SMS Rents on the move

Formerly located on York Street in Guelph, the new store is now at 45 Lewis Road, near the Hanlon Parkway off Speedvale.

Store manager Kevin Roberts reports that the company had been
looking for new premises since early last year. “We serve quite a large
business area here, anywhere west from Georgetown into the Kitchener,
Waterloo, Cambridge tri-cities region. With our access to large
equipment and our growing number of customers, it was important for us
to acquire a facility that can support the scope of our operation.”

The Guelph fleet already includes an extensive range of aerial
and construction equipment, along with power tools, hand tools and
jobsite supplies. In keeping with the SMS Rents approach, the Guelph
store is encouraged to develop its fleet to meet the specific needs of
local or regional businesses and contractors. This location also takes
advantage of having ready access to a pool of heavy equipment, such as
larger excavators and other earthmoving machines, that is shared by
other SMS Rents stores in southern Ontario. “This really makes us
different from a lot of the other rental houses in the area. Regional
customers can turn to us for this type of equipment without having to
travel a long way to get it,” says Roberts.

With his expanded facility, Kevin plans to add more high-demand
units to the fleet to ensure the highest availability for customers. The
added space will also accommodate more specialty equipment, such as the
new trailer-mounted Hydra Platform bridge inspection system that was
recently delivered to Roberts’ new store. “This is a pretty unique piece
of gear,” Roberts admits. “But with all the infrastructure projects
currently underway, there’s quite a demand for this kind of platform to
help bridge inspectors and maintenance crews do their work as quickly as
possible.”

Since the move to Lewis Road, the SMS Rents technicians in Guelph
are also getting more out of their work day. According to Roberts, the
9,000 square-foot facility offers better space as well as more
space for servicing equipment.

“There’s a better flow from rental returns, to washing, to
preventive maintenance to restocking, with a centralized parts area,
too. Our technicians have what they need within arm’s reach, so they
don’t spend so much time walking to get the material and tools.”

The staff at the store is growing along with the space, too.
Roberts has added to his sales and returns team, and hopes to continue
growing through the next year. The president of SMS Rents, Marcel
Langlois, agrees with Roberts’ optimism. “More new customers are finding
us in Guelph. The increased visibility of the store, plus easier access
to main roads and highways, along with our expanded fleet give us more
opportunity to reach more customers and deliver our style of service.”