It’s been less than a year since Matt Brun left a career in the insulation business to open Shediac Rentals and Sales, but he already knows it was a good choice. “I just love my job,” he says. “I’ve been in attics doing insulation, and it can be the worst.

The growth of United Rentals’ specialty rental network in North America has been a prominent industry topic for more than a decade.

J im McCann Jr. proudly states his company’s motto: “Now You’re Torquing!” As he likes to tell it, torque has proven itself to be almost unmatched in one big nuts-and-bolts respect – as a practical means of achieving clamp load in a fastener.

Since 1956, A&B Party and Event Rentals in Vancouver has always been a family business. For the Sebal family, it started when Tom Sebal was a vice-president of Woodward’s stores in the 1980s.

With 40-plus years of rental service under his belt, Peter Lavigne can speak at length about longevity in business. “You have to enjoy helping people everyday, solving their problems, giving them the right tools,” says the 61-year-old co-owner.

If you have not yet met Hank McInnis, now’s your opportunity to get to know him.  Starting in February, McInnis will become the next president of the Canadian Rental Association, and take over a one-year term to represent your organization’s best interests.

Peter Darbishire, editor of Canadian Rental Service between 1984 and 2007, shared his memories of the early days of the magazine, the rental industry and the Canadian Rental Mart.

“We welcome all inquiries whether they have anything to do with us directly, or not,” explains Ken Malott, vice president of Kensal Rental Service Ltd. “If you help someone out, they remember you and that’s good for future business.”

“Call us, we’ve likely got it” is the motto of Atlantic Rentals Ltd. “And if we haven’t got it, we’ll get it,” says Sandy MacBeath, the Moncton store manager of three years.

There’s a common perception that trying to bring a new generation of entrepreneurs in the rental business is a tough gig. But the young president of the Quebec rental association, the ALQ, is setting out to do something about it.

What’s in a name? If you’re Hamilton Equipment Rental Centre, it means everything. Considered one of southwestern Ontario’s leading rental service centres, HERC Equipment Rentals (as it is legally known in this bustling “Steeltown” burg), is finding itself embroiled in a titanic clash against Hertz.

Spring has finally sprung and it is time to do some clean up and organizing.  Snow plows have a tendency  to do some damage and leave behind a mess. Check your fences where the snow has been piled and sweep your lots and re-paint lines if needed.

April 20, 2017 - Clinton, Ontario was the site of the final CRA Ontario meeting for the 2016-17 season.

Trade show season has come to an end and I must say I enjoyed every show I had the opportunity to attend. Before I go any further I would like to say thank you for doing an excellent job of putting together our Canadian shows to Nathalie, Jenna and Terra at our head office along with the local boards and associate members.

We made it through another Canadian winter. Mother Nature was very kind to us here in Nova Scotia. The same cannot be said for neighbours in New Brunswick. An ice storm the end of January left many people without power for two weeks. But now that spring is here I am looking at my gardens thinking they need some work and, like in business, first you need a plan. There are people and resources in the CRA/ARA that can help you with this plan. Once you have a plan it is time to plant your seeds.

As is customary, the Canadian Rental Association (CRA) held its annual general meeting February 27th during The Rental Show which this year was held in Orlando, Florida.

By now I hope you have read my piece in the February issue of Canadian Rental Service and have come to realize that I am all about the Canadian Rental Association benefits. As this is the party and event issue, I took some time to learn a little about that side of the business. Being an equipment guy, I knew nothing of the party and event business and after reading this you may say and I still don’t.

The Canadian Rental Association's Ontario local held its January meeting on Jan. 18 at Kubota Canada' huge distribution warehouse in Markham, Ont. About 50 attendees got an eyeful of a thoroughly modern construction equipment operation along with dinner and an informative talk on Tier IV diesel standards.

The meeting package for the Canadian Rental Association's national Annual General Meeting is now available to members. The AGM will take place Feb. 27 at 4:00 pm at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., room S319, during the American Rental Association's Rental Show.

Iam sitting here looking at my computer and thinking about what I am going to say in my first message as president. My first thought is to thank everyone for putting their faith in me and giving me this wonderful opportunity. 

November 17, 2016 - 50 members and guests of the Canadian Rental Association Ontario division converged on Whites LES in Toronto for the November membership meeting.

Nov. 15, 2016 - Do you know that your local’s success depends on you?

An interesting thing about injuries (it is incorrect to call them “accidents”) is that they never happen when it’s convenient and we seldom recognize the true cost to our businesses. This is particularly relevant in our rental world, as we tend to run our businesses with minimal staffing and often operate with very tight margins.

June 21, 2017 - Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp. is pleased to announce the appointment of TRC Hydraulics (www.trchydraulics.com) as Authorized Distributor for Industrial and Mobile Hydraulics products* in all of Atlantic Canada effective May 1, 2017.

June 21, 2017 - – Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power continues to strengthen its longstanding relationship with SAE International and the Baja Collegiate Design Competition. The company has been the exclusive provider of engines for Baja SAE since the program began. This year marks the first time teams were provided a 10-gross-horsepower Vanguard commercial engine.

June 21, 2017 - Allmand Bros. Inc. expands its product offerings into the portable air compressor market.

May 29, 2017 - CASE Construction Equipment introduces two new combination vibratory rollers—the DV209CD and DV210CD. The new vibratory rollers compact with the front drum and deliver a smooth finish with rear pneumatic tires. The DV209CD and DV210CD come standard with automatic vibration control, crab steering, an oscillating articulated roller joint and a pressurized triple-filtration water system. High-frequency is offered as a standard feature allowing for frequencies up to 4,020 vpm (67 Hz) for greater control of compaction performance based on the thickness and density requirements of each lift.

May 16, 2017 - Linamar Corporation’s Skyjack division has released a white paper detailing the major changes to the new access equipment standards in North America.

May 16, 2017 - Chicago Pneumatic Construction Equipment now offers a new concept in its vibration equipment lineup with the launch of electronic pokers. The quiet, safe and efficient Vektor 12K electronic pokers provide high centrifugal force, making them suitable for use across a wide variety of high-to-low slump concrete applications.

Compaction remains one of the main profit centres for any general equipment rental house. It occupies that sweet spot where there is a lot of demand on individual projects, but not so much ongoing demand that it makes sense for a small contractor or homeowner to purchase their own machine.

On-the-job exposure to noxious dust particles can be a killer. “Workers in Canada need to be informed of the hazards they may be exposed to, examples of control methods that can be used, and the next steps they should take,” says Tallar Chouljian, occupational health and safety specialist at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), which advocates for workplace health and safety.

May 15, 2017 - The future looks bright for concrete fl oor grinding. With global development of the surface preparation industry growing, Husqvarna has recently acquired two other leading players in the fi eld – HTC Floor Grinding Solutions and Pullman Ermator. By combining the strengths of all three expert brands, Husqvarna aims to grow the fl oor grinding industry.

May 15, 2017 - Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) is participating in OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, May 8-12, by introducing the new Genie® interactive tool that calculates aerial lifts current capacity limits to help educate customers on how the new technology will impact equipment safe use and productivity.

May 10, 2017 - BOMAG single-direction vibratory plate compactors are designed for day-to-day use in soil and asphalt repair and maintenance compaction applications.

May 8, 2017 - The Husqvarna K 1270 and K 1270 Rail comes with the patented X-Torq™ engine that contributes to lower emissions and low fuel consumption without losing power. An unbeatable combination. The K 1270 models will replace all K 1260 models.

June 13, 2017 - It only takes a second to fall asleep at the wheel, but driver fatigue begins long before a driver starts to nod off.

Certain cases come along that have the ability to create a shift in the legal landscape in Canada. To be honest, I can’t believe this case isn’t getting more attention.

Let’s think about how you can communicate with your current and potential new customers. Ready?

Two years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a mess. Fans were throwing jerseys on the ice, players were skipping their traditional post-game salute and hockey pundits were looking forward to more years of futility behind big contracts and no salary cap space.

From coast to coast, most provincial and federal legislation requires that employers establish and maintain safety committees. What they are called may differ; Joint Work Site Committees in Alberta, Occupational Health Committees in Saskatchewan, Health and Safety Committees in Newfoundland and Ontario. Regardless of what they are called, they have an important role to play in today’s workplaces.

One of the biggest challenges businesses face today is employee theft. Why does this happen and what can be done to stop it?

Still lots of expert talk about millennials. No seminar program at a large event is complete without sessions telling us how to motivate them, how to retain them, how to find them and how to sell to them. What do they want? What do they like? One pictures a curious crowd of baby boomers peering through the glass at a captive millennial in a zoo, wondering what it eats.

April 3, 2017 - The deadline for having all workers who work at heights on construction sites trained in a Ministry of Labour-approved Working at Heights: Construction program has been extended to October 1, 2017. However, employers must still meet specific requirements in order to qualify for the deadline extension.

Would you get into a vehicle with an impaired driver? I mean seriously impaired, fumbling for the keys, slurred speech, can barely walk kind of impaired. Would you place your children in that car? Of course you wouldn’t. Would that decision change if the driver only had a few drinks? Hopefully not, because we all know that driving under the influence is against the law and we all know there are penalties – in some cases severe, life-altering penalties.

I read December 2016’s editorial in this magazine, “Waiting for China,” and I could not help but reflect on how my business’ experiences with Chinese-exported products has been similar but also very different from those described by Patrick Flannery.

Once, I received a referral from a trusted business alliance for someone who needed some branded hoodies made. We’ll call the prospect Rob...because that was his name. We set up a time to meet at my showroom two days later. This was a legitimate, good referral from someone who had done business with Rob for an extended period of time, apparently without issue.

This issue includes a report from the American Rental Association’s Rental Show with a roundup of some of the new equipment introduced there. As you’ll see, it was quite a crop this year. JCB probably stole the limelight with its splashy entrance into the lift market, a sector it had previously not played in.

June 6, 2017 - Orion Software has introduced an all original innovative product for both the rental and the construction industries.

May 30, 2017 - Rental Essentials, Point of Rental’s cloud-based rental software, has enhanced its Kiosk feature.

April 21, 2017 - Point of Rental Software, a provider of rental and inventory management software, recently announced their new web-based dashboard for its ERP product, Rental Elite.

April 20, 2017 - Alert Management Systems has announced the release of its latest revision of its award-winning software.

March 23, 2017 - Point of Rental Software has long since been integrated with DocuSign, one of the leading electronic signature services, but has now officially released Rental eSign, an electronic signature service designed specifically for rental processes.

One of the most familiar and earliest applications for event software is laying out floor plans. Much of the guesswork around what can be fit into a specified space is eliminated when the software can provide an accurate map of the area and model how your tables, chairs, decor, stages and equipment will fit into it. 

Feb. 3, 2017 - Azuga has announced the launch of Azuga Asset Tracker. The latest technology in the company’s line of award-winning fleet solutions will enhance customers’ real-time visibility of assets, ultimately helping them improve operations, reduce risk and lower costs. The solutions incorporate purpose-built asset tracking devices that integrate with Azuga’s cloud-based application for real-time monitoring and operations management, significantly simplifying delivery, service, recovery and billing for assets deployed in the field.    

February 2, 2017 - Point of Rental Software recently installed its Elite ERP product in Simplex Equipment Rental’s 41 locations throughout Quebec and eastern Ontario.

Jan. 23, 2017 - Point of Rental Software unveiled the first Customer Rewards app in the rental industry in its version 2016 update, enabling rental businesses around the world to easily manage a customer loyalty program.

Jan. 9, 2017 -  Milwaukee Tool continues to revolutionize the tool industry with the introduction of the TICK - a professional-grade Bluetooth tool and equipment tracker. Designed to withstand the harshest jobsite environments, the TICK can be easily attached and hidden from sight on any product, regardless of brand, providing users an invaluable way to track anything in their inventory through the ONE-KEY app.

December 22, 2016 - Charter Software, maker of ASPEN Business Management Software, announced additional enhancements to their existing Bobcat/Doosan, Mahindra, John Deere and PMPro integrations, designed to increase dealers’ productivity and profit margins.

Nov. 29, 2016 - Point of Rental Software joins Opportunity International in its mission to end global poverty this holiday season. Opportunity International supports local microfinance organizations that provide innovative financial solutions to empower people, create small businesses, and build vibrant communities.

March 29, 2017 - Little Wonder offers the self-propelled BedShaper edger, bed shaper and shallow trenching machine that can cut time and labour in spring bed preparation.

March 9, 2017 - Barreto has introduced their newest entry into the small stump grinding market.

Help your landscaping clients prosper with these rental-ready lawn care products.

Spring is just around the corner, but your landscaping customers are probably still busy with their snow-removal contracts. Time to make sure your snow-pusher products are performing their best. Although most pushers require minimal maintenance, they’ll need some attention to be most effective in your rental fleet.

January 12, 2017 - ProBarrow is a professional grade electric powered wheelbarrow that was designed, built and tested here in Canada.

January 12, 2017 - Domax Construction Equipment has introduced a new muck truck.

Now any type of splitter can be wedgeless with the safe split system from Bavarian Wood Machines. BWM splitters use no-hands safe guides to centre any log and work together with the shear.

December 21, 2016 - Stihl has introduced a professional bike-handle trimmer with simplified starting, improved air filtration and 30% longer run time than the FS 90.

November 2, 2016 - Bandit Industries has reintroduced its extremely popular hand-fed drum chipper line with a new look, minor enhancements, and new model names that reflect the chipper’s rated chipping capacity.

October 31, 2016 - Sno-Way International has announced the introduction of a new controller for their poly v-box spreaders. 

September 14, 2016 - The improved MS 261 C-M chain saw was designed for professional use in forestry.

April 27, 2017 - The Typhoon™ trailer jet from General Pipe Cleaners blows away blockages in big lines and long runs.

March 2, 2017 - The new Model DRZ-O economical power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners quickly and cleanly clears clogs from 1-1/4" to 3" sink, tub and laundry lines.

February 2, 2017 - The lightweight Gen-Eye POD® video inspection systems from General Pipe Cleaners now offer optional Wi-Fi capability.

February 1, 2017 - The fencing revolution has arrived as Stock-ade has introduced the ST400i stapler.

January 4, 2017 - The new Model DRZ-PH-O power drain cleaner from General Pipe Cleaners offers a quick, clean way to clear clogged sink, tub and laundry drains in 1-1/4" to 3" lines.

Nov. 29, 2016 - Gray Tools Canada Inc. is proud to announce the acquisition of a new vertical machining centre, thus furthering its commitment to domestic manufacturing. The commissioning of the equipment was the final step in a nearly 18-month process that involved countless hours of study, evaluation and consultation.

November 9, 2016 - Unique Quick-Fix™ from General Pipe Cleaners lets you quickly repair broken drain cleaning snakes in the field.

October 12, 2016 - The rotary hammer is the workhorse of any construction site, providing the power and torque to drill and chisel in materials that range from concrete to steel. But the real differentiator among these power tools is putting all of that performance in a package that delivers great power at low weight – and that’s the story of the Bosch GBH18V-26 1" SDS-plus® EC Brushless Rotary Hammer.

September 27, 2016 - Contractors are demanding more switch, handle and performance options for grinding and cut-off applications.

Sept. 6, 2016 - Milwaukee Tool has introduced the new M18 FUEL SDS Max Rotary Hammer. The SDS Max Rotary Hammer is the first cordless solution of its kind that provides the performance required for more demanding, heavy-duty drilling and chipping applications. With the launch of the new SDS Max, Milwaukee is now the only power tool manufacturer to provide a full line of rotary hammer solutions all on one M18 battery platform.

September 1, 2016 - Puncture-proof tires now make four popular, powerful Jet Set® water jets from General Pipe Cleaners even more rugged and reliable in the field.

May 30, 2017 - Battle the Blaze is a knockdown game were kids toss bean bag (or water balloons) to knock over the flames on the burning building.

March 15, 2017 - Wertz Werkz has introduced a number of new games for the party rental industry.

Table skirts, tower heaters, security fence, stake covers and more...

February 6, 2016 - Signature Systems Group, announced the release of their new steel barricade system.

January 12, 2017 - OutFront Portable Solutions has introduced its latest fencing product for crowd control.

November 30, 2016 - Magic Jump Inflatables has introduced this unique pink and purple Gift Box bounce house.

October 27, 2016 - Crown Verity has introduced a quartz tube tower heater which brings a new look to outdoor heating.

September 12, 2016 - Constructed of elm wood, the National Event Supply Wood Cross Back Chairs are a fantastic addition to your rental inventory, banquet hall or restaurant.

September 1, 2016 - The NES Reliable Teardrop Back Banquet Chair is one of the most durable event chair that features a sturdy steel frame and 2.5" thick cushion for the comfort of guests.

May 25, 2016 - Twister Display has launched a line of new interactive games.

February 26, 2016 - Vitabri by Ins’TenT has launched Chest’Air, their new line of modern European inflatable furniture.

June 13, 2017 - Registration is officially open for ICUEE 2017, the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition. Attendees can look forward to new education opportunities, streamlined registration and enhanced peer networking events.

May 16, 2017 - In just over a week, one of the region’s most popular heavy equipment trade shows returns to the CN Centre. Taking place May 26th and 27th, the Canada North Resources Expo is a showcase of the leading companies and products that are part of Northern Canada’s varied resources sectors.

This year’s shows in Edmonton and Guelph, Ont., provided lots of opportunity to see the latest equipment, have great conversations with industry leaders and learn, learn, learn.

April 5, 2017 - The largest heavy equipment show in the country returns to Mississauga’s International Centre later this week. The National Heavy Equipment Show takes place Thursday, April 6th and Friday, April 7th, with 2017 marking its 20th anniversary edition.

The Ontario Canadian Rental Association distinguished itself March 22 with a convenient and content-packed day of learning and networking for equipment and event rental operators. Over 50 attendees took advantage of the exclusive educational opportunity in Guelph, Ont.

It was a bumper crop of new products in Orlando this year.

The Rental Show 2017 in Orlando, Fla., wrapped up on March 1 with some exhibitors reporting record sales and almost everyone using the same word to describe the attitude of buyers and sellers at the world’s largest equipment rental-specific trade show and convention — positive.

It's your last chance to register for the CRA Ontario Conference and Product Expo taking place March 22 at the Holiday Inn in Guelph, Ont. While education seminars have been eliminated from other CRA trade shows, CRA Ontario has gone the opposite direction and built a one-day program with half the day dedicated entirely to industry information sessions, workshops and panel discussions.

Things are stabilizing a bit in Alberta if the Canadian Rental Association's Prairie show in Edmonton was any indication. The event attracted around 120 attendees to visit 56 exhibitors. As is usual for this show, the Saturday night banquet brought in an even bigger crowd to enjoy the DoubleTree Edmonton West's fine fare and a rolicking return performance by the Duelling Pianos.

Feb. 21, 2017 - Headed to CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE March 7-11 in Las Vegas? Make the most of your show experience with these “know before you go” tips so you don’t miss out on all that the shows have to offer.

February 21, 2017 - Two major snow storms during the week leading up to the CRA Atlantic show, which was held in Moncton February 17 & 18, did not damper the enthusiasm at this annual event.

Against a backdrop of a slowing economy in some areas and a weak dollar, the Canadian Rental Association is cautiously optimistic that the offer of rewards for attendees and exclusive buying opportunities will lure rental store operators to its local shows.