CANADIAN RENTAL MART 2010

Canada’s largest rental show draws a capacity crowd.

Rental professionals from all across the country converged in Toronto recently to attend the Canadian Rental Mart. The 2010 edition of the country’s largest rental trade show took place March 9 -– 10 at the Toronto Congress Centre.

CRA Ontario president James Morden (left) presents the award for Rental Professional of the Year to Paul Everitt of Rentquip Canada.
CRA Vice President Wayne Beckett of Wayne’s Rental Centre in Moosomin, Sask.
Bill Winslade of D & K Imports and Peter Webster of McLean-Sherwood Party Rental and Supplies in Brampton, Ont.
Paul Koldhis of SMS Rents and Don Ayotte of CM Equip.
Terry Constantin of BOMAG and Hank Vanheuvelen of Tim’s Rent-all in Bowmanville, Ont.
Dean Nasato of Wacker Neuson, and Patrick Hotson and Natalie Neilson of Universal Rental Service in Fergus, Ont.
Mark Wierda of Dri-Eaz gave a seminar on profiting from the restoration market. One of his suggestions was for rental centres to charge a “filter fee.”
Dave Landry and Jason Boyko of George Daan Supplies 2009, and Mike Maltby of Ingersoll Rent-All in Ingersoll, Ont.
Left to right: Paul Tomc, Scott Malcolm, and Bob Legault of Vulcan Demolition Tools.
Steve Barnes and Sion Rainham of Sumner Manufacturing Canada.
Rick Sargent of Diamond Systems.
Brent Hagedorn of A.E. Sales.
Rob Snyder of Eastern Farm Machinery.
Shirley McCormick, CRA Social Events Co-Ordinator and Secretary.
George Bannerman of Bannerman Limited and Deo Somwaru of BE Pressure Supply.
Ben Picard and Greg Clendenning of Cantherm.

There was plenty for them to see. As previously reported in Canadian
Rental Service, the show was completely sold out. Literally every booth
had been filled by the more than 75 exhibitors, and the exhibitors were
certainly ready for the crowds. Reps were available at every booth, and
the equipment on display has been polished and shined for maximum
appeal.

Deals were struck, friendships were renewed, and rental operators received the latest information on heavy and light construction equipment and tools. There was also strong representation from the event rental side of the business.

There was a definite sense of optimism at the 2010 Canadian Rental Mart among both exhibitors and attendees. Hesitant predictions from economists say that Canada has weathered the recession in a relatively strong position, and this has had an effect on the numerous industries the rental business serves.

A number of social events took place during the evening of March 9, including the Next Gen Reception, and the CRA Gala Banquet.

The first day of the Canadian Rental Mart started with a fascinating seminar delivered by Suzanne Price of Seneca College. Price is a certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) consultant through Psychometrics Canada.

Knowing the differences between communication styles can help you in all sorts of ways. That was one of the key points delivered during the MI seminar facilitated by Price. The seminar took place at the DoubleTree International Plaza Hotel, the official show hotel for the Canadian Rental Mart.  The seminar was the first official event of the 2010 Canadian Rental Mart.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a questionnaire designed to measure preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The preferences themselves were extrapolated from the theories of Carl Gustav Jung.

The MBTI is one of the best-known personality assessment tools, and is certainly one of the most widely used. As many as two million assessments are administered annually.

“When you’re going through life, you sometimes feel the need to change to be more like others,” said Amanda Wellnitz, executive director of the Canadian Rental Association (CRA). “Often we ask ourselves, ‘Why am I the way I am?’ One of the things this seminar teaches is that it’s okay to be the way you are, and it’s okay for others to be like they are. You’re not meant to be like others. Our differences complement each other.”

One of the fundamental bases for the MBTI is the idea that people prefer one thing over the other, rather than a bit of both. The preferences indicated are polar opposites. You can think of these as being sort of like up and down, or backwards and forwards. You can go in either direction, but not both.

Facilitator Suzanne Price likened the different personality aspects to a rainbow of colours. No aspect is better than any other. Instead, all are needed for balance.

“The funny thing is, we’ve got at least two people with each trait on the CRA Ontario board,” said Jeff Campbell of St. Thomas Rentall. “I think that balance has helped us to see every side of the situations we have to deal with.”

The seminar also included discussion groups, with the groups determined by various personality factors. The groups were asked to explain how people with their particular traits solve problems and make decisions. Findings were then presented to the other groups.

The Canadian Rental Mart continued March 10 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The day began with the Dri-Eaz Seminar “Profiting from the Restoration Market” presented by Mark Wierda, rental account manager with Dri-Eaz Products.

The seminar focused on the capabilities of a number of different types of equipment that can be used in drying out homes and other buildings that have suffered flood damage, and how to increase profitability when renting them, especially when it comes to private home owners.

Traditionally, restoration is accomplished in a disruptive manner. Less equipment is rented for this, meaning less revenue for your store. “Non-destructive drying is very big right now. We use an aggressive method of drying, which requires more equipment, and therefore more revenue to the rental operator,” said Wierda.

Part of the restoration process is to rent the extractors to pull the water out. The industry standard is one air mover for 50 to 60 square feet of effected area. These can quickly add up, once again meaning more revenue.

As Mark Wierda pointed out during his presentation, there are three essential components involved: humidity, airflow, and temperature. These three components will create a balanced drying scenario.

“It isn’t just about removing visible water from the room. That’s just the first stage,” said Wierda. “You’ve got to have heat as well, so that water stuck in the carpet, or that’s migrated into the walls, can evaporate. Once you’ve got the moisture in the air, you can start taking it out with dehumidifiers. Your customer could turn up the heat in the entire house, but that’s wasteful. Instead, you’ve got a perfect opportunity to rent them a heater as well.”

One of the fastest growing product lines is air filtration equipment. It helps to protect occupants and staff working on a restoration project.

Wierda also encouraged rental operators to charge filter fees. A filter can typically be used on a few small projects before needing replacement. By charging a small upfront filter fee, rental operators can at least recoup the cost of the filter.

“Don’t be afraid to charge your customers this,” he said. “It’s a cost to you, so there’s no reason not to pass it on.”

The final attendance numbers indicate that nearly 700 rental professionals attended the 2010 Canadian Rental Mart over the two days of the show.