HARRISONBURG, Va. - Three firms opened equipment rental companies on the east coast last month.

Equipco Rentals and Sales, a division of National Equipment Services, opened its seventh branch, leasing an 11,000-square-foot property here.

The company, which specializes in the rental and sale of equipment to industrial and construction companies, also has operations in Manassas and Norfolk, Va.; Baltimore and Hagerstown, Md.; Dover, Del.; and Philadelphia.

Hewitt Equipment, parent of Caterpillar dealer Atlantic Tractors, has opened a Cat Rental Store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hewitt also operates a Cat Rental Store in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

The new, 6,500-square-foot facility will feature a wide-ranging rental inventory, from Cat's compact equipment line to Wacker and Honda products, and represents a $4 million investment, according to the company.

Atlantic Tractors, which offers longer-term rentals, has seven locations, including headquarters in Halifax.

Boston Equipment & Supply, one of the largest independent rental companies in New England, is building a new branch in Salem, N.H. The branch is expected to open in November, according to president William Gaffney.

Boston Equipment also has been appointed a distributor for Lull and Compact Technologies in eastern and central Massachusetts. Forklift manufacturer Lull and Compact Technologies, manufacturer of Scat Trak loaders, are divisions of Omniquip, acquired by Textron last year.