In down times, that demand becomes even more dramatic because there are a lot more choices. You have to make business decisions that are true to your core so you'll grow out of it.

You recently acquired Portland U-Rent. Do you expect to make a lot more acquisitions or are they more likely to be sporadic?

Opportunistically we will look at things. As I said before, we wanted to expand the diversity of our customer base. A significant portion of U-Rent's revenues is industrial-related, and that's something we found very attractive, those relationships. It worked out very well, there are a lot of synergies and we're just plugging them right into our network and driving a lot of efficiencies. Obviously the credit market is very tight, and we're going to be very cautious, but we're going to look at opportunities that exist out there as they relate to our longer-term vision.

Anything you can share about yourself personally for our readers to know a bit more about you?

I'm an avid reader of historical biographies, particularly of military figures and political leaders, and the proud father of a teenage daughter with a passion for soccer. General Patton could take lessons in determination, teamwork and fighting spirit from those young women on the field!

I've found for my daughter, soccer has given her valuable life experiences, where she did or didn't make a team or maybe wasn't chosen to travel to a regional event. Those are important life experiences that you can learn from at a very early age. The camaraderie is great, and the determination. She has learned that if this is something you want to do, when you step on that field you have to give it 100 percent all the time.

Have you recently read any interesting books that have inspired you, or were there any you read in the past that have helped you in your business career?

I've taken inspiration from a lot of literature, but one that stands out is Roy Jenkins' biography of Winston Churchill. It's a fascinating look at how a man with personal flaws was able to communicate in a way that inspired millions of people at the most difficult time in their lives.

Any thoughts about the future growth of rentals?

While our industry is facing some challenging market conditions in the near term, the growth record for equipment rental is very strong. From 1990 to 2007 alone, the industry grew from $7 billion to $34 billion in revenue. I believe that 10 years from now, our industry will be even more robust, with better market penetration and more appeal to new entrants — both entrepreneurs and managerial talent. That's critical for the well-being of our industry; we must raise our profile in the marketplace and become more of a career destination for talented young people. As the industry leader, we believe that we have a responsibility to help advance both objectives.