Smaller towns allow us to focus on service, products and general benefits for employees and the community.
Larry Carrico, Founder, Rent One

photo courtesy Rent One Sea of red: Rent One team members during the 2005 Managers Conference. Over 50 employees and 15 vendors will attend the 2006 conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rent One, one of the largest independently owned rent to own companies in the United States, will hold it's 3rd Annual Managers Conference Tuesday and Wednesday, February 7-8, 2006 at the Drury Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rent One operates 36 rental purchase locations with 8 Radio Shacks inside stores. Company founder Larry Carrico has found success focusing on rural markets. "Smaller towns allow us to focus on service, products and general benefits for employees and the community," he said.  "When we were in the larger towns, we spent 80% of our time on 20% of the business. We now focus on the things that matter; making a difference." Rent One regularly organizes, participates in, and donates heavily to charitable events throughout its four-state service area of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Rent One recently matched $19,000 in employee contributions to United Way (see story).

The most anticipated event will be the award ceremony Wednesday when the company will announce the Manager of the Year, Store of the Year, Employee of the Year, and Vendor of the Year. According to company officials the criteria for Manager of the Year consists of 6 key factors;

• Increase in YTD business over last year
• Profitability
• Lower turn over in employees compared to company
• Mentoring
• Community Involvement
• Willingness to share inventories and knowledge

Rent One's Manager of the Year for 2005 is top secret, but the 2004 Manager of the Year was Brian Beck. Brian manages the Herron, Illinois location and is quick to point out that a Manager-of-the-Year is really a team-of-the-year. "It's a team effort," he said. "A good manager utilizes the strengths and experience of everyone around them." Brian credits his longtime crew (three of his five staff are brothers and the store has had zero turnover in three years!) for continued growth of the Herron store in good times and bad; Tim Everly-Assistant Manager, Greg Alton-Account Manager, Clint Alton-Account Manager, Steven Whitecotton-Delivery Tech, and Shawn Alton-Delivery Tech. 2006 is starting out well for Brian and crew. Herron set a store record for monthly revenue in January.

R. Sam Bowers, Jr. will deliver the keynote address Tuesday evening. Bowers is president and founder of Service Sales Institute, a firm specializing in consulting with entrepreneurial-driven companies feeling the pressures of increased competition and lower pricing in their markets. Larry Carrico said he chose Bowers because of his "out of the box thinking."

RTO Online will publish the company award winners on Wednesday, 2-8 as well as providing daily photo coverage of the Rent One Conference from St. Louis. Please check www.rtoonline.com for updates.