December 12, 2023
Tim Allen
The American Rental Association (ARA) state chapters of Oregon and Washington recently welcomed three industry professionals — Tim Allen, Jack Halsey and Duncan James — to their boards of directors.
ARA of Oregon
Tim Allen, Allen Rental, Roseburg, Ore.
Allen is the owner of Allen Rental, a locally owned and operated business that offers a mix of construction and general tool rentals.
Allen began his rental career in 2004 when his equipment business added rental to its service offering. Outside of running his business, he has undertaken business management and community leadership training. He also has served on his local SBDC (Small Business Development Center) steering committee and his City Economic Development Commission and has held presidential roles with local nonprofit organizations.
Allen originally joined the ARA of Oregon board of directors in 2013 and served through 2019. While on the state chapter board, he served as president of the board from 2014-2017.
Allen also has served the equipment rental industry at the national level as a member of the task force that steers The ARA Show™ from 2016-2018 and a member of the association’s Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) for Construction/Industrial Services and General Tool between 2016-2022. He was a member of the ARA national board as chair of the General Tool SIG from 2019-2022.
Reflecting his interest in pursuing legislative policies that benefit the rental industry, Allen served on ARA’s Equipment Rental Advocacy Work Group from 2021-2023 and has participated in the association’s National Legislative Caucus in Washington, D.C.
In 2018, he received ARA’s Outstanding Leadership Award in recognition of his service to the industry.
As he brings his experience back for a new term on the ARA of Oregon board, Allen says, “Returning to the board gives me the opportunity to be near and in conversations with other highly motivated and successful rental store operators and employees. Those conversations alone bring tremendous value to our own business. Other benefits include learning about legislative issues, industry trends, market insight and more at a level you just can’t reach when only reading about them. Finally, ARA has always treated me well, and to that end if there is anything I can do to help the other volunteers and the ARA staff, I’m honored to do so.”
Jack Halsey, BOMAG Americas, northwest Rockies territory
Jack Halsey
Halsey is the rental sales manager, northwest Rockies for BOMAG Americas, a manufacturer of machines for the compaction of soil, asphalt and refuse.
Halsey got his start in the industry by working in assembly and fabrication with LaGrande, Ore.-based Barreto Manufacturing. “I worked for Barreto — whom I still love and take pride in — for about 28 years,” he says. “About 10 years ago I became a sales manager for the Midwest. Then I moved to South Carolina to manage the East Coast, help set up a warehouse for our East Coast distribution, and factory repped in South Carolina and Georgia. Basically, I was a shop guy they put into sales. BOMAG — a company whose quality is equal to Barreto — became the next step in my career.”
When an opportunity to return to the Pacific Northwest arose through BOMAG, Halsey took it. “Moving back was an easy change as I have known a lot of rental folks here,” he says. “I look forward to working with our BOMAG partners here in the PNW for many years to come.”
During his stint on the East Coast, Halsey joined the ARA of South Carolina board of directors as an associate member director. In that role, he represented the voices and viewpoints of industry manufacturer/suppliers as the chapter developed initiatives and activities.
“Being involved on the ARA of South Carolina board gave me more insight into what rental yards are up against in this day and age. Also, it helped me to understand what ARA does and can do for its members,” Halsey says.
Thanks to his experience, Halsey was invited to come on board in a similar capacity with the ARA of Oregon following his move back west, and he says, “I am very excited to serve.”
During his tenure with the ARA of Oregon leadership team, Halsey hopes to help make a difference in mitigating the theft of rental equipment. “It has become a major issue across the U.S. now,” he says. “I hope we can find a way to get some laws changed, but at the least, find more deterrents for rental theft.”
Away from the world of equipment sales and rental, Halsey says he enjoys “my grandkids and music — playing guitar, performing in a band, listening to music, going to live shows and concerts.”
ARA of Washington
Duncan James, Hardware Sales Rentals, Bellingham, Wash.
Duncan James
James, manager with Hardware Sales Rentals, became involved in the rental industry in January 2021 after graduating from Western Washington University.
“I got a job as a power tool sales associate in the Hardware Sales retail store in late 2019 because one of my father’s best friends managed the rental department there,” he says. “After a year in the main store, I was transferred over to the rental department to work under my dad’s friend who showed me the ropes.”
After he attended a few ARA of Washington chapter events, James was approached by a sitting member of the board of directors about joining the team. He says he answered the call to get involved because “I honestly have had such a great time working in the rental industry and have built a career with it. I want to be as involved as possible in the industry I work in to build relationships for the future.”
During his time as an ARA of Washington board member, James says he hopes to use the role to spread the word about the career opportunities available within the rental industry.
“One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced managing the rental department at Hardware Sales is finding dedicated staff who see rental as a career path,” he says. “There are plenty of careers that can be made on both the service and sales side of rentals. I don’t remember seeing any ARA or rental industry companies at job fairs in college or high school. I have so many new customers, mostly homeowners and DIYers, who aren’t too familiar with the rental industry or even have any clue that we exist. I think there is a public awareness issue because of this, and I hope we can come up with some solutions to bring more attention to our industry.”
When he is not managing rentals at his store, James says he enjoys “fishing out in the San Juan Islands, skiing up at Mount Baker, and hiking with my wife and daughter all over Whatcom County. I also sit on the board of the Bellingham Highland Games Festival.”
