BURLINGTON, N.C. — Volvo Construction Equipment signed a rental franchise agreement with R&B Management, Burlington, N.C., the Asheville, N.C.-based manufacturer's sixth franchise agreement in the past three months. R&B plans to open six Volvo Rents branches this year, including Burlington, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, N.C., and one in the Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., area.

R&B Management partners Rick Cloninger and Bennet Aiken said they plan to open 23 additional rental facilities in the Carolinas in the future. “Our new Volvo Rents centers will be in metropolitan areas that are in the midst of heavy commercial, industrial and residential expansion,” the partners said. “These are highly competitive market areas, and we are fully convinced that the turn-key Volvo Rents program, along with the highly respected Volvo name, gives us a unique advantage in our business.”

R&B will work closely with L.B. Smith, the Volvo Construction Equipment dealer in the Carolinas, which will sell Volvo-branded equipment to the franchise, and provide service and parts support. Volvo plans for its equipment to constitute about 38 percent of a Volvo Rents' construction equipment inventory.

“Working together, albeit at different ends of the spectrum as providers of construction equipment, will serve to strengthen Volvo's market and brand position in this major North America marketplace,” added Rick Jordan, L.B. Smith CEO.