Rent-to-own News - TARA membership elects Sharff

Newly elected TARA President Daniel Sharff and vice president Brian Clussman.

Daniel Sharff of Home Store Rent To Own, The Texas Association of Rental Agencies' acting-president, was elected to a full term Sunday as the first order of business of TARA's annual membership meeting at the Marriott Quorum in Dallas.

Members elected Brian Clussman, a Premier dealer, as vice president and Chris Higgs, a ColorTyme dealer, as secretary/treasurer.

"Improving communication and getting everyone on board on how important it is for us to be unified as a state association are some things I hope to address," Sharff said. "We want our members not only to understand why we need to do something as an association, we want to be able to direct them on the when where and how as well."

Additional board members A.J. Arthus, Lyle Digby, Dwight Dumler, Mark Talley, Dan Matthews and Kori Hughes, were also elected Sunday.

Dennis Willich and James MacAlpine of Nationwide Southwest and RentDirect Nationwide respectively, presented TARA with $27,000 for sponsorship of the meeting.

APRO Executive Director Bill Keese presented members with a legislative update including the rent to own industry's recent successful hearing before a U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee. Keese said the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act has never gotten this far in the first year of a new Congress.

"Our unity is the reason we've been successful in our industry," Keese said. "I know of no other industry that is as united as the rent to own industry."

TARA Executive Director Scott Pospisil took the attending dealers on a sobering review of Texas' current political predicament which includes the state's coming to terms with a $27 billion budget deficit. The cuts kicked in September 1 with the state budget, but Pospisil said more pain is in store when legislator start looking at additional revenue sources.

Pospisil said a reconstruction of the gross margins tax could be in order and TARA members should develop direct lines of contact with their representatives and senators to protect the industry's interests in Texas.

"This is a matter of you developing a personal relationship with your legislators," he's said.

A welcome reception followed, with more rent to own specific information to follow Monday when dealers will hear a presentation by Jill McDonough on the industry's first RTO marketing plan.

A result of recent potential customer surveys conducted this year in Texas, Ohio, New York and Florida. TARA members will receive a copy of the 75 plus page marketing plan on flash drive to take home and use in their operations.

The marketing plan is one of the main reasons Leo Perryman, store manager of Affordable Rent to Own in Beaumont is attending the meeting. Affordable Rent to Own is an RTO indie with 30 stores in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

"I'm hoping the marketing study will give us the nuts and bolts of how to reach these 30 million potential customers we hear about," Perryman said. "The times have changed and our marketing has to change."