantial benefits for consumers, trade customers and our shareholders" - Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool chairman, president and CEO...more

Premier Rents Opens New Store in Nashville
All of his RTO buddies were opening their own stores - and doing quite well. So after letting them pave the way, Chuck Botts decided it was time to go into business for himself...more