June 13, 2024
Alberto Pianelli
Hello, my fellow American Rental Association (ARA) members in Region Nine. I am excited to share that the ARA of Hawaii Task Force offered its first State Legislative Day on April 11, with the ARA of California following up on May 1. It was awesome to see strong contingents of rental operators representing both the event and equipment sides of the aisle converging on their state Capitols advocating for rental in our areas.
The ARA of California’s event started with a Fireside Chat at Made in the Shade Tent Rentals in West Sacramento. We had a great discussion about the issues facing our industry, spearheaded by Paul Smith from Ogletree Deakins, ARA’s human resources affinity partner; Scott Sadler, ARA of California lobbyist; and John McClelland, ARA vice president of government affairs and chief economist.
The next day we headed to the state Capitol to meet with our legislators, where we highlighted several issues impacting our industry. For more on those issues and the reaction of those who took part, read the state legislative story in this issue. It was an eventful day of advocating for the rental industry. And it paid off. A few weeks after our visit, the proposed Right to Disconnect bill (AB 2751) was put on hold for the year. This is a great victory for every rental operator in the state. It could pop up again next year, so it is important that we have even more members participate in next year’s event.
If you weren’t able to take part this year and want to get involved in helping your state chapter take a positive stance for our industry, contact Jared Medaris, CERP, ARA of California president. If you are in Nevada and want to get involved, contact me.
Living on the West Coast, you are well aware of the theft issues we all face. I hope you caught the April Safety Issue from Rental Management, which highlighted the recent theft webinar with Detective Sgt. James Dietz, Gary Booms from Booms Rent-All and ARA’s Andy Dresher; red flags that every counter staff member should know and other pertinent items. A key aspect of all this is filing a police report. Get your theft report questions answered by checking out ARA’s new Theft Reporting Guide. It’s free and offers you a step-by-step process.
California members met at Made in the Shade Tent Rentals the night before going to the state Capitol.
Of course the other big issue is labor. Our employees make our businesses. They are the face of our companies to our customers. That is why it is important to hire the most qualified candidates and then invest in them so they not only see the career opportunities that are offered but also want to continue working in our rental operations and be partners in their success. When our businesses succeed, we all benefit, especially our valued staff through pay raises, bonuses and benefits.
The first step is attracting the right candidates. See the store profile on Made in Shade Tent Rentals in this issue to see what they do in this area. Also, look at what you offer your employees — your culture, your training opportunities and your career advancement potential. Do you offer what employees are looking for? Are you invested in their success?
ARA has several resources to help you in this effort: from the ARA Job Portal for finding employees to the educational resources of RentalU. There are also the ARA Foundation Employee Assistance Grants to help you pay for training as well as the scholarships that include both those from the ARA Foundation and the ARA of California. Take advantage of these resources and tell your employees to apply for these scholarships. They can really take a bite out of paying for an education. All can help you demonstrate that you really care about your employees and their success.
Speaking of scholarships, the recipients of the ARA Foundation and Affiliate Scholarships, including those from the ARA of California, were announced in Rental Pulse in May. Click here to see who from our region received these valuable scholarships. Congratulations to all.
Also, check out ARA’s safety resources, from dealing with the heat and its effects to fire safety and everything in between. Safety has to be the priority at every rental operation. Use ARA’s safety resources on RentalU to help you deal with each topic.
Left to right: Alberto Pianelli, Jeff Roberts and Dennis Turner met with Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, D-District 43, during State Legislative Day.
Remember that summer is the time when ARA gathers nominations for its annual Industry Awards — including the Rental Hall of Fame and a variety of Industry Contributor Awards. Do you know someone in the equipment and event rental community who has gone above and beyond to help the industry thrive? You can help ARA give that individual the recognition they deserve. All it takes is a nomination from you. Visit ARArental.org/Industry-Awards to learn more and submit your nomination(s). The deadline is Friday, Aug. 9. Recipients selected will be honored at The ARA Show™ 2025 in Las Vegas.
In addition, check out the June/July issue of Rental Management to see who made the list of Market Movers and the strategies they used to grow their operations.
And don’t forget that the Women in Rental Conference is set for Oct. 21-22, and the Young Professional Network Conference is scheduled for Oct. 23-24. Both will be held in Nashville. Watch your email later this summer for registration information. These conferences fill up fast, so register early.
Plus, don’t forget about the fun summer events — baseball games and the Topgolf event — planned by the ARA of California. Take part to network, meet new people in the industry and just have fun.
Before I close, I would like to offer condolences to the family of Forrest Goff. He established Easy Rentals, later named A Party Center, in San Rafael in 1968. He sold the business when he retired in 1998.
Here’s to everyone having a safe and productive summer. I hope to see you at one of the upcoming events.
Alberto Pianelli, Region Nine director
F & B Rentals
Santa Ana, Calif.
949-307-8301
alberto@fbrentals.com
