Garcia’s Kitchen in Albuquerque, NM, is owned by CRA board member Steve Garcia, who also owns Garcia Tent Rentals. A photo showing Garcia’s Kitchen set up for outdoor dining was used to announce Albuquerque’s new “Outdoor Dining Grant Funding Program.” With state public health order restrictions on indoor dining, many local cafes, restaurants and breweries are struggling to stay open. Outdoor dining and patio spaces are keeping many businesses from going under, and on July 18, Albuquerque's Mayor Keller announced a new grant program to help restaurants, cafes and breweries build outdoor dining space.

CRA will be celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2021. Your stories and photos show where we came from and are wanted for upcoming publications and events. We especially would like to see “Then and Now” photos of your store, equipment and rental families. Photos should be in a high resolution format suitable for printing. Contact the CRA office if you have any questions. Please send your photos and stories to: Carol.Murphy@CalRental.org.

 

Once a year we need to update your contact information. We want the printed Membership Directory and the Online Membership Directory to be accurate. We encourage you to log into the Members Only section of www.CalRental.org and review your membership information in the “My Profile” section. Visit the Online Directory under the Members Only tab to see your listing. If you have not logged into the new website yet, you will need to click the “Forgot your Password?” link under the login fields and get a temporary password emailed to you. We will be sending the data to our publisher in October so please log in, review and update your contact information by September 15.

According to a survey put out by health industry guru and strategist Joe Paduda, the workers' compensation system could see a 20 percent decrease in new injury claims this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In late May, Paduda’s consultancy firm Health Strategy Associates asked 35 workers' compensation professionals representing large state funds and insurers, third-party administrators, and large self-insured and self-administered employers about their expectations of workers' compensation costs amid the pandemic.

 

HK Sales
Holly Ford
16291 Construction Circle East, Irvine, CA 92306
(949) 527-0729, HFord@HKSalesUSA.com

 

MTA Distributors
Jason Bohannon
555 Hickory Hills Blvd., Whites Creek, TN 37189
(800) 264-0225, CustomerService@MTADistributors.com

 

Sinoboom North America
Brad Harrington
310 Mason Creek Dr. #100, Katy, TX 77450
(281) 729-5425

CRA’s 2021 Equipment and Party Rental Tradeshow will be back at the South Point Casino Hotel & Convention Center, where we will be celebrating CRA’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary! A great venue choice with the convenience of having the convention center and hotel on the same property.

We love our vendors! They are our partners that assist in our successes. Due to this unprecedented business environment and trying times, the CRA Executive Committee has decided to roll back our 2021 Rental Rally Booth Rates to our 2018 level. Visit www.RentalRally.com for more information. Thank you to the exhibitors that have already signed up for the tradeshow. Click on “Learn more” to see the list of exhibitors signed up for the show to date. And check back often — new exhibitors are being added daily!

Lift Smart – Material Lifts, Duct Lifts, Stage & Sound Lifts. LiftSmart is a privately held company that manufactures several material lift product lines that are distributed throughout the world. Their team consists of lift industry veterans who have successful track records in providing outstanding products and customer service for the construction, industrial and rental equipment markets. Being a family-owned and operated business, they’re able to offer a personal touch. Their goal is nothing less than full customer satisfaction. Please feel free to contact them for your special material lift and handling design requests. Come see them at the 2020 CRA Show in Las Vegas, the 2020 ARA Rental Show in Orlando, or "down under" in Adelaide, Australia at the 2020 HRIA Hire Show!!!

Palmer Snyder – U.S. Manufacturer of Folding Tables, Portable Seating, Dance Floors & More!
Some of their newest products include WALS™, a portable acoustical wall product introduced in 2017 (HIP Award Winner) for perfect portable privacy, and their MÜM (2016 Best of NeoCon Gold) for portable, comfortable and beautiful “taking a seat.” Plus, they manufacture Revolution® training tables and other Flexible Furniture. PS Furniture was first established in 1919 in Conneautville, Pennsylvania as the Snyder Chair Co., a manufacturer of Appalachian hardwood folding chairs. The Snyder Chair Co. became PS Furniture and Palmer Snyder, serving customers across the spectrum of commercial furniture markets. Most of their manufacturing is still done in the same small town in western Pennsylvania where Snyder Chair Co. was founded, now with a much expanded and modernized factory and sales offices around the U.S.

Point of Rental Software – Most Awarded Rental Management Software. Since their founding by a couple of NASA engineers in 1983, Point of Rental Software has grown from a rental store’s side business to the U.S.’s top rental software company and now help more than 5,000 rental and hire businesses worldwide as they strive to achieve their dreams. Find out more about their commitment to our customers and the industry.

Rice Hydro, Inc. – Hydrostatic Test Pumps, Post Hole Diggers, Shoring Pressure Pumps and more!
The inventor of the original Hydrostatic Test Pump, RICE Hydro is the obvious choice for all your pump and testing needs. For more than four decades, RICE Hydro has been the industry leader in design and manufacturing of superior quality products. Their systems are versatile, dependable and have the highest level of customer satisfaction. Over the years their product line has evolved to include not only Hydrostatic Test Pumps, but also Fire Hose Testers, Post Hole Diggers, Hand Test Pumps and Shoring Pressure Pumps. Serving the needs of commercial, residential, municipal, industrial, military and ALL types of contractors, RICE Hydro provides clients with exceptional testing, pumping and digging solutions.

Rouse Services – The Equipment Industry Gold Standard for Appraisal Valuations, Used Equipment Sales Support and Rental Metrics Benchmarking. The Leader in Construction Equipment Market Intelligence—in decades of service exclusively to the construction equipment industry, Rouse Services has built a legacy of deep expertise, unrivaled data precision, and unparalleled customer service. Today, that heritage drives all of Rouse's information services, focused on delivering timely equipment metrics with accuracy and reliability unmatched by anyone else. Across our powerful suite of solutions, they provide the knowledge needed to make informed business decisions every day.

Tsurumi Pump – Electric Submersible Pumps, Engine Pumps, Generators. As a world leader of submersible pumps to the construction and rental market, Tsurumi outlasts the competition in pump life, product offering and cost savings.Reliable and cost-effective pumps enable Tsurumi to remain an industry leader in the rental and construction markets. Their customers know that while many pumps may look the same, only Tsurumi incorporates the most durable components into the final manufactured product.

 

Our 2021 CRA Wall Calendar is an excellent opportunity to bring your company’s products and services to the attention of CRA’s rental center members. Use the calendar advertisement to keep your company’s name and logo in front of our members for an entire year! Click Here to Order Online! The 2021 CRA Wall Calendar will be sent to all CRA members in December. The one-page, 12-month calendar will be printed in full color on a gloss paper. It will measure 25” x 35” with room for rental center owners to note appointments, employee vacations, safety meetings, etc. Your ad will be in view all year long! The cost for this One-Year Ad is $1075.00. The deadline for reserving your ad and submitting artwork is November 6, 2020. Payment may be made in up to 3 equal parts with a credit card if final payment is received before November 6, 2020. Reserve your Advertising Spot today! Download Order Form HERE.

 

Briggs & Stratton Corporation, a recognized global leader in providing power to get work done, recently announced it has entered into a definitive stock and asset purchase agreement with KPS Capital Partners, LP (KPS), which has more than a 20-year history focused on successfully developing world-class, industry-leading manufacturing companies. Under the terms of the agreement, an affiliate of KPS formed for purposes of this transaction has agreed to acquire substantially all of the Company’s assets and assume certain customer, employee and vendor liabilities, and it would act as the stalking-horse bidder through a court-supervised sale process (known as a Section 363 process). Among other things, the sale agreement is subject to higher or better bids from other potential purchasers.

As our world adapts to the ongoing effects of COVID-19, contactless payments matter like never before. We have been hard at work developing a way for your customers to pay you from wherever they are, without physically entering your business or making contact with your employees. Our customers have told us that they need a simple, user-friendly way to ensure the safety of their customers and employees during the payments process. They don't want to purchase additional software or endure a complicated setup process - they want to embrace touchless payments with minimal disruption to their existing business practices. We are introducing 360 Text-to-Pay, our fully contactless text and email payments solution!

1000s of training courses – 100s of locations – 1 source: Easybook Training. So you need to book some training. You head to your trusty web browser and type “OSHA 10” or “Train the trainer.” You click search, and the results pour in. Page after page of links and options, providers and locations. How much time will be spent to find exactly what you need? Employees spend 10 hours a week (40 hours a month) searching for information they need to do their jobs, according to a survey conducted by The Economist. Cliché alert: Time = Money. Stop wasting money. Start using Easybook Training.

Las Vegas-based SR Construction, a full-service design build general contractor, is leading the fight against COVID-19 with the world’s first deployment of the Xtreme Opti-Clean Cube. Produced by Xtreme Cubes Corporation, a manufacturer of modular buildings based in Henderson, Nevada, the Xtreme Opti-Clean Cube (XOCC) is a modular walk-through station designed to combat the spread of COVID-19, bacterias and other viruses. Partnering with Proguardeum Corporation™, an environmental technology company, and Maddox Defense, providing human decontamination solutions, Xtreme Cubes has built the first mobile walk-through structure produced in the U.S. with an unobtrusive dry mist system of the Proguardeum™ solution that is safe on skin, clothing and requires no protective equipment to be worn.

If you’ve experienced some unexpected downtime during COVID-19, now’s the time to schedule a thorough inspection to ensure your construction machines are running up to par. Partnering up with a local heavy equipment dealership is the best way to ensure your construction equipment is maintained properly, especially if it’s time for a backhoe service or an excavator service. For example, Sonsray Machinery, a CASE CE distributor, hires and trains factory-certified master technicians. They also have access to genuine CASE parts that are designed for CASE machines – and are backed by unparalleled service and industry-leading warranties. In addition, a reputable construction equipment dealership has the capability to service your entire fleet, not just CASE CE, but also popular brands like Caterpillar, John Deere, Hitachi and Volvo.

The outcome of the 2020 election will have a significant impact on equipment manufactures and the U.S. economy for years to come. That is why we need YOU to help us make an impact on November 3! Equipped to Vote is designed to help you learn more about the policies that matter to your community and our industry, encourage greater civic engagement, and help elect pro-manufacturing candidates. Plus, we are giving you the chance to win great prizes! Just by taking actions at EQUIPPEDTOVOTE.ORG, you’ll earn entries towards winning: Gift Cards, Backyard Essentials, Latest Technology, Tools, and more! You could even win a grand prize trip to Disney World or the National Parks if you get more than 100 points by November 3rd!

Last Thursday, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) imposed one of the largest fines ever against Los Angeles County for using taxpayer funds for political ads touting Measure H, a sales tax increase on the ballot in 2017. The action by the FPPC was precipitated by a complaint filed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The $1.3 million fine imposed by the FPPC won’t undo the 2017 election, but it may provide a much-needed deterrent against future illegal behavior. As we head into the November election, local governments up and down California are tempted to use taxpayer funds for political advocacy.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) filed a writ of mandate on August 6 directly to the California Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District seeking reversal of a trial court decision handed down on Tuesday that failed to correct false and misleading ballot material submitted by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to Proposition 15, the largest property tax hike in state history. “The courts should act as a check and balance, ensuring that the Attorney General is doing his job in presenting a ‘true and impartial statement’ to voters. While the judge agreed with us that his description of Prop 15 is ‘somewhat misleading,’ she did not take corrective action. Our only remedy is seeking an appeal to ensure voters are told the truth—Prop 15 is a tax increase we will all pay for,” said Jon Coupal, President of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “While the Elections Code requires an impartial statement to voters, the appellate court, in previous rulings, has allowed the Attorney General to have ‘broad discretion’ over his or her writing of a ballot title and summary. This legal standard has been repeatedly abused by the Attorney General, who has been sued on 6 of the 12 titles and summaries he drafted this year alone. Our lawsuit seeks to not only ensure voters understand the true impact of Prop 15, but also remedy this previous ruling by the appellate court that has given the Attorney General unfettered ability to deceive voters.”

A bill recently introduced in Congress would discourage insubstantial lawsuits relating to COVID-19. The pandemic has already caused its fair share of damage, and employers have been dealing with additional challenges in the form of lawsuits under federal laws such as OSHA and related state plans, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws generally provide protections and rights for employees, but employers have had distractions with many unexpected considerations. Given this and the desire to stem the negative economic impact of the virus, a bill (S 4317) was introduced in Congress that would provide a safe harbor for employers under these laws. The bill is known as “Safeguarding America’s Frontline Employees To Offer Work Opportunities Required to Kickstart the Economy Act” or the “SAFE TO WORK Act."

A broad-based coalition of statewide, regional and local business groups are calling on Congress to include comprehensive liability relief in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation. “As California and the rest of the nation cycle through stages of closures and re-openings, it is even more critical that Congress provides liability relief so our businesses can continue to operate without the threat of frivolous lawsuits,” said Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association. “Retailers providing critical services across the nation have made significant investments to improve the health and safety of both customers and employees. At the same time, they continue to navigate ever-changing local, state and federal regulations. During these dynamic times, businesses operating in good faith need certainty so they can continue to provide essential goods and services.”

Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable (CBRT), issued the following response to Governor Newsom’s recent press conference on new COVID-19 actions:
“Since the start of the pandemic, California employers have been committed to protecting employees and customers in order to help recover our economy. The governor has announced additional protections for essential workers. We are grateful for the contributions of all workers during this pandemic, especially essential workers, but we call on the governor to address the additional protections that employers need as well in order to recover and grow jobs. For example, there should be liability relief for employers who adhere and exceed the guidelines in the new Employer Safety Handbook. Moreover, strategic enforcement of labor laws must include clear provisions so that corrective actions can be made before punitive actions are imposed. While the education community has shifted the job of educating our kids to their parents or primary caregiver for an undetermined amount of time, working parents and their employers will be under increased pressure and stress. To allow both to create the best possible work/life balance, we need a modernized package of telecommuting laws that allow for individualized work plans that allow for necessary flexibility during these unprecedent times. We stand ready to work with the governor, task force and Legislature on these critically important issues.”

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides a forgivable loan to small businesses to directly incentivize keeping workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will forgive loan repayment so long as specific employee retention criteria are met and the funds are used for eligible expenses. In these precarious times, retention of PPP funds is critically important to its recipients. Unfortunately, with a new program comes uncertain regulation. The SBA audit window is six years. If deemed an ineligible recipient, the recipients of PPP loan proceeds may have to return the loan (partially or in whole), with interest, or pay fines and penalties. Defense costs will be incurred if a recipient’s eligibility is challenged. A loan recipient may also be exposed to a private or governmental lawsuit seeking treble damages (and attorneys' fees) pursuant to the False Claims Act if their loan application certifications made to the United States are challenged.

On August 27, the California Air Resources Board unanimously approved a multi-pronged regulation that will dramatically reduce smog-forming emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks. The “Heavy-Duty Low NO_x Omnibus Regulation” will require manufacturers to comply with tougher emissions standards, overhaul engine testing procedures, and further extend engine warranties to ensure that emissions of NOx (oxides of nitrogen, a key component of smog) are reduced to help California meet federal air quality standards and critical public health goals.

On August 27, the California Air Resources Board approved a new regulation designed to further reduce pollution from ocean-going vessels while docked at California’s busiest ports. The rule builds on progress achieved by the groundbreaking At-Berth Regulation adopted in 2007. That rule has achieved an 80 percent reduction in harmful emissions from more than 13,000 vessel visits since 2014. The updated rule adds new vessel categories which will be required to control pollution when they run auxiliary engines or auxiliary boilers (for most tanker vessels) while docked. These auxiliary engines power the electricity and other onboard operations during a vessel’s visit, which can run from less than one day to several days. "This rule clamps down on air pollution from the largest ships while they're docked in California ports, and there are multiple ways terminals, ports, ship owners and operators can comply," said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “The action CARB took today will deliver cleaner air and public health benefits to all those who live in port-adjacent communities throughout California."

Upcoming free regulatory webinar training is being provided by the California Air Resourses Board. One of the course available is:

 MS504: In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation • September 17, 2020, at 1:00 pm.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) invites you to participate in a virtual workshop on the fleet reporting requirements of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation. The meeting will focus on ways to make it easier for large entities to meet the one time April 2021 reporting requirement about their vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8500 lbs. The mandatory reporting requirement applies to entities that operate a facility in California and meet any of the following criteria:
• Has more than $50 million in revenues from all related subsidiaries, subdivisions or branches, and has at least one vehicle; or
• Owns 50 or more vehicles; or
• Dispatches 50 or more vehicles into or throughout California; or
• Is a government agency (federal, state, local and municipalities).
DATE: Tuesday, September 22, 2020, TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PST)
Interested parties must register in order to participate.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) will conduct a public meeting

September 10, 2020, at 12:00 pm. to consider the Community Emissions Reduction Program for the San Bernardino, Muscoy community. CARB invites you to comment on the Community Emissions Reduction Program for the San Bernardino, Muscoy community. You can present comments orally or in writing at the meeting and may provide comments by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the meeting. To be considered by the Board, written comments not physically submitted at the meeting, must be received no later than September 4, 2020 and addressed to the following: Clerk’s Office, California Air Resources Board, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) will conduct a public meeting on 

September 10, 2020, at 12:00 pm to consider the Community Emissions Reduction Program for the Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach community. This meeting was originally scheduled for March 16, 2020. CARB invites you to comment on the Community Emissions Reduction Program for the Wilmington, Carson, West Long Beach community. You can present comments orally or in writing at the meeting and may provide comments by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the meeting. To be considered by the Board, written comments not physically submitted at the meeting, must be received no later than September 4, 2020 and addressed to the following: Clerk’s Office, California Air Resources Board, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814, or by electronic submission.

Global consumption of transportation fuels has trended lower during the past several months as a result of the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and efforts to contain and mitigate it. Although total U.S. jet fuel consumption has been particularly affected by these measures, averaging 29% lower during the first five months of 2020 than during the same time last year, analysis of flight-level data provided by Cirium on commercial passenger flights suggests that demand for jet fuel in the United States is likely recovering faster than in most other major aviation markets. Increased demand for aviation services and the compartively low share of travel that crosses international borders in the United States are driving this relatively fast recovery. The full report is available on the EIA website.

 

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 to rate the importance of the top 25 loss control recommendations for rental equipment operators.

Cody Leis from Apex Hesperia is the winner of the August Survey Raffle. Congratulations Cody!