The mission of the California Young Rental Professionals (CYRP) is to facilitate opportunities for strengthening and amplifying the success of young professionals within our trade in order to continue the growing legacy of the rental industry. CYRP recognizes the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have on all of our business and personal lives and offers our support. No matter what you are going through, CYRP wants you to remember that we are here for you!

There’s a strange moment that comes to us when we are faced with adversity; that moment will either make or break us. All will fall, only some will rise. It is in that moment we will make a conscious decision to get up or stay down. A big part of what drives us from this cataclysm is the strength and determination of those who have persevered before us. As we remember the loss of Dale Blackwell, there is no better time to look back on the legacy he built. The California Young Rental Professionals group recognizes and applauds Dale's lifelong contribution to the rental industry.

CRA announces the appointment of Jeff Roberts of City Rentals as the new CRA Executive Director effective immediately. This plan is being implemented by the CRA Long Range Planning Committee, earlier than expected. CRA staff members Vicky Blackwell and Carol Murphy are looking forward to a seamless transition and to working closely with Jeff. He brings with him many years of rental and vendor experience. Welcome, Jeff!

 

 

Pacific Coast Iron LLC
Adam Murray
520 Truck Street
Placerville,  CA  95667
(916) 612-1855
www.pciheavyequipment.com

CRA received a notice from Crime Prevention Program of So. California on behalf of the SANCATT team in San Bernardino. They asked for assistance in locating the owner of a pump trailer discovered during an investigation. The CPP notice was sent to CRA members as part of the Alert program. CRA member John Grill of Aaction Rents noticed that the unit had an unusual hose reel on the back that was most likely installed by the factory and thought that could narrow down the possible owner. The tip was passed on to investigators and they were able to locate the owner of the water trailer because of his tip! CPP of So. California offered to send John a token of their appreciation, but John requested that a check be sent to the RSIF fund instead on his behalf. On behalf of RSIF, thank you, John!

I want to start off by saying that my heart has been heavy these last two months for those severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. 360 has been fully staffed and operational as an essential business (although most of us have been working from home) because we take it beyond seriously to make sure you have the resources you need for your businesses and families. Now that many businesses are re-opening, we have been fielding more calls than ever about how to reduce or eliminate contact when accepting payments. I wanted to share with you our advice. I put together some answers to the most common questions we are getting and hope they can help guide you.

Clinical depression affects about one-fifth of women and one sixth of men in the United States at some point in their lifetimes. Why should employers be aware of this problem?

• Depression often strikes between the ages of 25 and 44 — the prime working years. At any one time, one employee in 20 may be suffering from depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
• Depression is costly. Depression causes an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year at a cost to employers of $17 to $44 billion.
• Depression affects productivity. A RAND study found that depression resulted in more days in bed than many other chronic conditions (including diabetes, high blood pressure, ulcers and arthritis).
• Depression adds to your overall group medical costs. Annual healthcare costs for depressed individuals average 80 percent higher ($4,246 vs. $2,371) than for individuals without depression.
• Depression is a safety issue. Depressed workers may be more likely to take risks or fail to heed safety precautions.
• Depression is easily treatable. According to the NIMH, “More than 80% of depressed people can be treated quickly and effectively.”

Hy-Brid Lifts, the industry leader in high-quality, low-level access equipment, recently announced the appointment of Brad Boehler to its Board of Directors. In this role, Boehler will tap into his years of industry experience in both engineering and market development to help guide the strategic direction of Hy-Brid Lifts by Custom Equipment, LLC. Boehler’s career spans nearly 25 years in the equipment industry, including work as an engineer focused on product design and development. He also has experience with associations that build safety and training protocols. Most recently, Boehler served for eight years as president of Skyjack, where he was instrumental in growing the footprint and global distribution of the brand.

Makinex makes a significant investment in the future of the North American business with the addition of Bill Marshall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With over 19 years of construction and industrial B2B experience, Bill’s knowledge and expertise will further develop and improve our customers & partners journeys with Makinex. His vital work over the years and across the globe are reflected within the network that Bill brings – ranging from United States, to Canada, to Australasia.

Mecalac,a global leader in the design,manufacture and distribution of compact construction equipment for urban environments, has opened a new 14,000-square-foot facility in Norfolk, Massachusetts, to serve as the North American headquarters and further support the growth of the brand in this market. Opened July 2019, the new facility centralizes Mecalac’s administrative offices, equipment inventory, parts, and service support in one building, replacing the three separate locations the company maintained previously. It will be home to an in-house training facility and play host to dealer and media events throughout the year.

Aquajet, a global leader in Hydrodemolition robot manufacturing, will introduce a revolutionary new product through a worldwide digital launch on Wednesday, May 27, at 2 p.m. Central European Summer Time (CEST). “We originally planned to share this exciting new technology at our Aquajet Open Days, but world events changed that plan,” said Roger Simonsson, Aquajet CEO. “However, innovation and our commitment to the Hydrodemolition industry are as strong as ever, so we’re bringing our product to the market in a new way.” The 35-minute event will be in a webinar format with 20 minutes to see the new product and learn about the features and benefits, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Simonsson, Chief Engineer Ronnie Hilmersson and Director of Sales Patrik Andersson will highlight key features of the new equipment, such as reduced noise and a compact footprint. The Aquajet team will also explain how this latest innovation can enhance environmental stewardship while lowering overall operating costs.

Snorkel™, a leading global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms, is proud to announce that its TB Series of 80 ft. (24.3m) and 86 ft. (26.2m) telescopic boom lifts has achieved the EquipmentWatch Highest Retained Value award for the third consecutive year. Calculated over a 12-month period in 2018 and 2019, the Snorkel TB80 and TB86J telescopic boom lifts were deemed to have the highest retained value within the telescopic boom category by EquipmentWatch, an industry-leading database. With an average age in the market of 13.47 years, these models are projected to retain the highest percentage of its original value after a five-year period.

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) was awarded a $2 million grant for a commercial pilot of the company’s electric, zero emission excavator and electric wheel loader in California. The grant, administered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Targeted Air Shed Grant Program, which helps agencies develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in areas with the highest level of smog and soot in the United States. South Coast AQMD is responsible for attaining state and federal standards by improving air quality in the South Coast Air Basin of California. Volvo CE will invest another $1.5 million on top of the awarded amount, which will raise the total project amount to $3.5 million.

Snorkel™, a leading global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms, announces its partnership with Caterpillar® Inc. as a preferred vendor for The Cat® Allied Vendor Program. Expanding upon the existing relationship that Xtreme Manufacturing has enjoyed as part of the Cat® Allied Vendor Program in North America since July 2012, sister company Snorkel is now offering its full product range of Snorkel lifts, including mobile elevating work platforms, telehandlers and material lifts, throughout North American locations, as well as in EMEA and Asia. The Cat® Dealer Rental Stores are a combined global network of more than 1,400 dealer-owned locations for Caterpillar and Allied equipment, offering the largest construction equipment rental fleet in the world.

On May 6, California Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley released a statement concerning Governor Newsom's executive order to extend workers compensation benefits to “all” California workers: “Today’s announcement by the Governor is concerning for many reasons. To be clear, workers on the front lines — nurses, doctors, medical professionals and first responders — have done an extraordinary job and should receive workers comp benefits. We must protect and care for them in the event any become stricken with COVID-19."

In a recent article on Forbes, Jason B. Freeman, trial attorney, law professor, and CPA, expressed his opinion about deductions for PPP borrowers. He said, "The IRS ruled that a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrower who spends PPP funds on normal business expenses cannot deduct those expenditures for federal tax purposes. But its position, which left many in congress wondering if the IRS missed the 335-page memo, may not be the last word. Recently, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders formally alerted the Treasury Department that they “believe the position taken in the [IRS] Notice ignores the overarching intent of the PPP, as well as the specific intent of Congress to allow deductions in the case of PPP loan recipients.” In other words, they believe the IRS got it dead wrong."

Fuel prices in April softened substantially as oil prices reflected continuing competition within OPEC for market share coming at the same time as the collapse in world demand. Households and consuming businesses consequently saw some benefits from lower prices, but with the effects limited as businesses shut down and many workers and their families sheltered in place. For the producing regions along with related refining, transportation, and support centers—including those within California—the resulting reduction in higher wage jobs and incomes as producers have cut back their operations creates yet another challenge in the upcoming restart and recovery period. Monthly updates from the most current April 2020 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and February 2020 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Agency) are available (click on "Learn more"). To view additional data and analysis related to the California economy visit our website at www.centerforjobs.org/ca.

In its May Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects Brent crude oil prices will average $34 per barrel (b) in 2020 and $48/b in 2021. Although market outlooks are subject to many risks, the May STEO remains subject to heightened levels of uncertainty because the effects on energy markets of mitigation efforts related to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are still evolving. Despite the April agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and partner countries (OPEC+) to reduce production levels through the end of 2022, crude oil prices have remained at some of their lowest levels in more than 20 years. EIA expects that global liquid fuels inventories will grow by an average of 2.6 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2020 after falling by about 0.2 million b/d in 2019. EIA expects global inventory builds will be largest in the first half of 2020, rising at a rate of 6.6 million b/d in the first quarter and increasing to builds of 11.5 million b/d in the second quarter because of widespread travel limitations and sharp reductions in economic activity. After the first half of 2020, EIA expects global consumption to increase, leading to inventory draws for at least six consecutive quarters and putting upward pressure on crude oil prices.

  

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 asked members for an update on how COVID-19 has affected their businesses.

David Dworschak from Dons Rentals, Inc. in Saint Helens, OR is the winner of the May Survey Raffle. Congratulations David!