CHARLOTTE, N.C — Sunbelt Rentals last month acquired Lewis Brothers Tool Rental in Fishers, Ind., the company said. The single-location general rental company has served the Indianapolis market since 1977. Manager Johnny Lewis has 24 years of experience with Lewis Brothers and will manage a team of 20 employees.

The branch is located in northeast Indianapolis, complementing Sunbelt's existing Indianapolis location in the southwest region of the city. Sunbelt now has six branches in Indiana.

“This acquisition allows Sunbelt to benefit from Lewis Brothers' outstanding reputation for providing great customer service, while at the same time begin to cluster the Indianapolis market,” said Sunbelt chief operating officer Brendan Horgan. “It's a perfect location with a great team that is ready to grow the business in Indianapolis.”

The acquisition adds to a recent expansion surge by the Charlotte, N.C.-based Sunbelt, which made acquisitions in Florida, Tennessee, Southern California and Las Vegas. The company also opened greenfield startups in Miami, Phoenix, Houston, and Upper Marlboro, Md., giving the company 13 new branches in 2005. The new branches, combined with strong same-store sales growth have helped Sunbelt achieve a 51-percent increase in operating profit in its fiscal first quarter, according to results released last month by Ashtead Group plc, its parent company.

Sunbelt is No. 4 on the RER 100.