Custom built with wider-than-standard doorways, the new home is adapted to accommodate special needs for wheelchair-bound Jim White, whose legs were amputated due to peripheral artery disease. ColorTyme furnished the home with an easily accessible washer/dryer unit and a bunk bed for Jim’s sons – a donation totaling $2,842.16. In addition, the ColorTyme truck collected and delivered other donations including mattresses, tables, chairs, frames and a couch.

Karuna McMurtry, Wasilla ColorTyme store manager, is happy to have been a part of the giving effort.

“Every family deserves a safe and secure place to live, and it was encouraging to see our community come together to provide that,” she said. “I’m glad we were able to fulfill a dream for the White family and give them the items they need for their new home. It feels like we really made a difference.”

Mark Childers, owner of the ColorTyme franchise, said the project was an opportunity to extend his store’s values and be part of a greater good.

“The Jim White House Project shows first hand that when a group of people each give a little assistance, the outcome is overwhelming. The outpouring of community support has made it a very positive and memorable experience for everyone,” he said. “At ColorTyme, helping others is essential in our business; it’s what our stores are all about. We are always willing to support people in times of need and help create a better future for them. ”

Kathryn Flores claims her prize at her Hometown ColorTyme in El Campo, TX

It is a dream come true for Kathryn Flores of Wharton, Texas to be announced winner of the ColorTyme Big Tyme Big Game Giveaway. Flores, whose name was drawn randomly from hundreds of entries, wins a trip for two to the biggest football event of the year held on Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas.

ColorTyme, a rent-to-own franchise featuring popular appliances, furniture and electronics, will provide Flores and her guest with tickets, transportation, hotel accommodation, as well as money for food and entertainment. Planning to take her husband to the game, Flores said she was shocked to learn her name was drawn.

“I could not believe it at first, and then I became very excited because I never won anything like this before. It is still unbelievable!” she exclaimed. “My husband is a true sports fan and can’t wait until game day. We are so excited to go!”

Flores has been a loyal customer at the El Campo, Texas ColorTyme since 1997 and is impressed with the level of service and attention from employees.

“I love buying at ColorTyme, and I recommend it to my family and friends all the time. I like the service I get when I visit the store, and they stand behind their merchandise,” she said. “The best part is that you can get what you need now and pay as you go. If the store doesn’t have what you want, they sure can get it.”
Manager Martha Vasquez is thrilled that the prize was given to a most deserving and long-time friend of the store.

“We had so many entries in El Campo alone that Kathryn’s win was just as big of a surprise to us as it was to her,” she said. “I think this giveaway served as a big ‘thank you’ to customers and a reminder of how much we value them. For Kathryn and her husband, it’ll be a moment they’ll never forget.”

“We feel honored to be in Providence en Español as the featured Business of the Week,” said Bird, owner of three ColorTyme stores in Rhode Island. “For us, the campaign was not about gaining recognition for ColorTyme. It was about giving recognition to the Hispanic community for being a large part of our success.”

According to the article, ColorTyme stores in Rhode Island specialize in renting and selling appliances, furniture and electronics not only to the American demographic but also with a strong focus on the Hispanic community. This dual-market emphasis is extended in the new Woonsocket location through Luis Padilla, sales manager and the voice behind ColorTyme’s Hispanic Heritage Month radio spot.

“All the employees of ColorTyme extend a greeting filled with friendship and gratefulness for the opportunity to serve the Hispanic community for such a long time,” Padilla stated on-air in Spanish. “At ColorTyme, it does not matter what country you have come from to the United States. Know that when you enter into any one of our ColorTyme locations, you are family!”

Also in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month, Bird held a free raffle in each of his ColorTyme locations. Announced in the radio spot, five winners won tickets to a local Shakira concert.

“We want the Hispanic community to know how much we respect them and value their business,” Bird said. “We want to serve them in the same way they have served us over the years – with gratitude and support.”

It is clear that Bird and Padilla acknowledge the importance of the Hispanic community, and they vow to continue providing an exceptional customer experience at ColorTyme.

“We are aware of the Latino presence and of its explosive growth during the last decade. Without the Hispanic market completing the picture, we would not have grown as we have,” Padilla said. “At ColorTyme we say, ‘Tu Vecindario, Tu tienda’ meaning ‘Your neighborhood, Your store’.”

Kicking things off Oct. 30, the store hosted a Halloween party for customers with special deals on merchandise like furniture and TVs, free games and refreshments, and a costume contest for kids. On Oct. 31, ColorTyme helped families celebrate in their neighboring city by teaming up with the Rice Volunteer Fire Department for “Trunk or Treat”.

ColorTyme District Manager Shanna Cadena expects the Halloween events to turn into annual traditions.

“Showing support in our own community and the neighborhoods around us is a priority for our business. The best part is being able to give back and have fun at the same time,” she said. “For Halloween, we wanted to give families a safe and welcoming place to enjoy time together, and that’s just what they got.”

Located at 842 W. 7th Ave., ColorTyme encourages the public to become involved in upcoming seasonal activities at the store. ColorTyme will hold a canned food drive for charity during the month of November and collect donations for Toys for Tots in December.

PLANO, Texas – March 5, 2010 – Thirty ColorTyme customers recently cashed in as names were drawn for the $30K Giveaway, and countless others won in-store prizes.
Held in celebration of the company’s 30th birthday, ColorTyme’s $30K Giveaway gave customers a chance to win $1,000 along with instant prizes in local stores. Rent-to-own customers registered for the grand-prize drawings Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 at their hometown ColorTyme store.
Out of 30 winners from 14 states across the U.S., four of them registered in Texas stores owned by TLH Enterprises. Vice President of South Texas Region for TLH Enterprises, Donald Salais, was very happy to see long-time customers win in Beeville, Corpus Christi, Rosenberg and Cuero.
“Many of our customers didn’t think they had a chance at winning, so it was refreshing to see the smiles on their faces when they did,” said Salais. “I think the Giveaway really encouraged our customers and showed how much we value their business.”

As part of the Giveaway event, ColorTyme also provided customers with a winning serial number that matched various prizes. Many customers automatically received big savings off a new rental or walked away with one of the store’s newest appliances, furniture, computers or electronics such as a name-brand TV.

“Our $30K Giveaway was a way for us to give back to our customers and thank them for all of their support over the years,” said ColorTyme Director of Marketing, Amy Woods. “Our customers are like family, so it was important that everyone who visited ColorTyme during the promotion came out a winner.”

Winners
Dorothy McKown – Opp, AL
Teri Pike – Woodland, AL
Lidia Abaloyan – San Diego, CA
Neille Logan-Underwood – San Diego, CA
Judith Ann Archer – Temecula, CA
Frank Welcome – Panama City, FL
Robert Higginbotham – Middleburg, FL
Christopher Cooper – Jacksonville, FL
Sacoya Proctor – Hephzibah, GA
Micky Jimison – Fairfield, ID
Danny Shannon – Hutchinson, KS
Carlos Heredia Liudres – Garden City, KS
Lee Jones – Oxford, KS
James Kelley – Lexington, KY
Lee Lyons – Raceland, LA
Susie Moore – Baltimore, MD
Denise Fletcher – Landover Hills, MD
David Rogers – Waterville, ME
Shaun Bennett – South Paris, ME
Sheila Hobbs – La Grange, NC
Beatrice Bennett – Roanoke Rapids, NC
Paula Ramos – Beeville, TX
Abram Mendoza – Corpus Christi, TX
Jackie Hahn – Cuero, TX
Bobby King Jr. – Richmond, TX
Katrina Trimiew – Richmond, VA
Carlton Davis – Norfolk, VA
Nikkia Clayton – Fredericksburg, VA
James Howard – Richmond, VA
Dennis Francis – Aberdeen, WA

However, Curtis Mathes wasn’t looking to compromise the quality of his product to meet ideal selling prices. When Curtis Mathes began manufacturing televisions he had one major goal in mind; to have the most well-built, reliable and expensive television on the market. He did. And, they were. The televisions were so well built that each set had a four year warranty, which was unheard of at the time – and today for that matter. But, if consumers wanted the best they were going to have to pay for it.

So, by the end of the 1970s Curtis Mathes had perhaps the finest color television set in the world, but because of its price tag most Americans couldn’t afford to purchase it. That’s when Willie Talley stepped in and partnered with Curtis Mathes. Willie had an ingenious concept, “ColorTyme.” Willie believed at the time that it was “tyme” for all households to have “color” television…hence ColorTyme. While he didn’t expect the name to become so quickly dated, it has stuck over the years.

Willie’s idea materialized in Athens, Texas in 1979, where the first ColorTyme rent-to-own store opened. With the store’s opening came the opportunity for every average American family to purchase the finest color television available. Curtis Mathes didn’t have to sacrifice quality, and any American household could now afford to move from the era of black and white into the time of color.

Today, ColorTyme is the nation’s oldest franchisor of independently owned and operated rent-to-own stores and offers not just TVs and electronics, but also appliances, computers and furniture. Thanks to the most expensive television set in America.

“The Waterbury YSS called me, asked me to host the event and they brought the food to hand out,” said ColorTyme rent to own Franchise Owner, Steve Dwyer. “Yesterday, families from around Waterbury came to our store and we provided them with a full meal that they later took home to prepare.”

The Youth Service System is supported by grants from city, state and federal agencies. This includes support from foundations, such as the United Way, and the generosity of corporate and individual donors. The non-profit agency serves 4,000 clients annually through a broad spectrum of programs that address issues impacting today’s youth and their families.

“This was an opportunity to help people here in the community. It also gives us the opportunity to help the YSS – an organization I believe in and support,” explained Dwyer. “This was a very heartwarming experience and my team and I really enjoyed all the visiting families that stopped by the store.”

Meals were also distributed at the YSS headquarters at 95 North Main in Waterbury. Combined with ColorTyme’s efforts, more than 70 families were provided meals for Thanksgiving.

“We formed a relationship with Steve and ColorTyme a few months ago,” said Kelly Cronin, executive director for the Waterbury YSS. “He’s been very good to us by giving the YSS furniture for our safe homes and the agency itself. We always give turkeys away for Thanksgiving and we thought it would work to have Steve give out turkeys at his store. Initially, Steve helped us store the frozen turkeys, which we really appreciate. This was a very successful day for everybody involved.”

Our flexible, rent to own plans include customizable payment options, great quality appliance rentals, rental electronics, and reliable service agreements that cover each item you rent to own from ColorTyme. However, our commitment to superior customer service doesn’t stop there.

Every chance we get, ColorTyme takes “treating you like family” one step further and lends a hand to our neighbors. Here are just a few examples of how ColorTyme touches the lives of individuals and families in the communities we serve:

• When the town of Malakoff, Texas was hit by Hurricane Ike in September 2008, Hometown ColorTyme store in Mabank, TX came to the rescue. The store’s manager and staff donated a wide-screen TV rental to the local evacuee center so victims of the storm could stay entertained and up to date with the storm’s progress.
• The Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville, VA asked the community for contributions to their new clubhouse in November 2008. The Hometown ColorTyme store pitched in by providing brand new TVs, PlayStations, and Xboxes from their rent to own inventory for students in the after-school program. Read the full article here.
  
• For the last five years, the Hometown ColorTyme store in Waipahu, HI has served a traditional, Thanksgiving dinner. Anyone who came by the rent to own store was welcomed with open arms and fed until their heart was content. Their Thanksgiving outreach program ensures the holiday is complete for many families and elderly residents in the neighborhood. Read the full article here.
  
• In April, a Hometown ColorTyme customer’s family was battling their son’s heart disease in Hanover, PA.  The local ColorTyme store’s manager and staff came to the rescue by organizing and collecting donations to help defray costs of the boy’s medical treatment. Read the full article here.

These touching stories only scratch the surface of the great work each HomeTown ColorTyme rent to own store performs in service to the customers and neighbors in their communities. Our commitment to active participation in your community is just one way we ensure every customer feels like family.

Treating people fairly is at the core of the way we do business at ColorTyme. We believe that doing business with people who truly care about your family and neighborhood makes all the difference in the world to our valued customers. We take our responsibility to be active participants seriously and hope you never regard us as a faceless corporate entity.

To learn more about ColorTyme’s rent to own policies and the products available for rent in our stores, visit ColorTyme.com today.