“I’ve never been afraid to take a chance or accept a challenge,” says Shawn DiLeo, ColorTyme’s new franchisee in Lexington, Ky. Indeed he’s not. DiLeo began his rent-to-own career at 18, driving the delivery truck for a small RTO store. It wasn’t long before he was manager of the store, and soon after that he began working his way up in the industry. Over the past 20 years he’s held many corporate positions, including Director of Operations at Rent-A-Center. Most recently he was Chief Operating Officer for an Aaron’s franchisee.

“Shawn DiLeo is the kind of person who’ll rise to become a highly successful ColorTyme franchisee,” said ColorTyme CEO Bob Bloom. “Not only is he a community leader who understands the needs of the customers he serves, he’s also an industry leader, having reorganized both the Oregon State Rental Dealers Association and the West Virginia Association.” Over the years DiLeo has served his state Rental Dealers Associations as President five different times.

DiLeo says he sees a need for a locally-owned rent-to-own store like ColorTyme in Lexington. “Our new ColorTyme store will give Lexington customers more options and a choice of whom to do business with,” he said. “We’ll be providing the kind of personalized service and fair prices that go above and beyond what customers expect these days. Look for us to become one of the largest and fastest-growing ColorTyme franchises in the country.” DiLeo’s Lexington ColorTyme store will open in mid-October in Eastland Shopping Center. It will be the first of six stores he is planning to open in the area.

ColorTyme, the oldest franchised rent-to-own company in the United States, operates 212 stores in 34 states. RimTyme, the company’s custom-wheels-and-tires franchise brand, operates an additional 14 stores in seven states.