People rent from a person not a company. That is why our motto rings true. We are the people you know and trust.
Fred Reed, Franchisee, Premier Rental-Purchase

Photo/Premier Rental-Purchase

Fred Reed, Premier Rental-Purchase Franchisee.

Premier Rental-Purchase dealers Chuck Botts and Bart Stamper have teamed up with former Aaron's regional manager Fred Reed to open the newest Premier store in Memphis. They celebrated their opening in a big way with over 200 agreements in their first weeks in business. "We came in at the right time," says Botts, a 10-year industry veteran who opened his first Premier store in Nashville in 2005.

On the path to becoming a Premier franchisee, Botts followed in the footsteps of several RTO friends who he watched open up Premier Rental-Purchase stores. He was eager to get into business for himself and saw Premier as the vehicle to do it. "Financing seemed to me like impossibility," he admitted. "Trooper Earle [Premier's President/CEO] helped me put together a plan that banks couldn't say 'no' to. I walked into one bank and 20 minutes later had a 'yes'. It proved to be the easiest part of the whole process." Botts has enjoyed success in the Nashville area and lives up to his philosophy for customer service that he sums up by saying, "You service your customers to death." His friendship and new partnership with Stamper developed over the years through the Premier dealer network.

Stamper got into RTO cold turkey. Coming out of a family fireworks business, he was the business brain of a trio that opened two Premier stores in 2003. Stamper is thrilled with the quick success his new store is experiencing. And while he admits to challenges that have accompanied the benefits of business ownership over the years, he says Premier has been there for him and he has enjoyed being part of its growth. "I liked Trooper, and because we got involved with him early in Premier's history, I've been involved in a lot of the maturation process with Premier. Trooper has given me a lot of personal time and we've shared many ideas back and forth. To see where Premier was and where it is today and know that my input has gone into the process is pretty cool."

Adding to what promises to be a successful venture is Botts' former boss from Aaron's. Reed had dreamed for years of owning his own business, but getting the financing and finding the right partners were two stumbling blocks for him. Management experience at U Can Rent, Rent-A-Center and Aaron's more than qualifies him to own an RTO store. He remembers clearly the moment he knew the time had come to take that step. "I was at one of my stores, and I opened up an RTO Magazine and saw Chuck's face. He was talking about Premier and how he got into business for himself after watching his friends take the plunge. I called him up and said, 'Chuck, if you can do this I certainly can!' I took a trip to his store and was impressed. We began hatching a plan that included partnering with Bart. And here I am."

Taking Ownership to a Different Level

Reed says he was drawn to Premier's flexibility as well as array of dealer oriented services, such as human resources, that are available but never forced upon a franchisee. "I've been very impressed with Premier. They have taken the word "ownership" to a different level. At other places I've worked, we always taught our guys to run their stores like they were an owner. But not one person we were talking to ever had been an owner. So that was a pretty broad statement that no one truly understood." Now, Reed says, he is tuned in to how much more there is to owning a store versus merely operating one. "Premier opened the door wide not only to being an owner but to having the opportunity to learn the different aspects of ownership. In a corporate structure you don't get to build a relationship with vendors, for example. My knowledge was limited on such things as merchandising and price structure. But that has changed through the dealer training I've received at Premier. And where I am strong, I can really take off. Another example – I have a better relationship with my customers, and that has been great."

With the grand opening behind them, Botts, Stamper and Reed are sailing through the holidays, making their projections. Distinguished for their customer service, they like to boast the fact that they are locally owned and operated. "People rent from a person not a company," Reed says. "That is why our motto rings true. We are the people you know and trust."

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.