LAS VEGAS — Ahern Rentals, one of the industry's largest independent rental companies recently opened three customer-owned equipment repair facilities, CEO Don Ahern told RER. The facilities, known as Ahern Rental Customer Repair Centers, are located on the properties of existing rental centers in Las Vegas, Modesto, Calif., and Lakeside, Calif. The repair facilities are separate profit centers and concentrate entirely on repairing customer-owned equipment.

“We have a dedicated group of service personnel working in those facilities, repairing customer-owned equipment and doing warranty repairs on equipment that we sell,” Ahern said. “We plan eventually to put one in every major market that we're in. They take the load off the service departments in the rental yards, allowing the repairs to be done by a focused group that can concentrate on repairing our fleet without having to be distracted by customer-owned equipment. We may put some in separate locations, rather than sharing facilities with the rental center.”

Tony Regno is director of the customer-owned repair department, under the direction of the company's vice president of service Rich Robeson. Each facility has its own manager. The centers are equipped for all levels of repair, including complete remanufacturing. Regno came to Ahern Rentals from Bear High Reach, a Modesto rental company that Ahern recently acquired. Bear had a rebuild center where it rebuilt aerial equipment for Genie. That facility is now part of the Ahern customer repair center.

Ahern Rentals is preparing a customer-repair center for the recently opened Irwindale, Calif., branch as well. Regno told RER the company is also planning to open customer repair centers in Phoenix and possibly the Fort Worth, Texas, areas.

Las Vegas-based Ahern Rentals is No. 15 on the RER 100.