CRA President’s Message: Drop the hint about CRA membership

The equipment and event rental industry is constantly evolving, as is your association. Our current and prospective membership can rest assured that the intention of the board remains focused on the continued growth and development of the association while maximizing membership benefit.

The past year was been an exciting year of growth, development and opportunity in the industry. Canadian Rental Association members are placing an ever-increasing value on the association’s ability to help them enhance their businesses.

We have been working tirelessly on the development of three new special interest groups (SIGs): Membership, Safety and Party and Event Services. Stay tuned for details on the development of the government relations program, as well as a newly formed program for members with the Canadian Red Cross. The upcoming year will likely see it’s share of challenges, but will no doubt offer exciting new programs and benefits to members. The success of these programs relies heavily on membership participation, so I encourage you to take advantage of any programs, new or existing, that will aid in the improvement of your business. They can increase your profitability while improving the vitality of the association.

Increasing benefit to the membership remains at the top of our priority list in 2019 and I can assure you that your executive team is continuously working to explore, establish and promote new and exciting program offerings.

CRA members enjoy a unique networking opportunity that allows us to share our expertise, business experiences (both positive and negative) and our journeys in working toward common goals. Membership involvement is best enhanced through your active participation at both the local and national levels, including attendance at local meetings and regional trade shows. This participation helps fulfill our shared responsibility to promote the value and benefits that our association offers prospective members we may encounter through our day-to-day business interactions.

“What responsibility?”, you may ask. I do feel that anyone who believes in the value of this association should consider it part of their role as a member to talk it up at every opportunity. It doesn’t have to be a long lecture – just a simple mention that you are member of the CRA goes a long way. If you found an item for your rental fleet that you liked, you’d probably mention it to a friend in the industry as a way to help them in their business. Similarly, when you’re talking business with someone who isn’t in the CRA, why not mention some way in which the association has been helpful to you? I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t found their involvement in the CRA to be worthwhile, so recommending membership can absolutely be considered an item of helpful advice. As the old adage goes, “You get out of it what you put into it.” A larger association with an active, engaged membership helps us all, and your participation in helping that growth will return benefits to you.

In closing, I look forward to connecting with many of you at our regional trade shows, the CRA hospitality event during the upcoming ARA show in Anaheim, and various other events scheduled for 2019.

Dan Spencer has worked in the rental industry for 11 years and has been actively involved with the CRA locally and nationally for the past eight years. He resides near Antigonish, N.S., with his wife Heidi and their two chocolate labs, Keppoch and Cali.