Premier dealers are all very experienced RTO operators and have achieved a level of success. My role is to be there for them as they tackle the new challenge of opening a store
Mike Lewis, VP Operations, Premier Rental Purchase

Premier Rental Purchase recently named Mike Lewis as Vice President of operations. This recent appointment will allow Premier to better accommodate the significant growth in new Premier dealers

Premier Rental Purchase recently named Mike Lewis as Vice President of operations. This recent appointment will allow Premier to better accommodate the significant growth in new Premier dealers, who now will benefit from Mike’s 12 years of experience in the industry. It also comes at a time when many Premier dealers are moving to own and run multi-store operations, a task not new to Mike who successfully managed 50 stores for a major RTO company and who now runs three of his own. In many ways Mike has been preparing for this opportunity with Premier since he began in RTO.

As he opens his newest Premier store - the third in 18 months - he has committed to helping other dealers in the Premier family grow their businesses as well, whether they intend to have one store or many more.

“I really want to help others around me become successful,” says Mike. “While Premier dealers are all very experienced RTO operators and have achieved a level of success, my role is to be there for them as they tackle the new challenge of opening a store, and I want to support their growth along the way. At Premier we have systems in place to make starting up straightforward and easy. Still, it’s important to know that someone is there to help. It is one thing to be successful working for an RTO company and doing things in their system, but another to create your own. As an independent dealer, it’s your business. I know from my own experience what it was like to open a store and develop systems that got all my employees working effectively together. As VP of operations for Premier I will help new dealers get through that challenge and not lose the day-to-day focus on the numbers.”

Mike continues, “As more and more dealers expand to multiple stores, they may want additional support to set up the necessary systems, processes and internal communication to maintain performance and standards. I stand ready to help them do that.”

According to Trooper Earle, Premier’s president/CEO, Mike “has the unique understanding of what it takes to run successful stores as well as what is necessary to build and run an effective multi-store company - and that requires two different skill sets. Premier is very excited to have Mike helping new dealers develop their operational systems to prepare for multi-store expansion when the time comes.”

Mike feels he’s had the best possible preparation for his new role. During his RTO tenure, he has worked for one of the larger RTO players, but that company was bought twice. “I feel like I worked for three separate companies,” says Mike. “I learned a lot from it. I focused on how to sharpen my skills, observed different management styles and got a constant education from others. I worked with many different individuals and learned the importance of listening and empowering people. You think you know your field, then you meet more people and realize there is so much more you need to know. I also was privy to a successful business model and analyzed that side of the company.”

Mike notes one lesson he learned: a key to success in any operation - but particularly for dealers in a multi-store scenario - is strengthening the “management bench.” Mike says, “The owner of more than one store can no longer focus on making each store successful but needs the help of a solid manager.” Mike advocates structured training along with one-on-one interaction with team members to inspire and motive them.

And because customer care is so important to him, Mike feels truly successful only when a customer walks out of his store satisfied and feeling good not only about the product he leaves with but also about the experience in Mike’s store. Mike extends customer care to employee care, creating an environment in which everyone in it feels successful. This commitment to the people side of his business makes him stand out among the competition and has become his trademark.

Mike feels well prepared to tackle his next assignment with Premier and is eager to share his vision - one that includes passion and heart.

“Mike is making a good thing even better at Premier,” says Trooper. “We’re glad to have him on board to play a key role supporting the growth of individual dealers and our company as well.”