Association stays in motion

CRA Ontario members were given the red carpet treatment during their meeting and tour of Gervais Party & Tent Rentals in Scarborough. Photos by Neil DeJong

Riding on the success of last year’s program the Canadian Rental Association (CRA) in Ontario has kicked off its Rental Tours and Meeting program for 2009.

To boost attendance at its monthly association meetings the CRA changed the format a few years ago, taking it out of hotel facilities in Toronto and into the buildings of rental stores and their suppliers for a guided tour. Attendance at meetings has been growing ever since, as the novelty of inspecting another rental company’s operation is too tempting to pass up. Manufacturer and supplier members have also stepped up to offer their facilities for meetings which became extremely popular last year as rental operators got an inside look at how their suppliers operate.

The tour kicked off in October with a tour of Gervais Party & Tent Rentals in Scarborough, where guest speaker Catherine Swift, president and CEO, CFIB addressed the changes to Visa, MasterCard and debit charges for merchants. The speaker explained the developments within the credit and debit card industry that will adversely affect all businesses who accept payment via these cards.

There are a number of different changes that will be taking place in the near future, all of which appear to be designed to complicate the ability of merchants to figure out exactly what they are paying to process transactions and how much comes at the expense of the merchant.

The next meeting in November took place at National Hose in Scarborough where company representatives demonstrated the assembly of air/water hoses, hydraulic hoses and burst test systems. It was followed by an informative session of “Do’s and Don’ts” covering the safety issues of hose and fittings as well as reviewing new hose products for the rental industry.

In January the CRA Ontario will shift gears again to host a Table Top Show in London. The event will include a social hour, a banquet dinner, entertainment and the presentation of the CRA Ontario Annual Awards. Suppliers are being offered display tables for $250. Banquet registration is $60.
To reserve a table, contact Shirley McCormick 1-905-697-0380, e-mail: smc1smc2@gmail.com
For more information about CRA meetings, contact CRA Ontario, James Morden, e-mail: jamesmorden@rentshopinc.com.