Nelson Acquires Florida Rental and Training Center

May 1, 2000 12:00 PM, RENTAL EQUIPMENT REGISTER STAFF

BRADENTON, Fla.- Steve Nelson, former president of rental operations at TruServ, has acquired a Taylor Rental Center here to use as a training center for rental entrepreneurs, Nelson told RER.

Nelson plans to use the facility, which will continue to operate as a functioning medium-sized rental business with 12 employees, to train future owners. Nelson, who began Rental Development Associates in December 1999 after leaving TruServ, is currently doing appraisals and business-development critiques in addition to operating the rental business. The training program, which Nelson expects to begin next fall after he spends time fixing up the rental center, will be a key component of RDA's curriculum. Nelson has moved the headquarters of RDA to Bradenton.

Nelson said he plans for trainees to work at every facet of the rental business, spending time washing equipment, helping in the shop, assisting on deliveries, working on the counter and participating in employee management.

"My plan is to offer complete training, an even more thorough orientation than we had at TruServ," Nelson said. "First, however, I need to spruce up the environment of the store and install a generic store design. My plan is to assist entrepreneurs who don't necessarily want a franchise commitment, who want help with store design and other aspects of running a rental business, but don't want to work under a name they don't own."

In the meantime, Nelson's rental center is doing strong business, he said, already up 18 percent over last year, year-to-date. The business is about half tool and equipment and half party rentals.

ICM to Add Branches in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming SALT LAKE CITY - ICM Equipment, No. 11 on the RER 100, has opened new locations in El Paso, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Gillette, Wyo., CEO Gary Bagley told RER.

Based here, ICM was acquired a year ago, along with Louisiana-based Head & Enquist, by private investment firm Bruckman, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. Combined, ICM will operate 45 locations with last month's openings.