Mike's Rent-To-Own receives July small business award
Family-owned company recognized for 45 years of growth and community service
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Sign up freeHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local business that began with a leap of faith more than four decades ago has been named the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Month for July.
Mike’s Rent-To-Own, founded by Mike Strong, received the honor in recognition of its steady expansion and long-standing community support. Strong left a management career with Chrysler in St. Louis in 1981, seeking a better quality of life for his family, and moved to Hutchinson.
He initially opened a Curtis Mathes electronics franchise across from Dillons at Fifth and Adams, living upstairs as he got the venture off the ground.
When the franchise unexpectedly ended, Strong adapted and rebranded the company as Mike’s Rent-To-Own. Over the past 45 years, the business has grown from two employees dealing in basic electronics to a workforce of 17 in Hutchinson, with 14 locations across Central Kansas and plans for continued expansion.
Strong continues to operate the company today alongside his son, Mike, and daughter, Angela. The Chamber praised the business for its customer-first philosophy — which includes flexible payment options, free delivery and in-house service — as well as its extensive support for local schools, Honor Flights, homeless shelters and scholarship programs.
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