The company has also offered to advise any affected RTO company on disaster recovery

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.

Steve Williams, Regional manager for Dial's U.S. Virgin Islands operation said the company would transport the employees and their families to one of Dial's locations, give them a job in the store, and a place to live. "It will be up to the individuals whether this is temporary or permanent"

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. Any rent to own industry employee who has been displaced by the hurricane is eligible.

Steve Williams, Regional manager for the company's U.S. Virgin Islands operation said the company would transport the employees and their families to one of Dial's locations, give them a job in the store, and a place to live. "It will be up to the individuals whether this is temporary or permanent," said Williams. "We can take up to two families per store." The company operates 5 stores in the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Saipan.

"We feel great pain for the people affected by this tragedy," added Williams. "This is no short term problem. We have the resources to help people so we want to make use of that." Dial is no stranger to mother nature's wrath. The company lost a store just one year ago in Saipan from a typhoon. "All of our inventory was lost; In the store and in customers homes. It was a nightmare," Williams said. The company has offered to advise any affected RTO company on disaster recovery. Dial's Pacific operation deals with two or three typhoons every year. O'Conner has already been in contact with several independent operators in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

For more information on the re-location and employment assistance from Dial, Contact:
Steve Williams, swilliamsusvi@hotmail.com
U.S. Virgin Islands Operations
Dial Rent to Own
340-715-0015
Cell: 340-344-4260

About Dial Rent to Own
Dial Household Rentals Corporation had its beginnings in the State of Hawaii in 1985. The Company was a secondary venture of Robert W. O'Connor to his successful Audio Visual Company. By 1991, Dial had expanded to ten Hawaii stores, one Hawaii warehousing operation, two Guam stores, one Guam warehouse, and one had grown from one location to fifteen (including warehouses) locations. In early 1991, Dial Rent-to-Own-Hawaii was purchased by Rent-A-Center. Robert O'Connor retained ownership of the Guam and Saipan corporations of Dial Rent-to-Own.

It was in 1987 that Mr. O'Connor decided to expand in the Mariana Islands. That year the first Guam store was opened. In 1989, the Company made plans to expand once again. Thus one store begat three: Hagatna, Dededo, and a warehousing operation. Opportunities for expansion on the island of Saipan were discovered and in 1990 the Saipan store was opened. After a brief time in semi-retirement, Bob felt the expansion bug bite again. However this time, the market was on the opposite side of the earth: the US Virgin Islands. In May 2002, the island of St. Thomas was introduced to rent-to-own. Success produces success and within 12 months, expansion plans were made for the USVI. Dial Rent-to-Own now operates five store locations (two-Guam, one-Saipan, one-St. Thomas, one-St. Croix) and three warehouses (Guam/Saipan/USVI).