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Premier Auto By Rent Wraps Year with New Franchises |
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The Premier Companies Announces Record Sponsorship for 2011
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Interest High in Premier Franchise January Convention |
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Premier Names Tom Gould Dealer Operations Liaison |
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Chris Mueller Opens Premier Franchise in Tampa |
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Seasoned Operator Celebrates First Year Success as Premier Franchisee |
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Premier Again Named One of Fastest Growing Young Franchisors in America |
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Clussman, Rubio, Soto Named Premier Dealers of the Year |
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Whirlpool Named Premier Vendor of the Year |
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The Premier Companies Kicks off 2010 Convention in Orlando |
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Premier Rental-Purchase Opens in Memphis |
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Moody Brothers Open Tuscaloosa Premier Rental-Purchase |
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Premier Preps for January
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Ratner, Reichenbach Open Second Maine Premier |
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Premier Rental Purchase: Rent to Own Franchise Week 2009 |
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Elkhart Premier Rental-Purchase Rocks the County Fair |
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Persistence Pays For Premier Rental-Purchase Franchisee |
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Premier Companies Retreat Kicks Off Today |
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Rainbow Rentals Founder Wayland Russell to Address Premier Dealers |
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Premier
Named 5th Fastest Growing US Franchise |
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First
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Premier Announces Change in Rent-to-Own Auto Strategy |
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The Premier Companies Kick Off 2009 Convention |
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Colorado Premier Dealers Give Back to Their Community |
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All Rent-to-Own Industry Vendors Invited to Premier 2009
Convention |
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Jim Forker Opens Third Premier RTO Store |
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Manzoori and Craig Partner in Connecticut Premier Rental-Purchase |
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Kinnear Opens Second Premier
Rental Purchase in Dayton |
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Premier Companies Invites Vendors to Register for 2009 Convention |
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30 Year RTO Industry Vet Opens Premier Wheel Workz in Horn Lake, Mississippi |
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The Premier Companies Launches Event Registration System |
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Premier Wheel Workz Expands Custom Wheel Rent-to-Own Training Program |
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Moody Brothers Open Columbus Mississippi RTO |
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Top Gun Opens Premier Rental-Purchase in Pueblo |
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Drew Summa Opens Oakland Park Florida Premier RTO |
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Square, New York |
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Premier to Surpass 100 Store Milestone in 2009 |
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Premier Companies Conference Kicks Off Tonight in Memphis |
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Former
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Deadline Approaching For Premier Companies Vendor Registration |
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Vendor Registration Open for 2008 Premier Companies Business Conference |
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Soto
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No Customer Left Behind; Ron Smith Combining Rent to Own and Retail in Moline |
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Bauer, Newman Open Harrisburg Pennsylvania Premier Rental Purchase |
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Is Retail The Next Big Rent-to-Own Thing? |
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Buying RTO Inventory; Interview With Bart Stamper, Executive Director, Premier Companies Purchasing Co-op |
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Premier Companies Chooses AME To Standardize Nationwide Marketing |
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Rent-to-Own Cars; The Next Big Thing? |
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Bradenton, Florida Premier Rental Purchase Supports Meals on Wheels |
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Bleeding Blue and Yellow - Mike Lewis Named 2007 Premier Companies' Dealer of the Year |
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Duke, Goss, Alonzo take Premier Golf Tournament; See Five New Video Podcasts |
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Video Podcast
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Video Podcast Interview With Scott Kinnear, Premier Rental Purchase |
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Video Podcast Interview With John Darden, Premier Companies Franchisee |
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Video Podcast Interview With Ben Pior, Premier Franchisee Form Garland Texas |
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Video Podcast Interview With Trooper Earle; Premier Convention Starts Today |
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Premier Companies Convention Kicks Off Monday; Premier 2007 Year In Review |
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Premier Companies, SEADRA Launch Rent to Own Car Franchise Rent-N-Ride |
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Premier Wheel Workz Launches in Memphis; Dealers gather for
training |
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Rent to Own Industry Veteran Steve Newman Opens in Milford, Delaware Premier |
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Premier Companies Forms Joint Custom Wheel Rent to Own Franchise Venture With Wheel Workz |
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Former Rent Way Fixer Dennis Lingerfelt Opens Premier Rental Purchase Franchise in Jacksonville |
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Premier Companies Doubles Vendor Presentations Scheduled For January Convention |
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Jay Muir Brings Premier Rent to Own
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Scott Savell Resigns As President of Premier Wheel Rentals |
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Premier Wheel Rentals Holds Successful Grand Opening Of St. Petersburg Location |
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Krygoske and Wood Open Portage Indiana Premier Rental Purchase |
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Rodger Lyn
Opens Premier Rental Purchase In Miami After 10 Year Hiatus |
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Premier
Companies 2008 Convention Set For San Antonio |
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Matt Baker Opens Covington Georgia Premier Rental Purchase |
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Jim
Ratner and John Reichenbach Partner In Maine Premier Rental
Purchase |
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RTO
Vets Partner To Open Dixon Illinois Premier Rental Purchase |
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Rent to Own Industry Vet Tom Gould Opens Greensboro NC Premier
Wheel Rentals |
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RTO Manager Chris Muniz Drives Home
a Winner |
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Gordon and Roads Open Premier Rental Purchase In Lakewood
Colorado; Plan Second Denver Area Store Mid 2008 |
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Premier
Wheel Rentals Signs 10-Store Deal In Florida |
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The Premier
Rental Purchase Philosophy |
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Premier
Conference In Full Swing; Reports of Growth and Commitment to
Unity |
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Premier
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Expansion |
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Premier Home Furnishings Store Opens in Rockford, Illinois |
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Premier
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Forker and
Chamberlain Open Second Michigan Premier Rental Purchase |
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Rich Bagoly and
Dave Jones Named Premier Rental Purchase 2006 Dealer of the Year; 12th
Annual Convention Wraps; Nine Podcast
Interviews With Premier Dealers |
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Premier RTO Dealers Hold General Session |
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Premier Group Welcomes Over 100 To 12th Annual
Convention; Podcast Interview With CEO Trooper Earle |
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Premier Convention Begins Today In Miami Florida |
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John
George Opens Buffalo, New York Premier Rental Purchase |
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Lockwood Opens Premier Rental Purchase in Syracuse Area |
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Ben Pior
Opens Premier Rental Purchase in Garland, Texas |
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Premier
Rental Purchase To Hold Annual Convention In Miami, Florida
January 15-18 |
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All in the Family - Sieverding Brothers Acquire 10,000 Sq Ft
Premier Home Furnishings Store Opens In Clinton, Iowa |
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William Cuthbertson Fights to Open Rent to Own
Store |
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Bradenton Florida Premier Rental Purchase Adds Custom Wheels |
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Dan Opaka
Opens Portland Premier Rental Purchase; Store To Combine
Traditional With Wheel and Tire |
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Premier Rental Purchase Sets 2007 Convention For
Miami |
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RTO Fixers Partner To Open Indiana Premier Rental Purchase |
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Rose Tomilloso Blending Retail and Rent to Own; Opens Premier
Home Furnishings in Rialto, California |
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Former
Managers Partner-Up, Open Premier Rentals Franchise In
Bradenton, Florida |
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Premier Wheel Rentals to open Superstore In Pompano Beach,
Florida |
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New Premier
Rental Purchase Store Opens In
Gresham, Oregon |
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Premier Rents Announces Four Franchise
Companies; Taking its franchising experience into related
industries |
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Former RentWay COO Heads Premier Rents Cash Services Division |
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Premier Rentals Convention A Hit In Playa Del
Carmen |
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Premier Rental Names Mike Lewis VP Operations |
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Premier
Rental Purchase Opens in Knox, Indiana |
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Darden
Opens Premier Rents in Charlottesville, Virginia |
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Premier Store
Opens in San Antonio |
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Dave Reed Opens Premier Rental-Purchase In Joplin, Mo. |
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Premier Rental
Purchase Convention To Be Held In Cancun Mexico |
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Premier
Rental Purchase Opens in Benton Harbor |
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Premier
Rents Opens New Store in
Nashville |
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New
Premier-Rental Purchase Store Opens in Syracuse |
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Premier’s
Dynamite Duo Open Second Pennsylvania Store |
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Premier
Rental Purchase Opens Altoona PA Store |
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Premier Opens Another Store -
This Time Dayton, Ohio |
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Premier’s
"Rich and Dave Rentals" Opens in Reading, Pennsylvania |
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Premier Rental-Purchase Opens Washington,
Pennsylvania Store |
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Ferrari
Opens Premier Rentals In PA |
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Premier Rental Purchase Opens
Lancaster Texas Location |
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Premier
Rental Opens 13th Location; Owner Mike Lewis Cites High End Merchandise And
New Look As Formula For Success |
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Premier
Rental Purchase Opens 12th Location |
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Market Forces;
As Rent to Own Companies Consolidate, Entrepreneurs Flourish |
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Premier Rental Purchase Launches New Concept
Store |
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2004 Premier
Rents Dealer Retreat Scheduled |
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Zooooom...Jack Rowland |
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I have the
most fun when I’m opening up a store
Ted Krygoske
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| Left to right - Ted Krygoske, Claudia
Bottomley, Paul Bottomley. Ted and Paul both were
regional managers for the same company in Indiana and
realized they had similar goals. They had talked for
years about one day opening their own business. |
“I’ve been in the business for 12 years,” says Ted Krygoske.
“And one thing I’ve found is that I have the most fun when I’m
opening up a store.” He describes that experience as an exciting
part of what he did for a major RTO company until recently.
“Everything is fresh - yours. If you put a nick on the wall,
it’s your nick. I like the ownership piece of it.”
But after all those years the feeling of being an
entrepreneur began to get squelched for Ted, and that is how his
partner Paul Bottomley describes what happened in his RTO world
too, after 17 years. “I felt I was going down the road of
micromanagement,” says Paul. I felt that corporate America was
taking away the entrepreneurial spirit and that’s not what
either of us is about.”
Ted and Paul both were regional managers for the same company
in Indiana and realized they had similar goals. They had talked
for years about one day opening their own business. According to
Paul, “one thing led to another and we ended up partners in
owning a
Premier store in Knox, Indiana.” It’s a start for them, one
they hope will lead to multiple stores owned individually. That
IS what they are about.
“We
feel that by starting out together we will get the first one off
the ground and make it a cash cow to help finance future
stores,” said Ted. “We compliment each other with similar goals
and work ethics. And we’ll keep things fresh by continuing to
open new stores.”
Ted and Paul started in the industry working from the ground
up, learning all aspects of the RTO business. Ted’s foray into
RTO was with Rent-A-Center and before leaving that company had
doubled the volume of a store from 80,000 to 150,000 within a
year. He moved to Rentway to open up a brand new store and grew
that from zero to 600 agreements in six months.
Meanwhile Paul signed on with Coleman Rentals, which was
bought by McKinsey/National Rental, which was later bought by
Rentway. According to Paul he became a “real fix-it guy,” taking
over numerous locations when they needed help. In one case he
turned a failing store with 300 agreements into Rentway’s
largest volume store with 1200 agreements.
With success under their belts as store managers, account
reps and regional managers, they have proven experience in
starting and running multiple operations well. Not only do they
know the RTO business but how to treat people, a key element
they both attribute to their success.
“Knowing the business and concentrating on our customers remains
vital to us, and it will lead to success in our new venture,”
says Paul.
They carefully charted their next steps after deciding to
launch their business. Ted admits they looked into their
options, including buying a franchise of one of the large RTO
companies. They also knew about Premier through two other
regional managers who had gone out on their own with them.
“We had looked into opening up a store two times,” says Ted.
“Two times we tried, but both fell through because of different
issues, such as non-competes in the area. One day we remembered
what someone had told us about Premier. We found the website,
called Trooper and compared Premier to joining with a larger
firm or going solo. There was no comparison, though. We knew we
should absolutely go with Premier instead of any other option.
Fees were too high to make joining a large company appealing.
And while some people out there may think about doing it by
themselves, I think that’s a huge mistake. If we had tried to do
it by ourselves, it would have taken us years to get done what
we’ve been able to get done in months with Premier’s help. They
have it all laid out, from the business plan to the new store
opening guide. The support we got has been incredible.”
Paul adds, “The guidance they have provided has been
tremendous. We looked at everything. We did a lot of research
before deciding on Premier. Not only did we find it so expensive
elsewhere, we wanted the ability to make our own decisions and
not be driven by franchise agreements. We could have ended up in
an extremely corporate environment had we gone a different
route, but with Premier we’re working for ourselves. We have our
own pricing program, select our own products. The financing is a
lot better. Going through the SBA was better than going through
the financing offered by other companies.”
Paul recalls one example of how well it worked. Trooper told
him about a real estate broker to help with the lease. “He was
an unbelievable guy. We got a great deal on our lease and were
able to negotiate all the build-out of the store. We had to
front very little for construction - just paint and carpet. No
one could have gotten us a better deal.”
In their quest ultimately to open several stores they feel
they’ll have the set-up and support now from Premier to do just
that.
“Trooper has been amazing,” adds Ted. “Whenever we have a
question or a problem, we get an answer right away. I usually
expect the worst and hope for the best. Then I won’t be
disappointed. But so far it’s gone without a hiccup. Not one of
the Premier contacts has let us down. We did some shopping -
like when it came time to buy our truck. But in the end the
recommended vendors from Premier have proven to be the most
economical and the most convenient.”
Paul and Ted have learned on the job since they began in the
RTO industry. And now they’ll get to put their knowledge and
experience into play for their own growth as owners. They are
ready. While their personalities demand an environment in which
they have fun, they’ve demonstrated the ability to balance that
with the hard work it takes to keep their store up to their
“superior” standards.
Ted makes a final point - that their store will be a family
business, locally owned and operated. Paul’s wife, Claudia will
be an important figure. “She has worked with Paul before,” says
Ted. “Customers loved that she was there. She’ll help us stay
organized!”
Ted and Paul’s new store is located at 809 South Heaton
Street in Knox, Indiana.
The national office of Premier Rental-Purchase is located in
Williamsburg, Virginia. All Premier stores are independently
owned and operated. Visit Premier’s website at
www.premierrents.net
or call (800) 2-Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.
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