Rental Guys, Inc., based in Chico, CA, announced March 2 that it has acquired Gold-N-Green Rentals, Inc. of Grass Valley, CA. With the acquisition of Gold-N-Green, Rental Guys, Inc. now has seven locations in northern California. "We have known Gold-N-Green Rentals for years and when the opportunity was presented to us, we knew it was a perfect fit for our network of locations," said Alex DuBose, President of Rental Guys, Inc.

The California Labor Commissioner recently ruled that drivers for Pacific 9 Transportation were misclassified as independent contractors and ordered the company to pay $6.9 million in back wages. Also in California, the 9th Circuit Federal Court in 2015 approved a $228 million settlement against FedEx for misclassifying more than 2,000 California Fedex Ground drivers. The state of Wisconsin just announced that it found 8,613 misclassified workers at Wisconsin companies in 2016.

ASV Holdings Inc., an industry-leading manufacturer of all-purpose, all-season compact track loaders and skid steers, offers the large-frame, radial-lift RS-75 and vertical-lift VS-75 skid-steer loaders. The machines feature highly efficient hydraulics and cooling systems, as well as best-in-class high ground clearance, departure angle, and serviceability. The skid steers are ideal for a wide range of applications, including rental, construction, landscape, snow removal, and forestry.

Oshkosh Corporation, a leading manufacturer of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies and the parent company of JLG Industries, Inc., was recently honored by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2018 World’s Most Ethical Companies®. This is the third consecutive year that JLG parent company Oshkosh Corporation has been listed as such, highlighting the company’s strong ethical culture. Oshkosh is one of only 135 companies, representing 57 industry sectors in 23 countries on five continents, named to this esteemed list.

Ron G. Duke has joined TopTec Event Tents to lead the company’s business development initiatives. Duke previously served as the director of sales at American Credit Acceptance and brings more than 25 years of new business acquisition and product management experience to TopTec.

Kestell Furniture is pleased to announce a change of ownership from Terry and Mary Kolb to Andrew and Jenny Schwarz. Kestell Furniture is a U.S. manufacturer of wood folding chairs, rustic farm-style tables, and gaming tables serving the rental, special events, and home and leisure markets for over 65 years. The change of ownership secures the company’s long-standing tradition of being a family owned and operated business for many years to come.

Little Beaver’s Towable and UN-Towable Hydraulic Earth Drills combine safe and powerful drilling with hassle-free operation and transportation, making it easier for both veteran and inexperienced operators to be productive. Both drills are easy to operate and require minimal experience, making them ideal for use in a variety of industries, including landscaping, fence, and sign installation as well as park and recreation departments.

The California Chamber of Commerce this week announced its positions on a number of initiative proposals that have not yet qualified for the ballot. The CalChamber Board of Directors has taken positions on the following initiative proposals:
• People’s Initiative to Protect Proposition 13 Savings—Support.
• California Care Act—Oppose.
• California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act of 2018—Oppose.
• Affordable Housing Act—Oppose.
• Fair Pricing for Dialysis Act—Oppose.
• California Consumer Privacy Act—Oppose.

Senator John Moorlach, California State Senate, 37th District, recently released this report, which was posted on foxandhoundsdaily.com.
Which California cities are in financial distress and which are sound? I am releasing the first edition of my new report, "Senator John Moorlach Ranks California’s 482 Cities for Financial Soundness." The report examines the audited finances of the state’s 482 cities. Specifically, it looks at each city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and the per-capita share for a city’s Unrestricted Net Position, or UNP. A negative UNP shows a city has fiscal concerns that city officials should be aware of. If they are not aware of the problem, this is a useful tool for the city residents to hold their elected officials accountable.

U.S. production of crude oil grew 5% in 2017, reaching 10 million barrels per day in the last two months of the year. The annual average U.S. crude oil production grew by 463,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2017 to 9.3 million b/d after declining by 551,000 b/d in 2016. In November 2017, monthly U.S. crude oil production grew 1.2 million b/d year-over-year and reached the highest level of production in U.S. history, surpassing 10 million b/d, a level last reached in 1970. U.S. crude oil production has increased significantly over the past 10 years, driven mainly by production from tight rock formations using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that U.S. crude oil production will continue growing in 2018 and 2019, averaging 10.7 million b/d and 11.3 million b/d, respectively.

Thank you to all those who take time to participate in our surveys. CRA utilizes the information we gather to better serve you. If you have an idea for a survey for CRA members, please send your request to CRA at Info@CalRental.org for consideration. This month, we surveyed members about fuel tanks.