Everybody’s Business

YOU’VE GOT THEPOWER

This past month, I had the chance to travel on behalf of Rental magazine to the Atlas Copco facility in Rock Hill, S.C., for the company’s sustainability product launch.

Trips like these are a breath of fresh air for me—and not just because the temperature in South Carolina that day was double the temperature I had left behind in snowy Cleveland—it’s more about the chance to get out of my (home) office, meet key players in the industry and learn more about the problems facing the rental industry and the unique solutions those in it have come up with.

While the theme of this particular trip was sustainability as it related to power generation equipment and pump systems, one of the presenter’s words struck me as applicable to a wider range of topics: “It’s not about whether it’s coming, but rather when you jump on the train and which horses you bet on.”

While the “it” in this case refers to sustainability initiatives and alternative power sources, it seems to me that change is imminent on several fronts in the rental industry, whether that means finding ways to retain good labor, incorporating new technology and yes, integrating sustainability initiatives— mandated by regulations or not.

Fittingly, these themes come up more than once in this issue. On page 12, you can find more on the latest power generation trends and what rental companies can do to get on board with them, and page 38 includes a roundup of power equipment—this is the power generation issue after all! On page 18, you can learn about what your rental company can do to attract the next generation of workers. The stories on pages 24 and 26 focus on the new technology available to assist companies in meeting their environmental goals.

To round out the issue, our columnist Dick Detmer details how rental companies can attract more customers by maintaining a professional staff and showroom, and I spoke with Tom Butts, owner of Nor-Cal Equipment in Sacramento, Calif., about how he got into the business, his favorite part of the job, what he likes to do for fun and more. (By the way, if you are interested in having your company profiled, let us know—we would love to include you in an upcoming issue.)

So, which “horses” are you betting on? Pardon the pun, but you’ve got the “power” to decide. Please feel free to share your thoughts via email at swebb@acbusinessmedia.com or reach out via LinkedIn at sarah-webb1ba8b2109/. Until next time!

Sergey Nivens PRODUCT ■ NEWS ■ INSIGHT www.ForConstructionPros.com/RENTAL

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Publisher ................................................................... Sean Dunphy sdunphy@ACBusinessMedia.com Editor ..........................................................................Sarah Webb swebb@ACbusinessMedia.com

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Rental (ISSN 2375-9925, Print | ISSN 2471-7657, online | USPS 686-370) is published eight times per year: January/February, March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by AC Business Media, 201 N. Main Street, 5th Fl., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Rental, PO Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605. Printed in the USA. Vol. 43, Issue 3, May 2022

CUT THE CORD AND KEEP ON WORKING

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For more information, visit www.drainbrain.com/XPodPlus, or call the Drain Brains® at 800-245-6200

PRODUCT ■ NEWS ■ INSIGHT

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BE FEATURED

As activity in the rental industry ramps up, Rental magazine wants to highlight your rental company, digging into your successes, challenges you’ve faced along the way and how you’ve overcome them. What are you most proud of? What would you do differently? What advice would you give to other rental company owners or those just starting out in the industry? We want to hear it all and feature you in an upcoming Rental Spotlight article. If you would like to share your story with the readers of Rental and your professional peers, reach out to Editor Sarah Webb at swebb@acbusinessmedia.com today.

ARA TALKS LABOR

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STAY SOCIAL

With labor a pressing concern in the rental industry, James Auerbach, vice president of The American Rental Association (ARA), sat down with Rental Editor Sarah Webb to talk about fostering careers in the rental industry and the ARA’s initiatives to promote workforce development. Do you have an interesting story that you’d like to talk about on a podcast? Email your ideas to Rental Editor Sarah Webb at swebb@ acbusinessmedia.com, and you may be featured in an upcoming episode of The Bottom Line podcast.

@Syifa5610.adobe.stock.com To stay up to date on the latest happenings around the rental industry, be sure to follow Rental’s social media channels:

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