A family credit line, a few sturdy appliances, and a belief that people deserve dignity—that’s where our conversation with Kathy Windsor begins. From Texas beginnings to a Missouri legacy, we trace how National TV Sales and Rental grew on discipline, low collections, and vendor trust rather than bank debt or shortcuts.
Kathy takes us inside the early days of rent-to-own when financing was scarce and selection was thin—three living room SKUs, coil stoves, and refrigerators you could count on. Then came the VCR boom, a moment that reshaped demand and taught the team to keep scanning for the next category that could transform the floor. We talk about advocacy and the day policy nearly sank the industry: when the IRS pushed three-year depreciation on products that typically turned in 18 months. Mark Windsor’s direct work with lawmakers helped protect a business model and countless livelihoods, a reminder that relationships and straight talk still move mountains.
The hardest chapter hits like a siren: a 13-alarm fire leveled their warehouse the night before a managers’ meeting, wiping out premium inventory. What saved them? Years of paying vendors on time and treating every partner like a stakeholder. Whirlpool and furniture suppliers answered with emergency deliveries, warehouse pricing, and generous dating that kept stores open and teams working. Kathy also shares the human side: a collections culture rooted in fairness, a habit of anonymous giving, and Operation Fresh Start, which furnishes homes for families starting over. Three generations of customers later, loyalty looks like a client choosing to buy a Nintendo through them instead of a big-box store—because loyalty earned the sale.
We round out with succession and purpose. Aaron’s journey from routes to president modernized culture while guarding the Windsor non-negotiables: low charge-offs, quality goods, and steady growth. Kathy’s next act—farm-to-table beef—carries the same rigor: non-GMO feed, no antibiotics or growth hormones, and direct sales that reward trust. We look ahead to real headwinds—tariffs, inflation, shifting labor expectations—and explain why staying debt-light, vendor-connected, and essential-first will win the next decade.
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APRO
Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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