GARRETT SHURLING of Badger Rental Services

Rental: How did you first get your start in the rental industry?

Garrett Shurling: I’m the third generation of my family to own and operate Badger Rental Services with my two cousins, Aaron Drew and Bridget White. I grew up here. Aaron and I have been working at Badger Rental Services our entire adult life.

Rental: Can you give us some insight on your current company?

Shurling: In 1979, Roy Redmond saw a demand in the Savannah, Ga., area for quality equipment rental. Roy and his wife, Pattie, started P&R Tool. For seven years, Roy worked a full-time job in construction and together with Pattie, ran P&R out of their home in Ellabell, Ga. They took no salaries from P&R and reinvested every dollar of profit back into the company.

In April 1986, the name was changed to Badger Rental Services, and Roy quit construction to focus on his growing rental business. He also hired two employees: his two sons-inlaw Gary Shurling and Paul Drew. In 1989, Badger Rental Services moved to Garden City, Ga. There, Badger’s reputation for clean, dependable rental equipment and quality service spread, and Gary and Paul were made full partners. As demand for Badger’s equipment grew, Roy, Paul and Gary purchased land in Garden City, and in 1995, Badger Rental Services moved to its current location. In 2017, Gary and Paul passed the torch to the third generation of the family to run the business. Now, Aaron Drew and I, along with our stellar team of employees, continue to serve our customers with unmatched service.

Rental: What have been some of your challenges and successes?

Shurling: There have been quite a few times in our history that we’ve had to make major strategic changes to get to the next level. Simply adding more equipment and employees won’t cut it. We’ve developed new systems throughout the marketing, sales, back office and maintenance functions to scale faster and become more efficient. We’ve also hired trusted outside advisers to teach us what a healthy business looks like and what a healthy family business looks like. We’ve had the great fortune of being part of the American Rental Association and Peer Executive Groups. Both of these organizations have provided us invaluable information, best practices and resources for things like contracts, human resources help and online training, as well as access to companies across the country that are willing to share and help each other.

Rental: How has your company’s family-orientated background influenced the business today?

Shurling: When you’re family, you naturally look out for one another and make decisions for the good of the group. To this day, those values continue to run strong through the company. We eat together. We check on each other. We make decisions based on the group. We have healthy conflicts. We even talk a little trash!

Rental: What’s a technological advancement that you predict will change the face of rental?

Shurling: Automation. Already we’re seeing autonomous equipment, remote pickup and dropoff locations, and online ordering. The future of equipment rental is exciting!

BY DICK DETMER