March 14, 2024
The American Rental Association (ARA) state chapters of New Jersey and Pennsylvania recently welcomed three industry professionals — Meghan Boland, Jenilee Pressler-Ulrich and Morgan Engel, CERP — to their boards of directors.
ARA of New Jersey
Meghan Boland, B.E.R., Hackensack, N.J.
Meghan Boland
Boland serves as president of B.E.R. (Boland Equipment Rentals), a rental provider of bucket trucks, scissor lifts, boom lifts, telehandlers, underbridge trucks, and lane closure/highway protection equipment.
Boland says that as a small business owner, her job responsibilities “involve a little bit of everything. While my main role is purchasing new equipment and developing new business, I oversee all departments.”
Boland is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans, where she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the AB Freeman Business School. Her early career was spent in the fashion industry where she worked for various companies, including Michael Kors and Gap.
In 2019, Boland departed the world of fashion and joined her father’s equipment rental company — B.E.R. She has run the company ever since and is now a part owner.
As an ARA of New Jersey board member and a member of ARA’s Young Professional Network (YPN), Boland says she is eager to start bringing others into the loop of association activities. “I look forward to helping more people get involved with ARA and become aware of all the association has to offer,” she says.
Away from the world of equipment rentals, Boland serves as an Alumni Ambassador for The Taft School and remains active with her Tulane University network, competing on her club’s tennis and paddle teams.
ARA of Pennsylvania
Jenilee Pressler-Ulrich, B & B Rental Service, York, Pa.
Pressler-Ulrich is the vice president of B & B Rentals Service. Founded in 1968, the company serves as a one-stop provider for customers’ event rental needs, from weddings to corporate and social events.
As vice president of B & B Rental Service, “I oversee operations, finances, human resources, sales, estimating and customer service,” Pressler-Ulrich says. “I have been in this role for two years and in the industry for 21 years.”
Pressler-Ulrich holds a bachelor’s degree in business management. She has won awards and recognition through her involvement with the American Cancer Society and her additional vocation as a makeup professional.
When asked what she values most about involvement in ARA, Pressler-Ulrich says it is “the networking and working together to improve safety and processes that impact the industry as a whole,” and as a state chapter board member, “I want to increase participation in ARA of Pennsylvania events, specifically [from] event professionals.”
Outside of her work in the rental business, Pressler-Ulrich stays active as a special needs dance educator and cheer coach, through peer support and as a speaker for domestic violence and mental health, and by offering peer support for the American Cancer Society with a focus on cervical and ovarian cancer.
Morgan Engel, CERP, MJ Events, Chambersburg, Pa.
Morgan Engel, CERP
Engel is the owner of MJ Events, a resource for special event and inflatable rentals.
A Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) through ARA and a member of the association’s YPN, Engel initially got involved in the rental industry through her event planning activities. “I started an event planning company and quickly began to realize there was a huge opportunity for me to excel in the event industry through event rentals,” she says. “I met an equipment rental company owner and joined his team to learn the ins and outs of a rental company’s operation.”
While at the equipment rental operation, Engel continued to plan weddings and corporate events in her spare time. “I eventually made the decision to register and open MJ Event Rentals. Soon after that, I made the event rental business my sole professional priority,” she says.
Engel was introduced to some of the ARA of Pennsylvania board members at The ARA Show™ in 2023, and an invitation to join their team to fill a vacant spot soon followed.
“I perceive this to be an opportunity for me to learn from other business owners as I grow my company and an opportunity to add value to ARA members in Pennsylvania,” Engel says of joining the ARA of Pennsylvania leadership team.
As to her goals while serving on the board, Engel says, “It would be incredibly helpful to have a course for rental company startups. It could be a step-by-step guide to help new owners, like myself, ensuring we’ve made and have a business plan, yearly projections, the right business insurance and a place to find answers to frequently asked tax questions.”
In her spare time, Engel serves as an ambassador for the Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce where she welcomes new businesses and informs them of upcoming events and networking opportunities. “I also serve on a few event committees, including Downtown Chambersburg’s NYE Event, spring and fall food truck festivals, Ice Fest and more. I’m also a cheerleading coach for my 11-year-old daughter’s squad and my other daughter is a 1.5-year-old Silver Lab,” she says.
