NEW ORLEANS — Aaron’s founder Charlie Loudermilk made a surprise visit to the company’s National Managers Meeting here today, an appearance that was met by thunderous applause.
Loudermilk, 87, is in poor health and has curtailed his involvement with the 60-year-old company since retiring as its chairman in 2012.
Helped on stage by aides, Loudermilk implored the roughly 1,900 Aaron’s employees in attendance to work with new CEO John Robinson to return the Atlanta-based rent-to-own giant to its former financial glory. Robinson was named the company’s leader late last year after former CEO Ron Allen, who once guided Delta Air Lines, retired in the summer of 2014 after a tumultuous few years at the company’s helm.
Under Allen, sales and foot traffic at stores fell while some franchisees threatened to mutiny if company leadership did not make changes. A private equity firm led by one of the company’s biggest shareholders threatened a $2.3 billion takeover.
“He’s the man who will put the company back where it was three or four years ago,” Loudermilk said of Robinson.
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