Aaron's expansion is far from over, however. Charles Loudermilk Sr., chairman and chief executive office with the rent-to-own retailer, said the company is on track to add about 70 more stores by the end of this year and a total of 350 by the end of 2007. "We look forward to the remainder of 2006 and 2007 with great optimism," Loudermilk said.

The company, which currently has more than 1,245 company-owned and franchise stores in 47 states and Canada, has been on the expansion fast track since the beginning of the year. In the first nine months of 2006, Aaron's opened 80 company-owned and franchise stores along with four RIMCO outlets and acquired 29 franchise or independent operations. The firm also purchased the accounts from 10 other third-party operators during the period, according to a company statement.

All that growth helped profits nearly double for the 51-year-old company, which had $17.4 million, or 32 cents a share, in earnings for the quarter, a 97% increase over the $8.8 million, or 17 cents a share, earned in the same period a year earlier. Sales for the quarter rose 14% to $317.7 million from $278.7 million in the prior year's period.