HOUMA, La. - Robert Buckner, former owner of Buckner Rental Service, which had more than 20 Gulf Coast branches before selling to Neff Rentals in 1997, has returned to the rental business.

Buckner, with partners Travis Bargeron and Barry De Roche, recently opened Redfish Rentals in this Gulf Coast city, sharing the facilities of T&R Services, an equipment repair and rebuilding company he owns with Bargeron. Both Bargeron and De Roche were longtime Buckner Rental Service executives. T&R, which stands for Travis and Robert, was the major repair facility for Buckner Rental Service, and continued as a separate business when BRS was sold to Neff. The facility does complete repair for generators, welders, engines and other types of equipment and rebuilds machines for use in the offshore oil industry.

Redfish, similar to BRS, will focus on the offshore oil industry, with an emphasis on air compressors, generators and welders. It also has backhoes, bulldozers and other contractor-oriented construction machines and will carry a range of homeowner equipment as well.

De Roche told RER that Redfish is starting out sharing T&R's facility, but will establish a separate location within several months. "We plan to grow the business," De Roche said. "My focus is to have five or six stores, strategically placed."