Aarons 2005 Annual Report Download - page 14

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12
Astrong corporate culture has been the foundation
of Aaron Rents’ growth story. Many members of
top management have been with the Company for
over 20 years. Charlie Loudermilk continues to stress
the importance of a strong corporate culture and
commitment to employee development.
Aaron’s University offers a
broad line of training and
continuing education initia-
tives that are available to
Company employees and
franchisee organizations.
The Aaron's University cur-
riculum also ensures standardization of store operations
within a nationwide system. Most regional managers and
operational managers began in store operations and have
moved up through the ranks. The long tenure of the
management team
is a key to the
Company’s success
and the consistency
of a strong cor-
porate culture.
ACORP (Aaron’s Community Outreach Program),
another example of the strong corporate culture, was
initiated in 1999. This program awards $500 a month
to each store that achieves specified performance goals
which can be disbursed to local charities designated by
the store’s associates. Stores and associates have also
been active in Warrick Dunn’s Home for the Holidays
program, which awards homes to deserving single
mothers. Aaron’s has furnished homes in communities
ranging from Atlanta to Orlando to St. Louis. Over
the past seven years, ACORP has donated over $2.7
million to a variety of organizations in communities
across America.
The Aaron Rents corporate cultureand commitments
to employees weretested and reinforced by the back-to-
back hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region in August and
September of 2005. Over 100 of the Company’s stores
wereimpacted in some way by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita and many employees suffered extensive damage to
their homes. The Company kept all employees of closed
The Aaron’s
Corporate Culture
Ken Butler, President of Aaron’s
Sales & Lease Ownership, and
Shirley Franklin, Mayor of
Atlanta, participate in the
dedication of a Warrick Dunn
Home for the Holidays house.