On Friday, November 2, CRA’s Fourth Annual RSIF Golf Tournament was played at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona. Our major fundraiser for Rental Services Industry Foundation (RSIF) could not have been possible without our wonderful vendor support. We had approximately 100 golfers, perfect weather, good food, and tons of fun and laughs. We also had a great raffle with items donated from APT, Cal Portable Event & Equipment Sales, JLG, Makinex, Makita, Putnam International, Rice Hydro, Scott Equipment, PDQ Rentals, Sullair, Striker, and Wacker Neuson. Thank you to all the volunteers and Chairman Chuck Maltese!

While at MATRA in Hershey, PA, a group of CRA folks had the pleasure of attending a factory tour at JLG Industries. Senior District Manager Gary Meadors helped to put this together. We saw lots of interesting pieces that go into making many JLG products and an impressive product training center, and we were treated to a home-cooked lunch at the company cafeteria. Thank you JLG for your hospitality!

The National Equipment Register is forwarding the following announcement on behalf of the American Rental Association (ARA):
Free Heavy Equipment Identification & Investigation Class
Open to All Law Enforcement Personnel
Sponsored by ARA and ARA Insurance Services
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 during The ARA Show
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California

Due to the court’s ruling in the CTA/Lawson Lawsuit, flexibility options that could be claimed before the Lawson Rock & Oil, Inc. v. CARB decision became final in 2018 will not be available in 2019 or may have different eligibility criteria. Fact sheets and regulatory documents are being updated and will be available in December 2018 at www.arb.ca.gov/dieseltruck. The compliance requirements for options that remain available in 2019 and future compliance years are as follows with the following limitations, modifications or requirements.

From dust mites, mold spores, cockroaches and animal dander, to cotton fibers, acid anhydrides, formaldehyde and latex, the modern workplace is a veritable minefield of substances that trigger asthma, allergies and associated workers’ compensation claims. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), more than 200 substances found in the workplace can cause asthma. An estimated 11 million workers are exposed to these gases, vapors and organic and inorganic dusts every year, causing 15 million lost work days, according to a 2002 study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Millions more workers are exposed to substances that can cause allergic reactions and other respiratory problems. But using proper diagnoses and management, the vast majority of these expensive problems can be avoided or eliminated.

Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems from theft or damage to hardware, software or electronic data, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. CRA thanks Gabe Marquez from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) for his contribution of a series of articles on cybersecurity. He received the articles from a presentation given by FBI Agent Scott Augenbaum during the 2018 National Cargo Theft Summit. All articles are available to view. Over the next several months we will be presenting different articles. This month we have an article listing several cyber tips.

JCB announced recently that its North American dealer network is expanding with the addition of Meridian JCB, a division of Meridian Utility Equipment Sales. The new dealer will sell and service new and used JCB equipment from its location at 1315 Vinci Avenue in Sacramento, California, supporting customers of JCB construction equipment throughout Northern California. "Meridian Utility Equipment Sales has proudly supported Northern California’s utility, construction and rental sectors since 1986," said Chris Watson of Meridian Utility Equipment Sales. "We’re excited to bring together our experienced team with one of the world’s leading construction equipment manufacturers, to offer innovative JCB machines, great support and expert financing to customers in Northern California."

MBW recently announced the promotion of Heather Hughes to the position of Marketing Manager, effective November 1, 2018. Over the last 16 years, Heather has held the position of Advertising Manager. This promotion recognizes her contributions in customer support, brand development and consistency, digital marketing and social media presence. Jason Stasinopoulos was promoted to the position of Marketing Coordinator, also effective November 1, 2018. In the past year and a half, Jason has helped develop the CRM, shared a better understanding of MBW’s customers, provided excellent customer service, and excelled in many other sales and marketing tasks.

Western Global, a leading provider of portable tanks and dispensing equipment for the storage and handling of fuels, lubricants and other fluids, hosted industry representatives at its Tank Talk Events, celebrating the company’s new location in Troy, Michigan on Oct. 16 and 18. Over the past few years, Western Global has experienced significant sales growth, resulting in the need to increase its footprint and capacity by upsizing its Michigan facility. The new location offers a larger footprint for better management of inventory and increased manufacturing capacities. The Tank Talk events offered dealers, fuel distributors, rental centers, contractors and the public the opportunity to learn about Western Global, tour the new facility, observe product demonstrations and acquire a better understanding of the company’s product offerings. Company vendors were also in attendance to aid in the experience.

Joel Fox, Editor and Co-Publisher of Fox and Hounds Daily, recently published an online article about the recent California tragedies of fires and shootings and the probable reaction of California lawmakers to propose new laws to find solutions to them.
From a land named Paradise to a bucolic community called Thousand Oaks, California has been visited with unspeakable tragedy this past week. And the danger remains. When California’s new assemblage of policy makers meets next month, they will try to make sense of the tragedies and find solutions with new laws. Sometimes well-intended laws don’t succeed.

Thank you to all who take time to participate in our surveys. CRA uses 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. This month, we surveyed members about their policies/practices concerning their equipment and truck keys.