The California Young Rental Professionals (CYRP) launched the CRA’s first mentorship program! Eddie Wilson, Katie Marrs and Amanda Sojka hosted the Mentor/Mentee Match Up on June 1st via zoom. Through a series of breakout rooms, Mentors and Mentees had the opportunity to meet, ask questions, and network. The match up was a great success and each Mentor was paired with a Mentee. We are continuously looking for motivated members (rental and associate) who want to get involved. Even with the first phase of the program already underway, there's opportunity for both mentors and mentees to be introduced into the program. Please contact one of the CYRP staff at (Californiayrp@gmail.com) to see how you can get involved. There will be more exciting events to come for the Mentor/Mentee program.

CRA members, their employees and their college-age children are all eligible to apply for an RSIF Scholarship. Perhaps you are considering continuing your education or would like to attend a trade or certificate program that will enhance your job skills. One of the missions of RSIF is to promote education in the rental industry, and that applies to adult students of all ages and at many levels. Complete the application and return it to CRA by June 30.

 

Peer Executive Groups (PEG) has named the winners of its 2023 Top Gun Awards. The Top Gun Award recognizes rental store operators who receive the PEG Pinnacle Award for Financial Excellence. The awards are given to the top 20% of rental stores based on financials submitted by rental operators and verified by Peer Executive Groups. This is the fifth year that PEG has named companies for this prestigious award.
    “We apply owner compensation, expense, and rent tests to verify EBITDA and check financial reports and tax returns where appropriate. While our network shows EBITDA performance closer to 28%, our Top Gun members average north of 40%,” stated President, Dan Crowley.

In August 2022, Salvador Soto, owner, LAX Equipment, Inglewood, Calif., became a victim of theft by fraud. His initial tracking helped Inglewood Police not only discover a warehouse loaded with $10 million in heavy equipment but also aided in the return of $3 million worth of that equipment to its rightful owners. It all began the way many rental transactions have at LAX Equipment. A customer went online to fill out a LAX Equipment rental form for which the customer supplied copies of a driver’s license and a credit card. The request was for two forklifts. While there were phone conversations, there was no in-person interaction with this new customer. The credit card cleared with no problem, so the forklifts were delivered to a lot — the designated drop-off location. Four or five days later, Soto received a back charge from the credit card company and learned that the customer had used a fake ID and a stolen credit card. The customer didn't answer calls and the equipment was not at the lot.

24/7 Events announced today the promotion of Joelyn Caprine to General Manager at their North Los Angeles operation. Caprine previously held the titles of Director of Sales, and Director of Operations within the company and is a notable name offering more than 10 years in the hospitality and event industry. Caprine holds certification as an Event Rental Professional (ARA), and is a current SIG board member for the American Rental Association. 

    Caprine will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations while managing a team of 40 employees. A special focus will be placed on curating strategic partnerships and furthering the company’s mission of offering clients premium quality event rentals, excellent service and cutting-edge event solutions.

    “Joelyn has done an outstanding job leading our teams both through the challenges of the pandemic and as the event industry has transitioned back to more conventional operations. As 24/7 Events continues to expand both in company size and new-to-market products, we are grateful to have Joelyn as part of the executive team leading our organization,” said Rob Cruikshank, Owner of 24/7 Events.

HR Ledger, Inc., a payroll, HR, cash flow, and compliance outsourcing company, recently reported on the case for a four-day workweek. It’s no surprise that many employees would prefer to work fewer hours per week. Rather than compressing the standard 40-hour workweek into four equal segments, the latest argument for a four-day workweek suggests reducing total hours to 28 over four days, allowing for a much-needed three-day weekend. The quid pro quo for the time reduction is a commitment to maintain 100% productivity. One proposed method for preserving output levels is to interweave or layer short bursts of work with intervals of leisure to reinvigorate employees. The pause that refreshes could be time spent on personal pursuits such as hobbies, exercise or just doing personal chores.

According to the NCCI’s 2021 report, mental health claims have been increasing in the US. In 2019, mental health claims accounted for 5.3% of all workers’ compensation claims. This is up from 4.8% in 2018 and 4.6% in 2017. Stressors in the workplace can have a profound impact on mental and physical health. The Deloitte Mental Health 2022 Report revealed that more than 80% of respondents experienced at least one adverse mental health symptom. While these figures are alarming, employers have been stepping up to provide employees with mental health support. Seven in 10 workers believe their employer is more concerned about employee mental health now than in the past, according to the results of APA’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey. However, research also reveals that 55% of US employees haven’t taken advantage of available mental health resources. To bridge this gap, employers should create a culture that promotes help-seeking behavior where employees are encouraged to seek help for any issues they may be experiencing.

The board of directors of the Far West Equipment Dealers Association (FWEDA) recently ratified a membership vote to merge with Associated Equipment Distributors (AED). The merger is expected to be a seamless transition for FWEDA and is scheduled to be finalized by the end of August. FWEDA represents dealers in six Western states and Hawaii. AED is made up of construction, agriculture, mining, forestry, power generation and municipal equipment dealers. The merger confirms AED’s continued commitment to grow its representation of agricultural equipment distributors, currently representing 22% of its membership. “We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and look forward to the future with AED,” FWEDA Chairman Russ Ball said.

 

CRA's 2024 Rental Rally Tradeshow will again be held at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Show dates are January 14-17, 2024. Thank you to those exhibitors that have already signed up!

 

 

Bidadoo provides professional remarketing for used construction equipment, rental and municipal fleets. Bidadoo is the largest and most trusted online auction company on the world's largest auction marketplace, eBay. They buy and sell used construction equipment, rental and municipal fleets, trucks, and other capital assets through their online model with efficiency and transparency as their mission. Together, Bidadoo's professional remarketing services and eBay's 135 million active buyers provide sellers with customized solutions and access to a global audience. 

The Leader in producing construction and road sweepers. Founded in 1963 in Dodge City, Kansas, Broce Manufacturing Co. Inc. was established in 1961 and began producing and selling Broce Brooms as a commercial product. Since that time, it has become the largest and most accomplished manufacturer of the self-propelled sweeper in the world.

Graco, founded by the Gray brothers Russell and Leil over 90 years ago, has grown on a strong foundation of values that continue to define and guide it. Today, Graco strives to be the industry’s highest-quality manufacturer of fluid handling products cutting across several markets. In addition to quality, their focus on innovation results in products that lead with advanced features, pioneering design and high performance, all backed by a promise of exceptional customer service.

Custom Truck Body & Trailer Manufacturer. For over 75 years, Ledwell has continued the legacy of excellence started by Lloy and Buddy Ledwell, with an expansion of services and an eye for quality and dedicated customer service. Ledwell offers custom manufactured truck bodies, trailers, and parts and service. Ledwell’s mission is to manufacture top-quality equipment that is efficient, reliable and customized exactly to the customer’s needs.

Material Lift, Duct Jack, Duct Lift, Beam Hoist, Beam Lift, Material Handling. 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 focus on providing outstanding products and customer service for the construction, industrial, and rental equipment markets.

Business Consultants and Peer Groups. Peer Executive Groups is the number one influencer in a business owner’s life. This is due to the network’s vast resources and the 10-12 peers in the meeting, twice annually, that act as a default board of advisors. Suffice to say, the vast network has encountered almost every challenge a business owner can face and has become the “first call” whenever an owner/operator has a strategic or operational issue.

Pressure Washers, Generators, Accessories. FNA Group, headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, is one of the most vertically integrated manufacturers of pressure washers and other power equipment. Available products include brand names such as Simpson®, Delco®, POWERWASHER®, AAA Pumps®, as well as private label products for some of the largest power equipment marketers in the world. They manufacture electric and gas pressure washers, cold water and hot water pressure washers, pressure washer pumps, high pressure thermoplastic hoses, accessories and the replacement parts that preserve your unit.

Manufacturer Rep. Wirant Sales, originally owned by Roger and Bill Wirant, is now owned by Steve Soares and Chuck Skladanek. With a work force of five territory salesmen and a collective work experience of over 120 years, Wirant Sales is always growing and learning new equipment market trends, staying on top of the newest equipment technologies, and representing top-tier manufactures that provide customers with the best ROI. Success starts with reliable representation, both to the manufacture and to the rental store/equipment dealer. Wirant strives to provide the best support of all products they represent, both before and after the sale of a piece of equipment. 

Watch this one-hour webinar to review the details of the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) recently approved Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Rule. This highly impactful mandate requires large fleet owners, drayage, state, and local government/municipal fleets to purchase and operate an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles starting as early as 2024.

•Hear from a regulatory expert outlining sample fleet scenarios for ACF compliance
•Understand when grant funds can or cannot be used to reach compliance for ACF
•Learn how infrastructure planning can impact your ACF compliance timeline
•Learn how to take advantage of available EV infrastructure funding

The additional costs under California policies, regulations, taxes, and fee add-ons continue to keep prices at the highest or near the highest among the contiguous states and DC across all energy sources. Natural gas prices show the state continuing to lose ground in its rankings as the higher prices due to pipeline shortages earlier this year are incorporated into the data. Shown in the link are the monthly updates from the most current  April 2023 fuel price data (GasBuddy.com) and February 2023 electricity and natural gas price data (US Energy Information Administration). To view additional data and analysis related to the California economy, visit our website at www.centerforjobs.org/ca.

Maxim Khabur, OneCharge Inc., shared the following information on the ForConstructionPros.com website. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has updated the proposed new regulations aimed at achieving zero emissions from forklifts by 2035. As California pushes for a faster shift towards zero-emission forklifts, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed a new set of requirements for fleet operators under a broader set of regulations aimed at achieving zero-emission forklifts by 2035. With this proposal, CARB is taking a comprehensive approach to reducing emissions from the industrial sector, which has significant environmental and health impacts. CARB held workshops on January 24 and March 22, 2023, to discuss the Zero Emission Forklift Measure.

Decisely, an integrated technology solution to manage HR needs, provides the following information. Federal employment law is about to give birth to some long-overdue requirements. As of June 27, 2023, employers with 15 or more employees must provide pregnancy-related accommodations to employees and applicants under the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Both employees and applicants are collectively referred to as “employees.”

ForConstructionPros.com provides a tax alert — The popular tax deduction begins a phase-out in 2023. What does this mean for construction companies? One of the more robust tax incentives over the past several years has been Bonus Depreciation. This tax provision allowed companies to accelerate depreciation on purchased equipment to the year it was purchased, and write the amount off on their taxes. This made it especially useful to construction companies who make large-ticket capital equipment purchases.

    The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 expanded Bonus Depreciation to 100% of an item’s purchase price, and it has been at that level since. This means a company could depreciate and write off the entire cost of purchases in the year they were acquired (as opposed to taking smaller depreciation amounts each year). This had a marked effect on lowering the tax obligations of companies who purchased equipment.

    However, written into that 2017 Act was a planned phase-out, which begins in 2023. Since minimizing taxes is high on any company’s wish list, those entities that relied on Bonus Depreciation to lower their taxes should be aware of the changes.

The Center for Jobs and the Economy has released their full analysis of the April Employment Report from the California Employment Development Department. For additional information and data about the California economy, visit www.centerforjobs.org.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, reports on Proposition 19’s death tax. On Wednesday of last week, Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 4, a major legislative effort to repeal the dreaded “Death Tax,” lost by a narrow margin (4-3) before the Senate Governance and Finance Committee. Although opponents of the tax will continue to pressure the Legislature to act, there is a powerful alternative to address the harm inflicted by this record-setting property tax hike.

    Over the last forty-plus years, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has successfully qualified numerous pro-taxpayer initiative measures starting, of course, with California’s iconic Proposition 13, approved by voters in 1978. In 1996, HJTA qualified, and the voters enacted the Right to Vote on Taxes Act.

    Now, HJTA and a broad coalition of minority organizations, taxpayer groups, and property owners will proceed with an initiative to restore the right of parents to transfer their home and limited other property to their children without reassessment to market value.

Foley Services recently reviewed the results of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Roadcheck 2022 to help motor carriers of all sizes prepare for and comply with DOT regulations in 2023. Foley's technologically-advanced approach to DOT compliance automates many of the background screening and compliance requirements motor carriers must comply with.
These were a few of the noteworthy findings of Roadcheck 2022:
• Companies with past safety issues were more likely to have their drivers selected for full inspections.
• There was no shortage of marijuana and substance abuse violations.
• Carriers continued to allow drivers to operate, even if they were unauthorized or under prohibited status in the DOT Clearinghouse.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, offers his thoughts on California's state budget. In California politics, there are three major movements to the annual budget Kabuki Dance. In January of each year, the governor announces a proposed budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1st. The dance move just executed last week was the “May Revise,” a revision of the previous proposed budget, leading up to the passage of the final budget by June 15th.
   As previously revealed, all phases of the budget dance are fake insofar as they are subject to substantial amendments throughout the year by so-called “trailer bills” and “junior budget bills,” rendering what was for decades a rational process for fiscal planning into a never-ending convoluted outflow of taxpayer cash.
   While the May Revise is not the final budget, it usually has the benefit of providing a bit more clarity as to the financial state of the state. But that may not be the case this year as explained below. As with previous May revisions, this one had a couple of surprises.
   First, a pleasant surprise. Despite heavy pressure from far left progressives in the legislature and public sector labor organizations, the governor is not proposing any significant tax increases. So, despite the innumerable disagreements taxpayers have with Newsom, give some credit where credit is due, especially when the rejection was unequivocal: “I do not think it’s the right time to raise taxes, and I was crystal clear on that.”

Sept. 13, 2023 – West Sacramento, CA

Vintage Territory Meeting hosted by Made in The Shade More...

 

Sept. 26-28, 2023 – Louisville, KY
The Utility Expo More…

 

September 28-30, 2023 – Kalispell, MT
Northwest Rental Conference, More…

 

Oct. 16, 2023 – Oak View, CA
Tri-County Territory Meeting hosted by Greg Rents More…

 

Nov. 2, 2023 – Corona, CA
Pre-Golf Yard Territory Meeting hosted by MTA More…

 

Nov. 3, 2023 – Corona, CA
CRA 8th Annual Golf Tournament More…

 

Nov. 6-9, 2023 – Atlantic City, NJ
MATRA – The Tent Show  More…

 

Jan. 14-17, 2024 – Las Vegas, NV
CRA Rental Rally Tradeshow 

This month, we asked members about online reservations. If you have additional ideas for surveys for CRA members, please email CRA at info@calrental.org. 

Troy Roper from R&R Group Idaho, LLC in Rexburg, Idaho, is the winner of the June Survey Raffle. Congratulations Troy!