ATLANTA, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of Aaron
Rents, Inc. (NYSE: RNT), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership,
specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture, consumer
electronics and home appliances and accessories, has elected William K.
Butler, Jr. Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Butler, 55, formerly was President
of the Company's Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division.
Mr. Butler's election was announced by R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr.,
Chairman of the Board of Directors. "We are very pleased to have Ken Butler
assume the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer of the Company, and
feel that his industry knowledge, skills, and experience will enable us to
continue our strong growth and performance well into the future," Mr.
Loudermilk, Sr. stated.
Robert C. Loudermilk, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, added,
"Ken Butler is a great asset to the Company and has earned his new role as
COO. I look forward to working with him as we continue to build the
business."
Mr. Butler started his career with Aaron Rents in 1974 as a Store Manager.
He advanced to Regional Manager, first in the Washington/Baltimore Region and
then in the Western Region, as the Company was then organized. He was promoted
to National Merchandising and Sales Manager in 1983, Vice President of the
Aaron's Rental Purchase division, now known as the Aaron's Sales & Lease
Ownership division, in 1986, and in 1995 was promoted to President of the
division.
Under Mr. Butler's leadership, Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership has grown
from infancy to more than 1,500 Company-operated and franchised stores. The
division is the Company's growth leader and its franchise program ranks among
the top U.S. franchisors in national surveys.
Aaron Rents, Inc., based in Atlanta, currently has a total of more than
1,570 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: Statements in this news release regarding Aaron Rents, Inc.'s
business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that
involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These
risks and uncertainties include factors such as changes in general economic
conditions, competition, pricing, customer demand and other issues, and the
risks and uncertainties discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.
SOURCE Aaron Rents, Inc: 08/11/2008
CONTACT: Gilbert L. Danielson, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, Aaron Rents, Inc., +1-404-231-0011
Web site: http://www.aaronrents.com
(RNT)