Brand Source Targets Rental Biz

Anaheim, Calif.— To better tailor its programs to the needs of member dealers serving the rent to own (RTO) market, the Brand Source/Associated Volume Buyers buying group has officially launched a specialized division called Home Rental Source (HRS).

The freestanding buying and merchandising sub-group is headed by general manager Mark Taylor, who, as president/owner of Michigan Rent To Own in Ypsilanti, Mich., has been an AVB member for the past 15 years.

Noting that executive director Bob Lawrence recruited him for his "expertise in the rental/purchase industry," Taylor went on to depict the RTO sector as a sleeping giant that's just now awakening.

"The RTO business is a $5 billion a year industry with 8,000 stores in 50 states," he explained. To help tap into that under-served market, "Home Rental Source will provide dealers that do rent-to-own business with marketing support, increased co-op funds, and, like Brand Source, a national identity," Taylor said.

Taylor said that HRS will echo the business philosophy of AVB, a not-for-profit organization that uses the collective buying power of independent dealers to provide increased total return to their bottom lines. This combined volume, he said, will allow HRS to purchase like the largest rent-to-own chains, including Aaron Rents and Rainbow Rentals.

The new division will also provide members with such tools as education and training, enhanced access to brands and suppliers, and low-cost and no-cost consumer financing. Taylor can be contacted at (734) 483-5400.