My wife and I had always thought about owning a business. With my experience in RTO and Donna's experience in the financial world, we could not lose.
Dennis Lingerfelt, Premier Franchisee

Dennis Lingerfelt, Premier Franchisee.

See photo galleries of past Premier Events: Premier Rentals Convention 2007 (159) Premier Rentals Business Meeting 2007 (55) Premier Rentals Convention 2006 (91) Podcast interviews with Premier Company Franchisees: PLAY : Rose Tamoloso - Franchisee, Premier Rental Purchase PLAY : Sandi Whited - Franchisee, Premier Rental Purchase PLAY : Rick Vadnais - Franchisee, Premier Rental Purchase PLAY : John Darden - Franchisee, Premier Rental Purchase PLAY : Josh/Ruben Goss/Flores - Franchisees, Premier Rental Purchase

Dennis Lingerfelt had become the clean-up man in his Florida region for Rent Way. Whether it was because of poor performance or bad management, Dennis got the call to fix things in various stores. That ranged from rebuilding and retraining staff to cleaning up bad accounts and bad inventory, to getting a store profitable. And he did, ending his chapter with Rent Way by handing them a store that had been transformed from being close to failure to becoming the most profitable store in the state.

Throughout his 15 years in RTO, Dennis had occasions to open stores from scratch and start things off right. So when it came time to open his own store, he knew what to do and what not to do. He found Premier Rental Purchase and was thrilled with its potential. And he found a bank – a government bank – who was thrilled with him. From there, he and his wife, Donna, opened their first Premier Rental-Purchase store in Jacksonville, Fla. in late July and they are smiling on success.

Prior to his RTO career, Dennis had served in the Air Force, his last duty station being in Berlin. After leaving the Air Force, he became the furniture manager at Montgomery Ward in Jacksonville. Donna has had many years of experience in business and is currently the regional operations manager for both Thomasville and Bassett furniture stores.

Once Montgomery Ward shut their doors, Dennis was approached by Rental King, a new company in Jacksonville. Although he had never experienced RTO, he saw the challenge and signed on. However, the challenge was as much in experiencing buy-outs as it was learning the industry, he discovered. Rental King was purchased by Rent Way only two months after he started. Although he had reservations, Dennis stayed with them and opened the first two Rent Ways in Jacksonville. Another new company to Jacksonville, RentRite, saw his skills and asked him to open stores for them. He opened two before RentRite was bought out by Rent-A-Center. Dennis went back to Rent Way as regional manager in Jacksonville only to experience his last buy-out when Rent Way was purchased – the last straw before he and Donna decided it was time to go into business for themselves.

"It was just that time," he said. "My wife and I had always thought about owning a business. With my experience in RTO and her experience in the financial world, we could not lose. I had been looking up companies on the web and reading up on them. Premier Rental-Purchase sounded interesting. I had heard Trooper's name (president/CEO), and so I got with him. I was excited about what they had to offer. It's a good establishment. They want you to be a success, and they go out of their way to make you that way. It's really a great program. They review your numbers. Two heads are always better than one, and they provide the second head. A lot of people go into business on their own. But going into business involves a lot of different aspects that managers don't see until all of a sudden they have to take care of them."

One of the major reasons why Premier has been opening stores at a record rate throughout the country is their approach to establishing banking relationships. When Dennis got to the point he was ready to talk to a bank, Trooper arranged for him to fly to Washington, DC to visit with a bank he thought would be interested in funding his dreams.

"Trooper knew the banker from previous Premier deals and had established a relationship with him," says Dennis. "When I was ready, Trooper got me to fly out to Washington, D.C. to meet with him and the banker. At that point, I had a business plan that Trooper and I had constructed, and it was outstanding. I knew when a banker looked at our plan he really wouldn't know what to say because it was so well put together. It reflected the experience of the entire Premier team – the accountant, Trooper, my wife and me. When we met with the banker, he was already impressed with the whole Premier program and it was just a matter of him getting to know me, my RTO experience, and personal financial situation. Trooper took care of everything for me! I just had to show up for the meeting and be myself. It couldn't have been any easier."

Dennis likes being part of the large network of resources that Premier offers and the continued opportunities it provides to grow. "I know Jacksonville and the surrounding area in terms of RTO, but being part of Premier gives me the advantage of knowing a larger customer base in all parts of Jacksonville and trends throughout the country. I want to open more than one store and quite possibly will add U-Getcha Cash services or Wheel Rentals." Both of these new Premier companies are available to dealers. A fourth company, Home Furnishings, is also available to dealers who wish to structure their operation to include retail.

Aside from the experience he and Donna bring to their new store and the resources he has through Premier, Dennis feels like his success will come from what he has learned about respecting his customers. "They are a different breed of people," he says. They are not a customer you see once and never again. We see the majority of ours once a week. I've learned that no matter what – even if they are passed due – if you show respect, you get it back. They'll call you if they have a problem. They all want you to listen to them."

He's been listening, and customers have followed him to his new store, eager to give him their business and continue a longstanding relationship. While he has opened stores before, "there has been nothing quite like opening a store with your best friend at your side – my wife," says Dennis. "Not a lot can go wrong unless you shut your mind with your own excuses. That's the only way to fail." But for Dennis there is only one way, and that is to succeed.

The national office of Premier Rental Purchase is located in Williamsburg, VA. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier's website at www.premierrents.net or call (800) 2Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.