Robin Loudermilk gave his dad, Charlie, framed photos of the grandkids for Father's Day.

The next day, father gave son a much bigger gift — the top job at their family company, Aaron Rents.

Robin was promoted Monday to president and CEO of the publicly traded, rent-to-own retailer.

"I gave him the title," said Charlie, 80, who founded the company 53 years ago and will remain chairman.

At age 49, Robin is taking the reins of the homegrown company with 1,565 stores in 48 states and Canada.

Aaron's leases residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and major appliances. It also franchises the concept. Sales in 2007 were $1.49 billion, besting 2006 sales by 12 percent.

The younger Loudermilk says he doesn't plan to change a thing.

"The business is doing so well, even in these tough times, ... I'd be crazy to change anything at this time," he said.

With his father still heading the board, the son sees it as "the best of both worlds. Now I can sit here and work under him and learn, learn, learn. Being a public company, the investors have wanted to see some type of identified succession line going forward, so there's a lot of strategy here," he said.

John Baugh, an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus in St. Louis, Miss., said with the senior Loudermilk being 80, this is "hardly a surprise. Junior was the obvious heir apparent. It wasn't like there was some need for change. Assuming investors don't like curve balls, this is a nice fastball right in the middle of the plate."

Charlie said Monday's move had been in the works for two or three years. "[Robin's] been taking more and more of the responsibility. I'm very happy to have a son in the business. He's been proving himself for 20 odd years."

Robin said there were no real outsiders considered for the job. Rent-to-own is a quirky business, and Baugh, the analyst, said that bringing in an outsider would've been a "dangerous idea."

"We had some outsiders come in years ago as president. It just didn't work," said Robin, who had been president and chief operating officer.

He thinks the switch will be an adjustment for his octogenarian dad.

"He grew up in it, started it. I told him I certainly don't want him to not be here everyday. This is what keeps him ticking — this is his hobby," Robin said.

The younger Loudermilk has been working for Aaron Rents since 1983, when he started as an assistant store manager. He joined the board of directors in 1983, and then became president and COO in 1997. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in business administration.

In recent years, Robin Loudermilk became known as the unofficial "sheriff of Buckhead," for his role in shuttering clubs in the former party district. Twelve murders, he said, were enough, as Aaron Rents headquarters are in the Buckhead Village.

He bought buildings that housed clubs, then sold several parcels to Ben Carter, who is developing the swanky Streets of Buckhead project with shops, restaurants, hotels and apartments.

Robin Loudermilk also sits on the board of the Buckhead Alliance, Buckhead Community Improvement District and Skyland Trail of the George West Mental Health Foundation.

He has been married to wife Francis for 23 years. They have three children: son, Charlie III, 18, who will attend Alabama next year; and two daughters, Chappelle, 16, and Coley, 12.

When asked if he thought son Charlie may be interested in the family business, Robin said, "It's way too early. It's totally up to him what he wants to do."