The Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers (PARD) held their annual state association meeting in Harrisburg April 19th, 2011. With 29 attendees, the meeting was full of great information and guest speakers.
PARD President Sandi Frye recognized our meeting sponsors – Rent Direct and TRIB Group, as well as welcoming our new and ongoing vendor sponsors – ADPRO Advertising & Printing, Benefit Marketing Solutions, Central File Marketing, Coaster Co. of America, D&H Distributing, Colortyme Inc, DSI, High Touch Inc, Twin Star, and Welton USA.
Sandi also confirmed that just over $5,000 was donated to Claysburg-Kimmel Elementary School (authorized during the prior year’s PARD meeting), for the purchase of hi-tech computer “smart boards”. The school was very appreciative of this generous donation.
Speakers included:
Dennis Shields from TRIB group – who spoke about a variety of topics that small business owners should be mindful of.
Ed Winn, APROs General Counsel spoke about a variety of legal issues.
Keith Carrico, from Rent-One, discussed HR / Management topics.
Jeff Knight from Twin Star / Classic Flame spend some time discussing electric fireplaces and entertainment products available through his company.
James McAlpine from Rent Direct offered an industry overview, discussing at length the expected direction of the various categories that rental companies rent and sell.
John O’Connell, Rent-a-Center’s lobbyist in Harrisburg spoke about pending PA state legislation which may impact rental businesses in the upcoming year.
Mike Frye spoke about Bed Bug Solutions, and his new bedbug heater which offers an affordable solution.
Sandi Frye spoke on behalf of Whitsell and Company’s taxservice program, which she has been using for several years (to provide tax returns for her customers)
The final 30 minutes of the meeting was dedicated to an open forum roundtable discussion. Multiple issues were discussed, with some great solutions offered.
Before the meeting closed, board elections were held, with the following people being elected:
President = Sandi Frye
VP = Dan Fisher
Secretary = Scott McHale
Board Members = Dave Jones, John Chacosky
Our final order of business was to determine whether to continue the “Computers for Kidz” donations which have been well received over the past several years. It was agreed that we would seek a qualified recipient in the Phliadelphia area, and $5,000 was earmarked for this purpose.
The PA Rental Dealers Association contributed over $5,000 worth of “Smart Boards” to the Claysburg-Kimmel School District in 2011. Smart Boards help make learning fun and much more interactive for children, and the PA Rental Dealers are pleased to help bring this opportunity to the children of the Claysburg-Kimmel Schools.
April 26, 2010
The Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers (PARD) held their annual state association meeting in Harrisburg April 20th that featured honored guests and speakers. On he picture – State Representative Mike Sturla is speaking to the assembled PA Rental Dealers about the importance of connecting with state lawmakers and helping them to understand our business..
The Pennsylvania Association of Rental Dealers (PARD) held their annual state association meeting in Harrisburg October 7 that featured honored guest and speaker, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett.
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| Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett with PARD President Sandi Frye. |
The state association meeting sponsored by TRIB began with an introduction from TRIB representative,Dennis Shields, then followed with a seminar from Roger Whitacre on the growing civil and criminal liabilities for RTO dealers regarding identity theft.
APRO Public Affairs Director Richard May followed with an update on rent-to-own’s congressional campaign and the recent media and Wall Street attention the industry is receiving through the economic credit crisis. Afterwards, Pennsylvania RTO state lobbyist John O’Connell briefed the group on the volatile state political climate that involves a high-profile investigation of state elected officials regarding ethical violations. The state official investigation is being led by Pennsylvania Attorney GeneralTom Corbett who addressed the group thereafter.
Corbett is significant to the rent-to-own industry as the Attorney General who did not oppose the state legislature from passing a state law that defined the rent-to-own transaction as a lease. Prior to Corbett’s term, Pennsylvania state law defined the rent-to-own transaction as a credit sale virtually eliminating the rent-to-own industry from the state.
Any reconsideration to change the RTO transaction definition from that of a credit sale was blocked by the former attorney general. Corbett held an open mind regarding rent-to-own that ended up with Pennsylvania passing a rent-to-own regulatory bill that balances consumer protections with small business competition. Since the Pennsylvania bill was amended in 1997, Pennsylvania rent-to-own has thrived with competitive small business and corporate rent-to-own hosting the headquarters of rent-to-own’s second largest chain, Rent Way, that has since been sold to Rent-A-Center.
The meeting concluded with a seminar on how attitude determines altitude by Colortyme’s Bob Bloom. The meeting also held lively discussions moderated and prompted by PARD President Sandi Fryeregarding PARD’s sponsoring their members attendance to APRO’s 2009 legislative conference, PARD’s consideration of an organized charitable sponsorship and the tentative scheduling of their 2009 PARD meeting in Harrisburg next October. The PARD members filled the meeting room with 40 attendees representing rent-to-own corporate members, small business rent-to-own and several of rent-to-own’s supportive vendors.
PA Rental Dealers Association (PARD) 