For Immediate Release
August 12, 2026
Press Contact: Marie Lloyd, [email protected]
Buddy’s New Ownership Group Reconstitutes |Board of Directors and Makes Key New Hires
ALT+J Holdings and Skyline Investments back new leadership with initial hiring of CFO and CTO
Orlando, Florida — Buddy’s Home Furnishings, one of the country’s largest rent-to-own retailers, today announced that its new ownership group is already making substantial investments in the business and putting the team in place to take Buddy’s into the future, beginning with the appointment of Jamey Edwards as Executive Chairman of the Board, the appointment of Michael Bennett, CEO, to the Board of Directors and the addition of a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Technology Officer to the leadership team.
Edwards is the Co-Founder, President and Operating Partner of ALT+J Holdings, a family office investment firm that acquired Buddy’s alongside Skyline Investments in January of 2026. He will work in partnership with Chief Executive Officer, Michael Bennett, who has also been appointed to the Board and continues to lead the company’s day-to-day operations.
New ownership has taken immediate action in collaboration with the existing leadership team and has hired Ben DeBrocke as Chief Financial Officer and Yasser Rodriguez as Buddy’s first ever Chief Technology Officer. Both were recruited from outside the company and are tasked with executing the board and ownership group’s vision. A search for a head of marketing is underway, with new investment committed behind that hire.
“Buddy’s is over 65 years old, and its best days are still ahead of it,” said Edwards. “We are re-igniting the growth engine so that its mission can impact as many communities as possible. We are present owners who are working with the team to support Buddy’s in becoming a category defining industry leader.”
Alongside the leadership changes, the ownership group created a new mission, vision and set of values for the company — a reframing intended to sharpen how Buddy’s serves its existing customers and reaches new ones.
The company’s mission is to help everyone create a place to call home, open doors to a better life, and build stronger communities. Its vision is to be the most trusted name in rent-to-own, the neighborhood partner that helps customers create the home they want and deserve, and empowers our owners and operators to build thriving businesses.
Behind every agreement, Buddy’s is committing to three promises: terms customers can manage, with flexible payments and no credit needed; a real path to ownership, with honest, upfront total-cost disclosure; and quality worth owning, providing well-made, brand-name furnishings every customer can be proud to have in their home.
“This is not window dressing,” said Bennett. “It is a clear statement of who we serve and how we intend to show up for them, and it now has the resources and the ownership commitment behind it to be real. Ownership is the goal, and that is a standard we are willing to be measured against.”
Led by Edwards and Bennett, the new ownership group will continue its foundational investments around financing, marketing and technology.
“I have used technology to build categories, not just companies,” added Edwards. “This population deserves great experiences supported by great technology. We have a duty to bridge the gap between a sixty-five-year-old company and one that is relevant to the person shopping today.”
About Buddy’s Home Furnishings
Founded in 1961, Buddy’s Home Furnishings is one of the nation’s largest rent-to-own providers, offering quality furniture, appliances, and electronics through flexible agreements with no credit needed. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Buddy’s operates approximately 200 corporate and franchised locations across the United States and Guam, making it the third-largest RTO company in the industry. For more than six decades, Buddy’s has helped families furnish their homes with affordable payment options, same-day delivery, and a satisfaction guarantee. For more information, visit www.buddyrents.com.
About ALT+J Holdings
ALT+J Holdings is a family office investment firm focused on the lower middle market, partnering with founder-owned, family-owned and management-led businesses at inflection points across services, consumer, healthcare, and traditional industry sectors. The firm brings patient capital, operating experience and the structural advantages of family office capital to the companies it backs. The firm’s name reflects its philosophy. On any Mac keyboard, the keystroke ALT+J produces delta (Δ) — the universal symbol for change. For ALT+J, the symbol represents the distance between a company’s current state and its full potential, and the firm’s mission of helping management teams close that distance. For more information, visit www.altj.co,
About Skyline Investors
Skyline Investors is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in micromarket companies with revenues ranging from $5 million to $50 million. Skyline provides flexible capital solutions, including control equity, mezzanine financing, and special situations funding. The firm invests across complementary sectors focused on community development, including healthcare, consumer and business services, technology, and domestic manufacturing. With a community-centered approach, Skyline partners with management teams to drive growth while creating jobs and empowering business owners to achieve their financial goals. For more information, visit www.skylineinv.com.
