I buy houses, rehab them and sell to people with credit issues and carry their financing. When I read the article about wheel rental, and saw the potential for my same market in the automotive industry, I decided to give it a shot.
Keith Slater, Premier Wheel Rental Franchisee, Florida

Real Estate developer Keith Slater signed a 10 store development deal with Premier Wheel Rentals, a division of Premier Companies.

Keith Slater received an e-mail from his business partner directing him to a link that piqued his interest. An entrepreneur in Florida real estate development and investing, Keith was intrigued by this link and its description of some opportunities that applied to him in a totally different industry. That industry catered to his same real estate market, the same clientele. It looked interesting and promised good profit potential. It was wheel rentals.

“My business has been in real estate since 1986,” said Keith. “I buy houses, rehab them and sell to people with credit issues. I also carry their financing. Those same people, who are usually rebounding from some financial situation into healthier cash flow and a better credit standing, look to improve other areas of their life in addition to their house, like their car. When I read this article and saw the potential for my same market in the automotive industry, I researched the industry and decided to give it a shot.” That “shot” proved to be a contract with Premier Wheel Rentals for 10 stores in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area over the next 10 years.

Premier Wheel Rentals, one of The Premier Companies, launched last year when wheels guru, Scott Savell, and RTO franchising expert and Premier president/CEO, Trooper Earle, merged their interests and talents. They wished to seize opportunities within the relatively new wheel and tire rental industry. Knowing that Americans love to distinguish themselves through their vehicles, the powers behind Premier Wheel Rentals have gone to the market with a way to customize vehicles without debt, making it a rental market. And the concept has caught fire, gaining momentum in both the automotive and rental–purchase industry.

Keith looked at several different franchise opportunities in wheel rentals before landing on Premier. “Most seemed really new without a lot of experience,” he said. “Several only had one store or had never really done it. I checked into a large RTO company that had gotten into it and learned I would be competing with corporate-owned stores, and they weren’t giving the good markets away.”

Keith found Premier Wheel Rental to be different. He was interested to learn how Premier has branched out from rental purchase to include new and related industries, similar to what he wanted to do. He was unconcerned that he had only a small history with the automotive industry and only a basic understanding of how to customize wheels, not to mention being new to RTO. He knew that with his entrepreneurial strengths, if he could tap into the right resources, he could make wheels work. After discovering Premier, and Scott Savell in particular, he felt he had finally found someone who knew the industry and had proven successes in it. Teaming with that expertise would be the key to his success.

“Scott is straight forward and knows what he is doing,” said Keith. “He has been doing it a long time. He provides the expertise to help someone new to the industry overcome a huge learning curve. I was comfortable with him. I also talked with Trooper Earle, and he was certainly dedicated to getting my plans underway. My next step was to hire someone to manage the first store. I found someone who has been in the wheel and tire business for 14 years.

Scott Savell, President Premier Wheel Rentals.

Keith doesn’t plan on being the owner operator or giving up his real estate business. He is walking into this as investment. Initially, it was just another real estate deal for him to get up and running. He purchased a 3,800 square foot building that had already served the automotive industry. While there was some reconfiguring for offices and the appropriate store front, it has five bays and will be able to handle whatever volume comes in. With the property in place, Keith next could concentrate on learning what he needed to about his new industry and branching out into the world of RTO. He will hold his grand opening in late July.

Once one store is up and running, Keith will begin thinking about his second store. He’s prepared to enjoy a large market in Florida, and while the plan is to open a store a year until he has 10, he’s the kind of guy that lives with Premier’s philosophy that anything can happen – and happen sooner than expected.

As he goes beyond his level of experience in a new industry and watches his new business take shape, he is ever more appreciative of Premier’s support. “Scott put together the initial inventory list, got the necessary software in place,” Keith said. “He went over the design of the store. And he plans on providing the training we need. He’s been very hands on as we get everything set up.”

For Scott, it’s not only his expertise in the industry but Premier’s attention to dealers and partnership with them that make Premier unique. “Keith has caught the vision of what we can do in this market. He understands its potential, being the successful entrepreneur that he is. And he understands that he needs help to pull it off. He’s right – there aren’t a lot of people with experience in wheel rentals. Not nearly enough to accommodate what has become a growing market over the last decade. We have a terrific opportunity in the Tampa/St. Pete area to grow and provide a service that is in high demand. The combination of my history and expertise in wheel rentals, Trooper’s formula for success in franchising, and Keith’s energy and resources, makes this golden. Keith, as a talented investor saw the opportunity to add wheel rentals to his portfolio. He shopped the other guys and picked us. That speaks volumes for Premier and what we’re all about.”

As an entrepreneur, Keith has come to the personal conclusion that success in business comes down to understanding the difference between situations and specifics. “You are always dealing with people within a situation,” said Keith. “Anything will work. You just need to identify the situation and how to approach a solution to a problem. Find out what people are concerned about. When people come to me and want to purchase a home, they start describing the home to me. While it is certainly important to them, home is home and will work anywhere. I’m concerned about solving their problem to get them into their house. Someone has to sell, and someone has to buy. When a person is selling, it’s my job to ask how I can fix that problem and find a buyer. The buyer may have a problem with credit. I want to know how I can fix that and get them what they want and on the road to a better credit situation. It has to be a win-win for everyone. The customer and company must benefit – always. As I see it, this will work in wheel rentals. It’s all about determining the situation a customer is in and finding a way to solve a problem for him so he can walk out the door with what he wanted when he came in.”

According to Trooper Earle, that philosophy sums up successful rental purchase. “We are a customer-oriented business. Across the board, Premier dealers prioritize customer service. They are problem solvers for people, and that’s why people follow them to support their new businesses. They have built a rapport that is mutually beneficial. Keith gets that and also gets that Premier can help him meet his own business goals in this industry that is new to him.”

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

To contact Scott Savell about franchising opportunities in wheels, visit www.premierwheels.net or give him a call at 1-800-2-PREMIER.