Mike loves the challenge of not only continually building the business, but also taking care of his employees. He puts an enormous amount of effort into training employees — empowering them to spread their wings to make each store successful
Chris Higgs, TLH Vice President of Development

photo rtoonline Driver Johnny Chastain (left) and Kids Across America President Gregg Bettis, pose with the ColorTyme car owned by franchisee Daryl Rose. Mike Harwood was instrumental in getting ColorTyme, Inc. involved with Kids Across America. Chastain signed autographs for dealers attending ColorTyme's 2005 convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. See a complete photo gallery of the convention here.

Mike Harwood is a man of few words, but much action. Ask his employees about all the incentives he uses to build moral and loyalty. No speeches, just cruises. The approach works well for Harwood and has made him ColorTyme’s largest franchisee with 37 stores.

A pilot by trade, Harwood first ventured into the rent-to-own industry in 1985, when fellow pilot and mentor, Eugene Teague, encouraged him to buy three ColorTyme stores in East Texas. Twenty years later, Harwood’s TLH Enterprises has expanded beyond its East Texas roots into South and West Texas as well as New Mexico.

“Mr. Harwood is one of the most experienced ColorTyme franchisees out there,” Chris Higgs, Harwood’s Vice President of Development, said. “He loves the challenge of not only continually building the business, but also taking care of his employees. He puts an enormous amount of effort into training employees — empowering them to spread their wings to make each store successful.”

Each year, Harwood rewards his employees at top performing stores with a cruise, spouses included. The most recent trip? New York City.

“He offers employees all the tools to make each store a success,” Higgs said. “Mr. Harwood’s team takes ownership of the stores where they work by ordering merchandise and executing local marketing. It allows each store to adapt in every community and accommodate our customers’ needs.”

His dedication to empowering people isn’t limited to his business. TLH Enterprises supports Kids Across America, a charity dedicated to helping inner city children become leaders by encouraging and equipping them through Christian sports camps. More than 5,500 children from 30 states participate each year. Harwood has also been instrumental in getting ColorTyme, Inc. involved with the organization.

Harwood and his team at TLH Enterprises, based in Corsicana, TX, are celebrating the opening of three stores in recent months — one each in Las Cruces, N.M. and Kaufman and Mission, Texas. The Las Cruces location, at 2519 N. Main St. in the Cruces Norte shopping center, will be ColorTyme’s second location there, built to serve the growing population in northern Las Cruces. The first location, in southern Las Cruces, experienced phenomenal success over the last 10 years.

The Kaufman ColorTyme store is located at 2013B S. Washington Ave., just off of U.S. Highway 175. Higgs said TLH Enterprises was particularly concerned about opening a location in Kaufman since customers had been driving to ColorTyme stores in either Mabank or Seagoville.

The Mission ColorTyme store will open at 926 N. Conway Ave., at the intersection of Conway Avenue and Tom Landry Boulevard. The building is home to a mural of Tom Landry that was recently restored and serves as a landmark in the town. Higgs hopes that Mission’s ColorTyme store, like the mural, will be able to become a part of the town’s history.

“It’s important to us that our customers know we are a locally owned business, run by their neighbors,” Harwood said. “We want to offer our customers superior service by giving them exactly what they want conveniently and affordably. This business is a relationship business; our customers should expect to see a friendly face when they come into one of our ColorTyme locations.”

ColorTyme, Inc. is the oldest franchised rent-to-own or rental purchase company in the United States with 276 stores. Now in its 25th year, the company has launched an aggressive franchise development plan and is on track to grow significantly in the next five years with many of its newest locations being developed by rent-to-own professionals.