SENNETT - Cayuga County's newest sales and lease retailer isn't new to the industry.

Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership for Less is celebrating its 50th year in business. Its Grant Avenue store opened Jan. 20 and joins more than 1,000 Aaron's locations in the U.S. and Canada. There are 25 in New York right now and the goal is to open 40 more, mostly in upstate New York, said Les Hayes, the manager of the Sennett store.

The Sennett store is a franchise of the Atlanta-based chain which has a large share of the industry, which generates approximately $5.7 billion annually. The franchisee, Charles Smithgall III, owns more than 45 Aaron's locations.

Hayes, of Canandaigua, worked in a SEI/Aaron's in Rochester before being put in charge of the new store in Cayuga County, in the former location of Car Toyz which had been gutted by a fire. Aaron's rebuilt the inside and has a 20-year lease on the property.

Hayes said the demographics, the population and per capita income for the Auburn area convinced Aaron's officials a store would do well in the market long-term.

Five people work in the store now and Hayes is looking to hire three more.

"Our company slogan is 'We make dreams come true,'" said Hayes. "I know a lot of those kinds of slogans sound silly, but we really do try to achieve that. There are a lot of people who can't afford a new wide-screen television or a new bedroom set, and we make it possible for them to have it by (leasing)."

He said most rent-to-own businesses mark items up three times the wholesale cost. The mark-up for Aaron's, he said, is one time when a customer does a lease-to-own. "We're not out to gouge anybody," he said.

Aaron's also manufactures almost half of its furniture in four factories it owns in the U.S. A few years ago, the company bought Mactavish Furniture Industries.

SEI/Aaron's opened its first Aaron's store in November 1995 and subsequently developed eight stores in the Kentucky/Indiana area before expanding to New England in 1999. SEI/Aaron's has continued to open stores in the New England states as well as acquiring stores from other Aaron's franchisees and Aaron Rents, Inc. SEI/Aaron's is the largest Aaron's franchise company.

Aaron's Chief Executive Officer R. Charles Loudermilk Sr. pronounced 2004 "the best year in the company's history." For the fourth quarter. the Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division increased its revenues 17 percent to $214 million, compared to $183 million the prior year. For the year, the division's revenues were $831.1 million, a 27-percent increase over the $656.5 million for 2003.

During the year, the company awarded area development agreements to open 160 additional franchised stores. At the end of December there were 301 franchise stores awarded that are expected to open over the next several years.

Hayes said his goal is to make his store one of the top producers, which would make it eligible for grants to donate to community groups.

"I'm looking forward to being able to do that," he said.

Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net.