The customer is going to remember the delivery and how it was handled more than the transaction in the store. I cant think of a better group to honor than our PTs.
Tristan Montanero, Vice President of Central Operations, Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership

Joshua Edwards, Product Technician at the Cartersville, Georgia Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership location, took the grand prize in Friday's PT Rodeo finals. Edwards came out on top of a company-wide field of over 3,000 Product Techs. See a complete photo gallery of Friday's events at the following links: Pits (19), PT Rodeo (112), Speed Channel Show (20), Victory Junction Press Conference (9), Arena Football League Cheerleaders On Stage (14).

Joshua Edwards, Product Technician at the Cartersville, Georgia Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership location, took the grand prize in Friday's PT Rodeo finals. Edwards came out on top of a company-wide field of over 3,000 Product Techs. See a complete photo gallery of Friday's PT Rodeo (112) and other events including the Speed Channel Show (20), Victory Junction Press Conference (9) and shots from the Pits (19).

PT Rodeo finalists competed at real-world tasks including hooking up a surround sound speaker system to an LCD TV, a full computer restore, repairing wood furniture and preparing an order for delivery.

Tristan Montanero, Aaron's Vice President of Central Operations and a 13 year company veteran said he believes the Product Tech is the hardest and perhaps the most important job in the company. "Our PTs are the last person the customer sees," said Montanero. "The customer is going to remember the delivery and how it was handled more than the transaction in the store. I cant think of a better group to honor than our PTs. The PT Rodeo is a showcase of Aaron's dream employees."

Montanero presented Edwards with the "Aaron's Best of the Best" trophy in a ceremony Friday afternoon in Talladega Superspeedway's victory lane.

Edwards, who has been with Aaron's for four years and made the PT Rodeo finals in 2006, believes his knowledge of DLP put him over the top. "It feels good to make it," he said. "I'm just ecstatic and I can't wait to come back next year and present the trophy to the next winner." As reigning champ, Edwards will attend next year's rodeo, but will not compete.

Robert Mouton, Product Technician from the Lafayette, Louisiana Aaron's.

Another finalist competing in Talladega was Robert Mouton, Product Technician from the Lafayette, Louisiana Aaron's. Robert said the Microsoft certification he earned while serving in the Air Force helps give him an edge. Mouton was wounded while serving in Iraq and came to Aarons after retiring from military service. "Aaron's is like a big family," he said. "I feel great about being in the finals, but everybody should be proud even if they didn't make it because it's all of us that make the business work."

In addition to the title of 'Best of the Best', Joshua Edwards won a 61" JVC HD LCD TV and will be recognized at the 2008 Aaron's National Mangers Meeting.

Aaron's Announces Expanded Commitment To Victory Junction Gang Camp
At a joint press conference in Talladega Friday with drivers Michael Waltrip, David Reutimann and Victory Junction Gang camp co-founder Pattie Petty, Aaron's President Ken Butler announced the company's commitment to sponsor a child at Victory Junction Gang camp for every race the Aaron's Dream Machine starts for the rest of the 2007 season. Victory Junction Gang is a camp for sick children founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their late son Adam.

Patty Petty and Ken Butler announce plans for Aaron's to sponsors a child at Victory Junction Camp for every race the Dream machine starts in 2007.

"We helped Michael and Buffy Waltrip raise a million dollars to build a gymnasium at the camp," said Butler. "We want to finish the job." Butler said he can't imagine a more worthy cause to focus his company's attention on. "I think if you're going to do something, do something meaningful," he said.

Butler issued a challenge to the entire rent to own industry to get involved in sending sick children to camp. "There are 8,000 stores out there," he said. "We work together on legislative issues, we ought to be able to work together for the kids. After all, the rent to own industry is about making dreams come true."

Michael Waltrip thanked Aaron's for raising awareness. "I'm thankful for the awareness that Ken [Butler] and Aaron's have raised for Victory Junction. Fans will know that every time they see the Dream machine running, a kid gets to go to camp."

Waltrip, who has struggled to qualify this season, said his work for Victory Junction has brought joy to an otherwise dreary year. "During the midst of a storm that I'm personally in, it's good to be able smile and know that we're doing some good things," he said.

Dream machine driver David Reutimann added to that theme. Reutimann explained, "Sometimes you have bad days on the racetrack. But now, no matter how we finish, a sick kid is going to camp. And that's a good thing." An emotional Reutimann added, "I have a healthy daughter and that's a blessing. But I know there are kids that are less fortunate and this gives them a chance to go to camp and live a little. I couldn't be more proud of the work that Aarons is doing."

Pattie Petty said Victory Junction, with the support of the NASCAR community, sees 3,500 seriously ill children per year at no charge to the families. "With Aarons help and the help of Michael and David, we are truly going to make children's dreams come true," she said. "Kyle and I are blown away by the NASCAR community's willingness to help these kids."

The Arena Football League Cheerleader Dream Team entertain visitors to Aaron's product display.

Victory Junction, the largest camp of its kind in the world, was recently named the number one medical camping facility in the world. "We see 26 different disease groups," said Petty. Camp operations cost over $14 million per year. Since most of the families often cannot afford medication, Victory Junction sends the kids home with at least six months of medicine and a lifetime of memories.

Victory Junction has a full working hospital with a staff of nearly 50 medical professionals on site capable of everything from dialysis to chemotherapy. Children often come straight from the hospital to camp.

Petty says she falls in love with 120 children every week. "I feel like they are all a part of my family. The hardest thing is when you lose one." But even that kind of tragedy can bring hope. A family that lost a child recently came back to the camp as volunteers. They said the happiest days of their child's life were spent at Victory Junction.