CRA eJournal

 

The Rental Services Industry Foundation (RSIF) was founded as a separate 5013c Non Profit Corporation to assist students in the rental industry, members in need of disaster relief and rental-related educational projects. RSIF provides scholarships for adult students of all ages and at many levels. Full- or part-time students in trade schools, community colleges or universities are eligible for these scholarships. Applicants must be CRA members, their children, their employees or the children of employees. Scholarships are awarded twice each year, for the fall and spring terms. All contributions to RSIF are made by members, vendors, memorials and remembrances. Funds are managed by Morgan Stanley and overseen by the RSIF Board of Directors. Consider RSIF in your charitable giving and estate planning. Donations can be made online or sent to RSIF at the CRA office. The future and current generation of rental industry employees and leaders will be most grateful to you!

 

The Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) has announced that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has finalized and approved the new ANSI/SAIA A92.20/22/24 standards. They were published Dec. 10 and will take effect in December 2019.

Changes to North American standards (ANSI A92 in the United States and CSA B354 in Canada) are coming – ANSI A92 will go into effect in December, 2019, (CSA B354 was published May 2017) and these changes will create a new “normal” for mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), formerly known as aerial work platforms (AWPs), worldwide.

 

Dale and I wish our long-time assistant Carol Murphy a speedy recovery from a broken hip caused by a mishap with her dog Remy. Carol has been a wonderful help to CRA members and staff, assisting in all the different areas CRA works to support our members. Let's express our appreciation — send cards and emails of encouragement!

 

Thank you,

 

California Rental Association
P.O. Box 348420
Sacramento, CA 95834-8420
info@CalRental.org

The Crime Prevention Program of Southern California wants to wish our partners, members, law enforcement and all in the construction industry a safe and happy holiday season. Take time NOW to secure your equipment and job site so that you may enjoy an incident-free holiday season. We invite you to implement the following theft prevention reminders so your holiday joy is not interrupted:

The owners of San Diego rental companies, BJ's Rental, El Camino Rental and Tool Shed Rental held a Vendor Appreciation Day at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Sunday, Dec. 2. Thirty vendors and their guests, as well as employees from all three rental companies, were invited to attend a day of horse racing, betting, food, drinks and camaraderie. The event also included a raffle where all vendors won a gift. The three rental companies wanted to show their appreciation to their vendors and friends that have serviced their accounts over the years. All vendors were very grateful, with many saying they have never been invited to an Appreciation Day before. Doug Strom of Rhino Sales and Manufacture's Rep. Allen Buck were invited down to the Winner's Circle to represent the race sponsored by the three rental companies.

It looks as if telemedicine is a technology whose time has come.  In 2012, only 14 percent of large employers offered access to telehealth for select services. In 2018 — just six years later — 95 percent offer telehealth for minor, nonurgent services, in states where it is allowed, according to a survey by the Washington-based National Business Group on Health.“We’re a mobile society. We are a consumer-driven society. We have to get our health care when it’s convenient for us, not when it’s convenient for the health care provider,” according to Jeffrey Levy, a Houston-based insurance broker.In part, telemedicine has spread because of the shortage of medical personnel in the United States. The country faces a shortfall of between 29,500 and 37,800 physicians in 2018 and a projected shortfall of between 42,600 and 121,300 physicians by the end of 2030, according to a report by the Washington-based Association of American Medical Colleges published in April.Telemedicine has been around for a while but it is becoming increasingly popular “now that access to primary doctors is getting tougher and tougher and people have busy lives,” said Tracy Hassett, president and CEO of university group captive edHealth in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems from theft or damage to their 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 at www.CalRental.org in the Cybersecurity section on the Public Resources tab. Over the next several months we will be presenting a different article. This month we have an article about Business Email Compromise.

Rental Acquisitions, LLC, a leading Mergers & Acquisitions firm specializing only in the equipment rental industry, announced that it has added a significant component to its client offerings, Equipment Leasing and Financing. Rental Acquisitions is partnering with Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC, based in Lake Forest, IL in this new endeavor. Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC has a long history of lease financing in the industrial, healthcare, technology and general equipment spaces. Kingsbridge entered the “bricks and mortar” equipment rental industry in December 2017 with the acquisition of Western States Equipment Company located in Salt Lake City, UT. That transaction was managed by Rental Acquisitions, LLC, who represented the seller.

Azuga, Inc.
Thomas Erdman
2570 N. First St., Suite 200
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 430-1990
www.Azuga.com

SmartEquip and Alert Management Systems have announced a strategic partnership to integrate their respective software platforms. The partnership is expected to provide Alert customers a significant reduction in equipment-operating costs.

“We are pleased to extend and connect our network directly into the workflow of participating Alert users, said Fernando Pinera, SmartEquip President and COO. “Our companies share a steadfast dedication to serving customers with superior software and this integration of technologies will deliver enhanced efficiency to users with a decrease in wrench time, less overtime and down equipment and increased profitability.”

Custom Equipment LLC announced the production of its 10,000th Hy-Brid Lift on Dec. 13. Custom Equipment has become the premier provider of lightweight, low-level scissor lifts worldwide. The compact size and low-floor loading pressures of Hy-Brid Lifts make them a rental favorite for plumbers, painters, drywallers, ceiling-tile installers and many others. Rental company Lift Works, Inc. purchased the 10,000th Hy-Brid Lift, and was also the company that purchased Hy-Brid’s first HB-1030 lift in 2004.

In response to growing customer demand, Palmer Johnson is now formally offering Equipment Reconditioning services for Off-Highway Equipment. In November, Palmer Johnson broke ground on a dedicated 20,000 square foot reconditioning facility in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, set to open in June of 2019. This innovative space will allow for a rapid expansion in the volume, size and scope of equipment that can be serviced. Production capacity is expected to increase to 15-20 times current levels, in part due to the PJ Off-Highway Powertrain Reman Center — located right across the street — an advantage that can reduce some multi-week repairs to mere hours.

Last year, you awesome people helped earn us a Reader’s Choice Award for Computer Software from InTents magazine. We’re hoping you feel the same about us this year, because we have until Dec. 31 to receive votes for the 2019 award. There are two categories we are eligible for (that we are asking you to nominate us for):

 

Vote Now https://intentsmag.com/readers-choice-awards/
If you’d like to leave nice comments with your vote, we always appreciate those, too. You can also use this link to vote for your favorite suppliers from every aspect of the event rental industry. Whether or not you choose to vote for us, it’s a pleasure working with you and we look forward to working to help make 2019 a great year for your business.
But what’s in it for you? First of all, InTents is having a drawing for a $150 gift card if you leave a comment about your favorite product or supplier. Secondly, if you vote for us, helping earn us a win, then you’re the brilliant person using the industry’s most popular software, and you were doing it before it was cool. You’re a trendsetter, and when you talk, people listen.

After nearly a year of celebrating the company’s 80th anniversary across the nation, American Pneumatic Tools (APT) wrapped up the Road Show in its hometown of Santa Ana, California, on Dec. 5.

2018 marked 80 years of business for APT. The celebration took to the road on an 80th Anniversary Road Show with eight stops, culminating with the grand-finale event in Santa Ana.

“It was fantastic to celebrate not only in our hometown, but all across the nation,” said Andrew Mayer, Business Development Manager. “Eighty years is a huge achievement and we’re proud of the rich history that comes along with it and are glad we got to share that excitement with customers, reps and friends.”