IRVINE, Calif. — Shaun Flanagan, former president of Horizon High Reach, founded a management and financial advisory firm serving the equipment rental and sales industry. Horizon Advisory Services, Irvine, Calif., will support existing and new independent rental centers with start-up, operational and financial advice as well as administrative services support.

HAS team members will assist owners and managers as they purchase existing businesses or start new businesses in their market areas, developing business plans, negotiating manufacturer relationships, arranging debt financing and raising equity capital. HAS will support rental companies with its own virtual back office service, providing complete business systems and training including accounting, IT systems, human resources, risk management and cash flow management.

Flanagan brings more than two decades of rental industry experience to his new firm. He founded Horizon High Reach in 1982, and grew the company into one of North America's largest rental companies, reaching No. 20 on the RER 100 before it was sold to United Rentals in 2000. Flanagan still serves as chief operating officer of Horizon High Reach Europe, a wholesale rental company, and COO of Horizon High Reach Argentina, a retail rental operation in Buenos Aires.

“Many of the large consolidators are struggling with significant financial or operational issues, motivating their better managers and salespeople to look for new career opportunities outside the corporate bureaucracy,” Flanagan said. “Since the barriers to entry in the rental business are limited, a new generation of independent rental centers is being created, along with a resurgence of business for existing independent rental centers. Tomorrow's rental needs are going to be serviced more and more with the IRC, privately owned and operated by the same people who were trying to provide service and information while associated with the large companies.”

HAS can be reached at hasvalue@aol.com.