SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Rental Service Corp., part of the Atlas Copco Group, recently acquired eight companies with a combined 10 locations and annual revenue of about $10.5 million.

RSC acquired Summit County Tool Rental, with branches in Breckenridge, Fairplay and Silverthorne, Colo., and seven one-location companies: General Rental, Wilmington, N.C.; North Rentals, Phoenix; A Rockdale Rental Center, Commerce, Ga.; Call Rental Center, Liberal, Kan.; Zigg's Rent-It Center, Hays, Kan.; Sheffield's Rent-It, Holidaysburg, Pa.; and General Rental, Newark, Del.

RSC now operates more than 300 locations in 31 states and Canada.

41 percent of construction firms expect to increase work forces during the third quarter of 2000.

- Manpower Inc.