View all the Category Winners

The RER Innovative Product Award was established in 2003 to honor excellence in new product development in the equipment rental industry. This year the awards showcase the most innovative products introduced between Aug. 1, 2007 and July 31, 2008.

Grand Winner

A panel of nine industry experts was selected to narrow the pool of entries to one winner in each of the 13 categories. The panelists were asked to refrain from voting in categories in which they had any partial interest. Then the panelists selected the product they felt was the most innovative in respect to the rental business from the 13 category winners. One product was named the Grand Award Winner with an overwhelming majority of the votes.

Thanks to all of the companies that entered products in this year's Innovative Product Award competition. Following are the grand winner and the products that won their respective categories. All non-winning entries will be featured in the January and February 2009 issues of RER. For additional information on the Innovative Product Award winners and the panel of judges, visit www.rermag.com.

Lifts Category Winner
LiftPod
JLG Industries, McConnellsburg, Pa.

Key Innovation: The first personal and portable aerial work platform on the market to replace the ladder.

For any company that rents out aerial equipment as large as an articulating boom or as small as a 6-foot ladder, safety is always a top priority. Customers want to know they are getting a productive and time-saving unit, while rental companies want to make sure the lifting equipment is being used properly and in a safe manner to avoid injuries to the operator. The Grand Winner of this year's RER Innovative Product Award, the LiftPod from JLG Industries, meets both rental company and customer expectations by providing safety and time-saving productivity in one unit.