RER 100: Top Rental Equipment Companies of 2012 List

The overall RER Top 100 total increased 15.4 percent to $13.967 billion, the largest total RER 100 rental volume in the history of the listing, topping 2007 by about $114 million. Last year's No. 100 company, All Star Rents, posted $8.7 million in rental volume; this year company No. 100 — Illini Hi Reach — posted $10.6 million.

See the 2013 RER 100 list here.

Read the full 2012 RER Top 100 Rental Equipment Companies story here.

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2012 RANK Company Name
(Last years rank)/
Headquarters/
Top Officer/Website 2012 Rental Volume in Millions 2012 Total Volume in Millions Total Number of Outlets Editorial Comments 1 UNITED RENTALS (1)

Greenwich, Conn.
Michael Kneeland
www.ur.com 830 Finalized its acquisition of RSC May 1, 2012. Rental and total volume numbers are pro forma, including RSC's revenues prior to closing. Integration of companies went smoothly. Now has $7.2 billion of rental fleet based on OEC, will spend about $1.5 billion in 2013. About 43 percent of fleet is aerial. Combined operations create more balanced mix of construction and industrial customers. Working to put Total Control technology into the hands of more customers. Reported a 6.9-percent rental rate increase in 2012, and hopes to raise them additional 4.5 percent in 2013. 42.6 percent EBITDA margin, with improvements in all major revenue streams. 2 SUNBELT RENTALS (3)

Fort Mill, S.C.
Brendan Horgan
www.sunbeltrentals.com 376 18.9-percent rental volume boost for Sunbelt, now the clear No. 2 in North America rentals. Acquired oil and gas industry rental specialist JMR Industries; also bought Topp Portable Air, an RER 100-ranked temperature-control rental company. Focusing on organic growth with a larger and younger fleet. Strong improvement in EBITDA, operating profit and physical utilization. Developed system to send appropriately sized service vehicles according to need of a job. Acquired two high-reach companies in first quarter 2013. 3 HERTZ EQUIPMENT RENTAL CORP. (4)

Park Ridge, N.J.
Lois Boyd
www.hertzequip.com 260 Acquired RER 100 multi-branch Oklahoma rental company Pioneer, as well as New York City rental company and California pump rental specialist. Won $3.16 million federal contract to provide material handling gear to Naval shipyards. Began partnership to supply Sun Life Stadium for sporting and special events. Introducing HERC 360 – Fully Equipped, technology-driven project management customer-support services, including end-to-end solutions, equipment customization services and more. U.S. rental volume up about 20 percent, with improved rental rates and strategic cost initiatives driving profits. Numbers are North America only. 4 HOME DEPOT RENTALS (5)

Atlanta
Tony English
www.homedepotrents.com 1,280 Focused on standardizing supply chain and product mix across all tool rental centers in 2012. Concentrated on introducing top-quality tools from proven rental industry suppliers, catering to both DIY and small contractors. Aggressive fiscal year 2013 fleet plan is designed to position the company to accommodate growing customer demand related to recovering housing market. 5 AGGREKO NORTH AMERICA (6)

Houston
Asterios Satrazemis, president, Americas; Rupert Soames, CEO Aggreko plc
www.aggreko.com 63 A 14.2-percent rental volume jump for world-leading temporary power and temperature-control rental provider. Improved rental rates across product lines. Introduced customizable mobile service center for work in challenging geographic areas, of particular help in servicing mining areas and oil and gas production. 6 AHERN RENTALS (7)

Las Vegas
Don Ahern
www.ahernrentals.com 75 Continuing the battle to maintain control of company in bankruptcy court as economic tide turns in Ahern's favor. EBITDA jumped to $116.7 million for full-year 2012, along with solid revenue increase. Judge's decision on competing reorganization plans expected in June. 7 VOLVO RENTS (21)

Shippensburg, Pa.
Scott Hall
www.volvorents.com 132 More than doubled overall revenues from a year ago after multiple acquisitions. Completed the integration of the franchise system to one cohesive organization. To increase support to the field established three regional offices as well as North American headquarters in Shippensburg. Announced shift of operating systems to Wynne Axiom and will integrate in Q2 2013. Enhanced customer service through web and application development. 2012 fleet additions reduced average fleet age. Late 2012 acquisitions and greenfield locations will spur 2013 revenue growth.  8 H&E EQUIPMENT SERVICES (11)

Baton Rouge, La.
John Engquist
www.he-equipment.com 66 A 26.6-percent rental volume jump for H&E. Consolidated Baton Rouge and Gonzalez into much bigger Baton Rouge facility. Back on growth track, opened Midland store and took on Bomag compaction equipment dealership in five states. Has opened three branches since beginning of 2013. Grew fleet by $146.4 million in OEC, and increased utilization and rental rates. 9 MAXIM CRANE RENTAL CORP. (8)

Bridgeville, Pa.
Art Innamorato
www.maximcrane.com 32 Improving climate for crane rentals leading to volume increase. Coast-to-coast geographic footprint and a zero-accident safety culture two of Maxim's claims to fame. 10 FINNING (9)

Edmonton, Alberta
Gord McDougall
www.finning.ca 31 Figures include Canada revenue only. Acquired Bucyrus distribution business to support mining business. Record revenue in Canada and companywide. Cat Rental Store made facility purchases, expansions and upgrades in Prince George, Kelona, Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek, B.C.; Lloydminster, Alberta, and a new 13,000-square-foot facility in Edmonton. Also opened new branch in Fort McKay industrial park, north of Fort McMurray close to the oil sands industry. Added nearly 100 new employees to rental division in past couple of years to support expanding operations. 11 NES RENTALS (10)

Chicago
Andrew Studdert
www.nesrentals.com 76 A 10-percent rental volume increase for aerial-focused NES. Continues strong focus on safety. Likely to benefit from improvement in non-residential construction. Primarily focused on eastern half of U.S. 12 NEFF RENTAL (12)

Miami
Graham Hood
www.neffcorp.com 65 An 18.5-percent rental volume increase. Improving strength in construction and energy sector should boost Neff in 2013. Had an above-average capex spend in 2012 with three new branches, with replacement capex to manage fleet age and fleet growth in many existing branches. Planning a couple of new branches in '13 to add synergies to and complement existing footprint. 13 SUNSTATE EQUIPMENT CO. (14)

Phoenix
Mike Watts
www.sunstateequip.com 52 An estimated 29-percent rental volume growth for Sunstate, one of the industry's best. Placed greater focus on non-construction opportunities and national accounts. Hoping for 30-percent growth in '13. Adding more dirt equipment compared to recent years as new jobs break ground. Raised rental rates 7 percent in '12. Increased investment from Sumitomo will add opportunity. Seeing continuing opportunity in the energy sectors with oil and gas, solar and wind, plus projects including stadiums, auto malls, distribution centers and hospitals. Possible branch expansion could be on horizon. 14 ALL ERECTION & CRANE RENTAL CORP. (13)

Cleveland
Michael Liptak
www.allcrane.com 32 With utilization at its highest levels in years, All added to its fleet with five new Link-Belt hydraulic truck cranes, adding to late '11 purchase of 18 Link-Belt units. Also acquired five Liebherr all-terrain mobile cranes and 17 Manitowoc cranes, including a massive 18000 crawler. Dawes Rigging & Crane, an All company, won safety award from Wisconsin Safety Council. Helped construct 450+ high-voltage transmission line towers for 96 miles through Allegheny Mountains. 15 HOLT CAT (17)

San Antonio
Dave Harris
www.holtcat.com 16 A 31.8-percent rental volume hike for leading Texas Caterpillar dealer. Provided 13.3 MW of electric power to Hurricane Sandy victims in Northeast including New York Stock Exchange, as well as pumps and light towers. Adopted anti-idling program at all Texas facilities, restricting all vehicles to five minutes of idling. Holt employees giving up lunch hours to deliver meals to homebound seniors near training center. Received air quality stewardship award. Invested in high school technical skills program and offering paid internship jobs to high school students. 16 SAFWAY SERVICES (15)

Waukesha, Wis.
Bill Hayes
www.safway.com 91 Acquired North American Coatings group, strengthening Safway's position as a multi-service industrial services provider offering scaffolding, insulation and painting. Named 2011 Contractor of the Year at Valero Benicia Refinery, with zero OSHA-recordable incidents in more than 100,000 man hours at facility. New CEO Hayes replaces Marc Wilson. 17 TNT CRANE & RIGGING (-)

Houston
Mike Appling
www.tntcrane.com 15 Acquisitions of Turner Brothers Crane & Rigging (Texas and Louisiana) and Southway Industrial (Ga., Fla., S.C. and Tenn.) has made TNT a major regional crane rental player throughout Southeast, adding 200 cranes to fleet. Acquisition of TSD in early 2013 strengthened footprint in west Texas. Planning to continue growth and acquisition efforts this year. 18 AMECO (16)

Greenville, S.C.
Gary Bernardez
www.ameco.com 22 Veteran fleet services, construction site services and equipment distribution specialist acquired ServiTrade, a Mozambique-based construction equipment rental and project services company. Continues its growth in Alberta oil sands region. 19 CLEVELAND BROTHERS EQUIPMENT CO. (18)

Cranberry Township, Pa.
Jay Cleveland Jr.; Tom Kirchhoff
www.clevelandbrothers.com 21 A 20.5-percent rental volume increase for Pennsylvania Cat dealer benefiting from hot business related to Marcellus Shale gas exploration. Celebrated 75-year anniversary in 2012. 20 RING POWER (20)

Jacksonville, Fla.
Randy Ringhaver
www.ringpower.com 14 Another strong year for Ring Power as rental rates rise at double-digit pace as housing improves in Florida and some new subdivisions start up. 21 BATTLEFIELD EQUIPMENT RENTALS (22)

Stoney Creek, Ontario
Randy Casson
www.battlefieldequipment.ca 38 Another strong year for Ontario-based Caterpillar dealer. Has a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, offering exclusive discounts and offers to its followers. 22 RED-D-ARC WELDERENTALS (24)

Austell, Ga.; Grimsby, Ontario
Mitch Imielinski
www.red-d-arc.com 50 A 22.3-percent rental volume boost for industry's leading welder rental specialist.Acquired D&D Power, which rents and sells electric power generators and light towers to companies in oil and gas exploration and production, giving Red-D-Arc a stronger presence in that burgeoning market. Also bought AC Hi-Tech in Cleveland, whose Cleveland facility continues to offer cutting machine remanufacturing services, CNC controls, custom-built drives, motors, gearboxes and plasma machines. 23 EQUIPMENT DEPOT (23)

Houston
Giel Claes
www.eqdepot.com 44 Relocated its Morton, Ill., facility to new Bartonville facility, giving it better access to Peoria market. Company represents Nissan and Clark in Central Illinois. Also moved out of tornado-ravaged Louisville facility to newer facility near Louisville airport, with better workspace for mechanics. Cincinnati branch named Dealer of the Year by Cat Lift Trucks for service and aftermarket support throughout 2012. 24 BRIGGS EQUIPMENT (25)

Dallas
Mike Winemiller
www.briggsequipment.com 30 23-percent rental volume jump for Briggs. Posted $65.9 million in U.S. rental volume; more than $40 million in Mexico. Focusing on industrial rental and other specialized industries, and high-touch customers with high maintenance needs. 2013 starting off strong with rental revenue increasing 22 percent in first quarter from existing operation and 22 percent from new acquisitions. Named Grant Johanson manager of BE Fleet, the company's industrial equipment fleet-management consulting service, and Ross Pruett, vice president of national accounts. Has plans to open in College Station, Texas, and Lafayette, La. 25 AMQUIP CRANE CORP. (18)

Trevose, Pa.
Al Bove
www.amquip.com 13 Tower crane demand has continued to improve. Project work improving from rebounding commercial/infrastructure construction spending, along with resumption of refinery and petrochemical turnaround and maintenance activity after sales of facilities. Continued to win safety awards such as 2012 National Safety Council; NSC 1 Million Work Hours Award; 2012 SCR&A Crane & Rigging Group Crane Rental Service Safety Award, and several more. Expanded footprint with new locations in Western Pa. and northern Texas. Lent services during construction of several 9/11 memorials in New Jersey. 26 HEWITT RENTALS (-)

St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada
Louis Philippe Berube
www.locationhewitt.ca 30 Caterpillar dealer serving Quebec and the Maritimes, with strong aerial fleet, struggling through flat Quebec economy. Mining demand currently slow, but construction shows promise. Solid demand for telehanders. 27 KIRBY-SMITH MACHINERY (32)

Oklahoma City
Ed Kirby
www.kirby-smith.com 10 A whopping 48.2-percent rental volume increase for Oklahoma-based dealership/rental company. Opened a new branch in Odessa and opening an Abilene, Texas, location in the second quarter of this year. Equipment margins have not increased because of double-digit price increases from manufacturers but cost measurement processes are paying off in reduced downtime, service calls, and major component failure. Budgeted more than $2 million in service training in past two years, and will continue in that direction. The North Texas market is the growth area driving the company now. 28 WAGNER RENTS (27)

Denver
Bruce Wagner
www.wagnerequipment.com 21 Good rental volume increase for Wagner, as some markets went up, others down. Housing is kicking off on the Front Range, which should be good for rental this year. New Mexico and mountain areas still slow. Still not returned to the peak. Fleet age coming down, margins and utilization are better. Likely to add a branch in '13. 29 SCOTT CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT (29)

Monroe, La.
Jim Bershen
www.scottcompanies.com 37 Equipment distributor with strong presence in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Construction, agricultural, earthmoving, material handling, irrigation equipment and amphibious excavators for the wet work. 30 BLANCHARD RENTAL SERVICES (30)

West Columbia, S.C.
Joe Blanchard
www.blanchardmachinery.com 7 Strong increase in rental revenue, but disposals slowed, putting a dent in total revenue. Expect results to be similar as company grows its fleet, positioning itself for '14 boost. Offering Computer Numerical Control machine tools; Blanchard's expanded machining and hydraulics facility is one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast helping company reduce repair times and perform wide range of metal work. Leveraging capabilities of transportation, parts and service network, with nightly shuttle service between branches. 31 NORTH CENTRAL RENTAL & LEASING, a subsidiary of Butler Machinery Co. (34)

Fargo, N.D.
Dan Butler
www.butler-machinery.com 14 A 30-percent rental volume increase for North Dakota Cat dealer, with proximity to construction related to Bakken Shale play. Also handles Agco, Claas and Metso lines. Planning a branch in Devil's Lake, N.D., this summer. Great twitter feed. 32 LOCATION D'OUTILS SIMPLEX (26)

Montreal
Andre Veronneau
www.simplex.ca 41 Small decline for Quebec-based aerial specialist. More projects might be on the horizon in the province. Strong culture for community involvement keeps Simplex active in the field and sows the seeds for future development. 33 OHIO CAT (37)

Broadview Heights, Ohio
Ken Taylor
www.ohiocat.com 15 Work in the oil-and-gas segment and a big increase in industrial rental drove most of Ohio Cat's increase. Expecting strong growth in 2013. Increased earthmoving fleet in 2012 and plans to continue that trend in '13. Went away from direct mail marketing and going to e-mail blasts and publications. May try text marketing, adding rental sales reps and adding to fleet. Rates increased 3 to 5 percent in 2012, margins improved as well. 34 MacALLISTER MACHINERY (36)

Indianapolis
Chris MacAllister
www.macallister.com 26 Began expansion of existing 38,740-square-foot Washington, Ind., facility; planning to add more than 50,000 additional square feet, to be completed this fall. The expansion will house sales, parts and services for heavy and compact equipment as well as generator division. MacAllister said the expansion will create 61 new jobs by 2016. Last month acquired Titan Equipment in Michigan to grow rental presence in that state. 35 FABICK RENTS (33)

Fenton, Mo.
Doug Fabick
www.fabickcat.com 14 Began construction on new Customer Engagement Center at Fenton headquarters. The center will have up to 10 corporate offices, a conference room, balcony, new merchandise store, a condition-monitoring area, a machine oil testing lab and a TV production room. 36 TITAN MACHINERY (41)

West Fargo, N.D.
David Meyer
www.titanmachinery.com 106 In the past fiscal year, Titan completed eight acquisitions, including six agriculture equipment dealership locations in the U.S., five construction equipment dealership locations, an independent rental center and eight agriculture equipment dealership locations in Europe. Also opened a new construction dealership in Windsor, Colo., and three agriculture dealerships in Romania. Grew its rental revenue about 30 percent. 37 STEPHENSON'S RENTAL SERVICES (35)

Mississauga, Ontario
Guy Manuel
www.stephensons.ca 20 A 9.3-percent rental volume uptick for Stephenson's, whose strong brand name in Ontario marketplace helps it maintain a leading place in the Toronto rental scene. Has wide-ranging inventory and broad geographic coverage in southwestern Ontario. Its Stephenson's Insider program gives customers who sign up access to exclusive offers. 38 WORLDWIDE RENTAL SERVICES (44)

Aurora, Colo.
Mike Rooney
www.worldwidemachinery.com 9 Figures include pipeline division, not previously included. Opening in Dickinson, N.D., in spring. Was already shipping equipment there from Wyoming, decided to open branch. Recently established Lubbock, Texas, branch has been a big hit, looking to expand further in Texas. Housing market improving, helping scraper, dozer and water truck business. Oil-and-gas business has taken on a higher percentage than expected of company's business, close to 25 percent. 39 EMECO NORTH AMERICA (31)

Edmonton, Alberta
Ian Testro
wwww.emecoequipment.com 3 Heavy equipment rental company active in Australia, Indonesia, Chile and Canada (numbers represent Canadian business). Doing business in oil sands region in Alberta as well as coal projects. Canadian utilization was higher than 90 percent prior to the thaw period and is now following expected seasonal trends. In Canada, has continued to develop direct relationships with oil producers, leading to opportunities to increase maintenance services and equipment deployment levels during summer period. Continuing to develop relationships with indigenous contractors in the region and diversify commodity exposure by targeting customers producing alternative commodities. 40 MUSTANG RENTAL SERVICES (38)

Houston
Brad Tucker
www.mustangcat.com 8 A 15.5-percent rental volume hike for Houston-based Caterpillar dealer with long rental history. Rentals to oil/pipeline/gas industries continues strong, while commercial construction is steadily increasing. Highway market starting to pick up in Gulf Coast area. Mustang named authorized dealer for Hydrema line of articulated dump trucks throughout Southeast Texas for sales and rental needs, opening niche market opportunities. Signed on as official provider of construction equipment to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 41 LOUISIANA RENTS (43)

Reserve, La.
Jay Dinger
www.louisianamachinery.com 8 A 37.1-percent rental volume increase for New Orleans-based Caterpillar dealer strong in construction and generator rental. Increasing allied product inventory such as aerials, pumps, compressors, welders and forklifts, becoming more of a full-line rental house to increase market share in expanding industrial opportunities in service area. 42 PETERSON TRACTOR (39)

San Leandro, Calif.
Pat Puccinelli
www.petersoncat.com 19 Caterpillar converted two Peterson facilities into regional parts distribution centers. Its new Spokane Distribution Center has 562,000 square feet of warehouse space, plus 250,000 square feet of outside storage, replacing the Spokane regional parts distribution center, which had 123,000 square feet. The new Arvin, Calif., center will replace its 40-year-old Hayward Parts Depot, which had a 100,000-square-foot warehouse. The new facility has 400,000 square feet of warehouse space, plus 200,000 square feet outside. 43 PUCKETT RENTS (42)

Richland, Miss.
Hastings Puckett
www.puckettrents.com

 

5 A strong year of significant growth for Mississippi Caterpillar dealer. Recently held open house events at Richland and Madison locations, giving away prizes and documenting the fun on its Facebook page. 44 ESSEX CRANE RENTAL (28)

Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Ron Schad
www.essexcrane.com 16 Adjusted EBITDA increased to $17.2 million compared to $9 million for 2011. Sold remaining aerial work platform and forklifts from rental fleet to concentrate entirely on crane rental. Refinancing has company on more solid financial footing for next few years. 45 SIMS CRANE & EQUIPMENT CO. (54)

Tampa, Fla.
Dean Sims
www.simscrane.com 10 A 32.9-percent rental volume increase is a good indication of some recovery in Florida market. Expecting continued growth as residential building has come back and rental rates for housing are at all-time highs. Invested heavily in new equipment for 2013, and doubled tractor fleet to better accommodate transportation of equipment. Produced YouTube video series covering Top 10 root causes of crane- and rigging-related losses. Improved utilization and rental rates, with far better margins. 46 EMPIRE RENTAL (40)

Apache Junction, Ariz.
Jeffrey Whiteman
www.empirecat.com 10 Recently broke ground on new service facility at Mesa location to house Component Rebuild Center shop and significant portion of Empire's product support operation. The company plans to hire more than 50 new service and support employees when facility opens next year, with up to 175 more employees within six years. 47 FOLEY EQUIPMENT CO. (49)

Wichita, Kan.Ann Konecny
www.foleyeq.com 15 A year and a half after acquiring Dean Caterpillar, Foley becoming a major rental player in the Midwest. Effectively employs its social media presence on Twitter and Facebook to market special offers, financing, used equipment and job opportunities at all its locations across Kansas and Missouri. 48 WESTERNONE RENTALS & SALES (50)

Vancouver, B.C.
Darren Latoski
www.weq.ca 19 A 15.4-percent rental volume increase for fast-growing Western Canadian consolidator, growing more cohesive in its operations. Its modular housing division won four international awards for supplying 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games with 300 temporary rooms and then relocating them to five British Columbia communities. Has since signed a jobs training and skills development partnership with Native Canadian tribe to provide jobs and training. Also building 2,000-room workforce accommodation for Manitoba Hydro. 49 ADMAR SUPPLY CO. (47)

Rochester, N.Y.
Joel DiMarco
www.admarsupply.com 6 An 11.2-percent rental volume boost. Recently opened branch in Pittston, in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region, expanding company's presence in central Pennsylvania. Utilizes Facebook to highlight equipment rental offerings, showcase community involvement and industry events, and post job opportunities. YouTube page serves as a way to demonstrate rental fleet and used equipment for sale. 50 WAJAX CORP. (48)

Mississauga, Ontario
Mark Foote
www.wajax.com 17 A 10.4-percent rental volume jump for Canadian distributor. Increased the limit of its bank credit facility by $75 million to provide funds for future growth, for working capital and possible acquisitions. A strong player in power systems rentals, as well as heavy construction and cranes, representing Volvo, Hitachi, JCB and more. 51 MILTON CATERPILLAR (53)

Milford, Mass.
Steve Macridis
www.miltoncat.com 13 Representing Caterpillar in New England and upstate New York. Also offers a complete line of crushing and screening equipment, Genie aerial work platforms and Sullair compressors. Actively involved in promoting safety, working with customer partners to create a safety training video on the safe operation of compact equipment in an agricultural setting. 52 ART'S RENTAL EQUIPMENT (46)

Newport, Ky.
Ken Arlinghaus
www.artsrental.com 13 A 6.4-percent rental volume increase. Leading rental player in greater Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Dayton, Ohio, and Louisville, Ky. 53 TRICO LIFT (45)

Millville, N.J.
Chris Carmolingo
www.tricolift.com 8 Carmolingo, a rental veteran who has worked his way up through management positions of increasing responsibility including COO, replaces retiring Ken Pustizzi. The company significantly increased its fleet size in the fourth quarter of 2012 in anticipation of growth for 2013, while also expanding its transportation truck fleet to elevate its response time to customers. These improvements paralleled staffing upgrades including a 30-percent increase in factory-trained technicians to follow through with a corporate initiative to service more contractor-owned equipment.  54 STAR RENTALS (52)

Seattle
Bob Kendall
www.starrentals.com 18 An 8.9-percent rental volume increase for Pacific Northwest's leading aerial rental company. Improved utilization and rental rates. 2013 starting off strong. Broadening customer base into industrial, institutional and governmental areas a contributor to growth. Non-residential construction improving and private spending increasing, with areas such as high rises and retail showing strength. Growing fleet in 2012 and 2013. Adding sales staff as well. 55 SMS RENTS (51)

Mississauga, Ontario
Marcel Langlois
www.smsrents.com 14 A 7.2-percent rental volume increase for one of eastern Canada's leading general rental players. Promotes links to general interest construction industry articles on its Facebook and Twitter pages as well as celebrates the service milestones of its employees. Giving away ipad Minis throughout the summer months to a few SMS customers. 56 IMPERIAL CRANE SERVICES (55)

Bridgeview, Ill.
B.J. Bohne
www.imperialcrane.com 6 Opened branch in Roxanne, Ill., to break into St. Louis crane market, where it has opportunities for short- and long-term rentals, including refinery turnaround and maintenance work. Also recently opened in Borger, Texas. To keep up with expansion, purchased multi-million dollar package of crawlers, rough-terrain cranes, a 600-ton Liebherr and more. Bohne published book about how his father founded the company with a single crane. 57 YANCEY BROTHERS (60)

Austell, Ga.
Trey Googe
www.yanceybros.com 9 Participated in rescue efforts in aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, especially in power generation. Now one year away from the century mark. YouTube page showcases rebuilds of several Cat machines. Nearly 1,700 “likes” on Facebook. 58 SKYWORKS (62)

Buffalo, N.Y.
Jerry R. Reinhart
www.skyworksllc.com 9 12.1-percent rental volume increase for aerial rental specialist. Plans to open in Knoxville, Tenn., and Jerry Reinhart's brother Jason recently opened a branch for the company in Baltimore. Rental rates up in 2012 and will continue in 2013, company says. Planning to open telehandler remanufacturing facility in '15. 59 ACME LIFT CO. (56)

Mesa, Ariz.
Woody Weld
www.acmelift.com 1 Mike Swayda named new executive vice president of operations as chief operating officer. Steve Nadelman departs. Swayda will also serve as chief financial officer, replacing Scott Stewart. Swayda, during 12 years at RSC, led strategic development, was regional CFO, had operational responsibilities and managed M&A functions. Former CFO of RSC Tricia Chiodo joins Acme Lift as a board member. 60 GREGORY POOLE EQUIPMENT CO. (59)

Raleigh, N.C.
Gregory Poole III
www.gregorypoole.com 61 A 6.8-percent rental volume increase for east Carolinas Caterpillar dealer. An impressive YouTube channel lets customers see firsthand the service and support Gregory Poole provides, as well as watch Cat machines in action. Visitors can select a playlist based on personal interests, such as PartStore – Buy Parts Online, Cat Rental Store, Cleaning Equipment and more. 61 HAWTHORNE RENT-IT SERVICE (64)

San Marcos, Calif.
Mike Carcioppolo
www.hawthornecat.com 12 A 20.7-percent rental volume boost is a good sign that southern California is recovering. Hawthorne Cat teamed with San Diego Food Bank and San Diego St. U. to collect more than 2,200 pounds of food for needy families. Now representing NorAm 65E compact motor graders. 62 STRONGCO EQUIPMENT (61)

Mississauga, Ontario
Robert Dryburgh
www.strongco.com 30 An 8-percent rental volume increase for leading Canadian equipment distributor and top Volvo dealer. Strongco's crane rental business increased as demand for cranes recovered. Rental was solid in Central Canada, increasing 47 percent, as customers remained cautious with capital purchases during slow economic recovery. Rental volume jumped 42 percent in western Canada, driven by strong demand in Alberta's energy sector. 63 HOLT OF CALIFORNIA (70)

Pleasant Grove, Calif.
John Johnson
www. holtca.com 16 Strong revenue growth from northern California Cat dealer that primarily covers the Central Valley. Utilizes dynamic Facebook page to market and promote its service and rental specials throughout the year. 64 LIFTING GEAR HIRE CORP. (65)

Bridgeview, Ill.
Tony Fiscelliwww.lgh-usa.com 16 16.6-percent rental volume increase for hoists, modular spreader beams, gantries, winches and rigging equipment rental specialist. Opened new branches in Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and Tucker, Ga. Assisted in moving a 25- by 50-foot, 28,000-pound model railroad, lifting the container with a spreader beam and then by crane. 65 SPIDER, DIV. OF SAFEWORKS (73)

Tukwila, Wash.
John Sotiroff
www.spiderstaging.com 25 A 38-2-percent rental volume hike for Spider. Selected as key distribution partner in the Americas for Beta Max hoists, for sales and rental, and exclusive distributor in western U.S. Introduced improved version of its Competent Person Training course covering design and installation of suspended scaffold systems, along with safe operation, hazard awareness and risk mitigation for commercial building environments and industrial sites. 66 HUGG & HALL EQUIPMENT (67)

Little Rock, Ark.
John Hugg
www.hugghall.com 12 A 13.8-percent rental volume increase for Arkansas-based material-handling rental specialist. Acquired Westquip, Oklahoma City-based Toyota Industrial Equipment dealership for Toyota forklifts, as well as Hoist, Sellick, Combilift and Mariotti. Acquisition strengthens ability to serve customers in Louisiana, East Texas, and southern Missouri as well as Oklahoma and Arkansas. Along with its 2011 acquisition of Arkla Taylor, company strengthened in lumber, forestry, oil-and-gas, steel, pipe, concrete and freight-handling industries. 67 B&G EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY (66)

Birmingham, Ala.
Marty Hardin
www.bgequipmentsupply.com 6 Closed several business units to control expenses. Sold off surplus fleet, raised rates, worked top accounts. Replaced 50 percent of reach forklift fleet, which was driving R&M expenses. Raised rates, which were forced upwards because of increased equipment costs driven by Tier 4. Rental volume up 8.8 percent. 68 SOUTHEASTERN EQUIPMENT (75)

Cambridge, Ohio
William Baker
www.southeasternequip.com 19 A 23.7-percent rental volume increase for distributor thanks to Marcellus shale gas exploration. Primary product lines include Case, Kobelco, Etnyre, Bomag, Gradall, New Holland, Kubota, Terex and JLG. Brought in industry veteran John Koch as operations manager of Fort Wayne, Ind., branch. 69 ANDERSON EQUIPMENT CO. (63)

Bridgeville, Pa.
Judy Anderson
www.andersonequip.com 22 Anderson acquired The Oliver Stores in December 2012, a premier distributor of forestry equipment in Maine and New Hampshire, increasing company's full-service locations to 22 branches in six states. Expecting an increase in highway/infrastructure spending in 2013, with a gradual recovery of housing market within its territory. Upgraded its website. 70 COWIN EQUIPMENT CO. (69)

Birmingham, Ala.
James Cowin
www.cowin.com 7 Slight rental volume uptick for Alabama dealer/rental company. Added Volvo Construction Equipment to product line in 2012, increasing fleet investment, especially for articulated haulers. Utilization is good; planning for more fleet increases and rental volume growth in 2013. Trying to maximize rental rates. Pieces of Cowin Equipment shown on Natural Geographic and History channels in same week. Built up Facebook presence by offering a chance to be in a drawing in exchange for a “like.” 71 TEMP-AIR (76)

Burnsville, Minn.
Jim Korn
www.temp-air.com 12 A 19.1-percent rental volume increase for air conditioning and heating rental specialist. Company added 40 MIDFO-800 and 25 IDF-800 indirect-fired heaters to fleet during past two years. Provided temporary HVAC at the Major League Baseball All-Star game and Super Bowl XLVI. Launched a company blog to help keep customers in the loop about current projects and better educate them about capabilities. 72 AERIAL ACCESS EQUIPMENT (74)

Baton Rouge, La.
Gene Torrence
www.aae-la.com 5 16-percent rental volume boost for Aerial Access, one of the leading aerial rental companies on the Gulf Coast, now with more than 1,400 aerial units in its fleet. 73 ECCO EQUIPMENT CORP. (71)

Santa Ana, Calif.
David Schmid
www.eccoequipment.com 15 Opened branches in Williston, N.D., and San Diego as economic improvement presents more opportunities for heavy equipment rental specialist. Spent third of its rental revenue on new equipment in 2012 and plans to do the same in 2013. Posted a 5.2-percent rental volume increase. 74 STOWERS MACHINERY (58)

Knoxville, Tenn.
Wes Stowers
www.stowerscat.com 6 Company re-opening Sevierville, Tenn., location, closed during recession. Lower rental volume primarily caused by significant decline from two largest customers. One completed a major clean-up project, while the other closed two facilities. Declines partially offset by increase in rental to regular retail customers. 75 PATTEN INDUSTRIES (78)

Elmhurst, Ill.
Crain Patten 6 Rental volume jumped an estimated 24 percent as company updates and expands inventory, adding fleet items that it hadn't historically handled, rather than send customers to competitors for those items. New marketing team redesigning website and making Patten more visible from social media standpoint; also remodeling branches. Raising rates to pass along costs brought by Tier 4i. Improving business in northern Indiana industrial market. 76 THOMPSON PUMP (72)

Port Orange, Fla.
Bill Thompson
www.thompsonpump.com 21 A small rental volume increase, but an increase nonetheless. Has launched social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Reducing the age and enhancing the size of rental fleet, while facing Tier 4-related cost increases. 77 DELTA RIGGING & TOOLS (77)

Pearland, Texas
Mitch Hausman
www.deltarigging.com 14 Specializes in hoists, winches, cranes, wire rope, alloy chains, synthetic slings, spreader bar systems, helping to set up jobs with software-aided design and planning. Hausman, a 30-year industry veteran, takes over at CEO, with Kevin Rodgers remaining as chairman of the board. 78 CLAIREMONT EQUIPMENT (79)

San Diego
Jerry Zagami
www.clairemontequipment.com 6 11.9-percent rental volume increase as southern California returns to life. Environment favors rentals as most contractors lack the backlog to purchase equipment. Yield on average fleet deployed has increased the past 12 months, dollar utilization as well. Plans to expand, but likely to wait until 2014, and may invest outside of California. 79 BERRY COMPANIES (81)

Wichita, Kan.
Walter Berry
www.berrycompaniesinc.com 29 17.2-percent rental volume hike for Bobcat, Komatsu and Yale dealer in Colorado, Kansas and Houston. Veteran executive vice president John Engels retired after 41 years with the company, most recently heading up Bobcat operations. Steve Meadows, president of KC Bobcat in Kansas City, will take over as executive vice president of Bobcat operations. 80 DIAMOND RENTAL (79)

Salt Lake City
Mark Clawson
www.diamondrental.com 16 Did several facility upgrades, moving out of outdated facilities and moving into larger facilities with better locations — in essence, building for the future. Remaining in the light contractor/homeowner niche. 80 RENTAL ONE (85)

Fort Worth, Texas
Mike O'Neal
www.rentalonestore.com 7 Strong 35.7-percent rental volume boost. Opened Wylie, Texas, branch in November, the company's seventh. Road construction, commercial and housing segments doing well. Acquired fleet towards the end of '12 to take advantage of depreciation and add inventory before prices rise. 82 CISCO EQUIPMENT (83)

Odessa, Texas
Scott Sibert
www.cisco-equipment.com 4 Grew rental volume 19.9 percent, with strong growth in oil and gas and pipeline construction leading the way. Increasing Internet presence, reducing parts inventories. Expecting the domestic inland oil market to remain strong for some time. Became a Hyundai Construction Equipment dealer in 2012 and was named the No.3 dealer in the U.S. Growing internationally with a new branch in Singapore. Currently has offices in Russia and Australia, with plans to move into Myanmar later this year. Three locations in Texas and one in New Mexico. 83 ILLINOIS TRUCK & EQUIPMENT (86)   

Morris, Ill.
Rolf Helland
www.iltruck.com 1 36.6-percent rental volume growth will get it done. The first two quarter's rental revenues doubled the same period in 2011. Rental rates held steady and utilization was very high, attributed to a tailored rental fleet and an aggressive sales force. With more than 125 hydraulic excavators in stock at a single location and many specialty attachments available, we are able to match the needs of a wide variety of contractors. A diverse product offering including custom-built, application-specific equipment. Future projects include an office and showroom expansion, and a parts department expansion to accommodate increased shop demand from increased business volume. 84 F&M MAFCO (-)

Cincinnati
Daniel McKenna
www.fmmafco.com 7 Specializes in lifting and rigging equipment, welding equipment, cranes and crane parts, air compressors, hoists, specialized mechanical and repair tools. Geographically diverse, recently opened branch in Edmonton, Alberta. 85 4-WAY EQUIPMENT RENTALS (94)

Edmonton, Alberta
Wayne Wadley
www.4-way.com 3 A 45-percent rental volume increase aided by strong economic development in oil sands region. Acquired TRAC Energy Services, an oilfield equipment rental company based in Nisku, Alberta, with offices in Calgary, giving the company a wider breath of offerings to the oil-and-gas industry. 86 ALLY ONSITE (97)

Denver
Carlo Cavecchi
www.allyequip.com 11 Changed name from Ally Equipment to Ally Onsite. Focuses on serving customers in oil-and-gas industry and restoration and reconstruction industry. Core products include drill site temporary housing and related products and services, climate and air-quality-control equipment, temporary power equipment, transport and logistics, and project support. 87 COLORADO MACHINERY (89) 

Colorado Springs, Colo.
Keith Olson
www.coloradomachinery.com    4 A 15.6-percent rental volume jump for venerable Colorado Deere dealership, which also offers Doosan, Dynapac, Eager Beaver, Finn, Gradall, JLG and others. Doing well in the energy and agriculture markets as housing begins a comeback. Continuing to expand fleet, especially excavators and loaders as rental portion of market is off to strong start in '13. 88 CLOVERDALE EQUIPMENT CO. (-)

Oak Park, Mich.
Todd Moilanen
www.cloverdaleequipment.com 2 Celebrating 50th year in business, owned and operated by same family for three generations at the same location. Founded by Moilanen's grandfather. Privately held, family-controlled and employee owned. Mostly in the aerial space with air compressors, earthmoving units, welders and others. JLG, Genie, Skytrak, National Crane, Broderson and Doosan are leading suppliers. Offers operators when customers prefer. 89 ABLE EQUIPMENT RENTAL (91)

Copiague, N.Y.
Steven Laganas
www.ableequipment.com 3 A 15-percent rental volume increase for Able, a New York metropolitan area company that covers Long Island as well. In 2012, acquired an 11-acre industrial park with a 100,000-square-foot facility to house its expanded equipment showrooms, maintenance bays, attachments and parts storage and new administration and office complex. Able now offers truck and trailer rentals for the construction trades. Hurricane Sandy provided a lot of rental opportunities. 90 ROLAND MACHINERY (89)

Springfield, Ill.
Ray Roland
www.rolandmachinery.com 15 A 10.4-percent rental volume increase for Midwestern equipment distributor representing Komatsu and Wirtgen. Equipment sales up about 15 percent. Roland senses pent-up demand and a better year in 2013. Built new branch building in Cape Girardeau, Mo. 91 THEROS EQUIPMENT (95)

New Baltimore, Va.
Joel Theroswww.therosequipment.com 4 A 24.8-percent rental volume increase. Nominated as capital vendor of metro Washington area by American Subcontractors Association. Residential construction picked up in northern Virginia area. The Dulles Metro-Rail project and the I-495 Hot Lanes projects have helped spur development of multi-story residential, as well as commercial projects such as shopping centers and restaurants. Added more “bread-and-butter” items, such as mini-excavators, skid-steer loaders and track-loaders, telescopic forklifts, boomlifts, and homeowner tools such as pressure washers, scaffolding, and stump-grinders. Expects strong year in D.C. market. 92 PDQ RENTALS (92)   

Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Dennis Turner
www.pdqrentals.com                   $16.5    2 14.7-percent rental volume boost as Southern California shakes off the doldrums. Offers repair services for customer-owned equipment. 93 BIRCH EQUIPMENT RENTALS & SALES (88)

Bellingham, Wash.
Sarah Rothenbuhler
www.birchequipment.com 5 Has obtained DBE and WOSB certifications to better serve contractors and government agencies. Advanced Technical Systems Support including the Birch Equipment Portal: 24-hour access to ongoing project costs and management and computerized customized mobile tool rooms. Birch operates out of five locations in Washington and Alaska on a day-to-day basis and seasonally spans from Western Alaska to Montana. 94 AMES TAPING TOOLS (-)

Stone Mountain, Ga.
Fred Daniels III
www.amestools.com 55 A drywall-finishing tool rental and sales company. Consolidated corporate operations to Stone Mountain, Ga., and hired 22-year HERC veteran Daniels as CEO. Expanding footprint through Greenfield locations and adding to existing franchise program. The Bazooka automatic taper is biggest product and several new products and services will be added in 2013. 2012 financial performance showed significant improvement that company expects to grow in 2013. 95 ENTECH SALES & SERVICE (98)

Dallas
Pat Rucker
www.entechsales.com 3 A 31.8-percent rental volume leap for chiller and generator rental specialist. Opened offices in San Antonio and Houston. Expects an increase in demand for natural gas generator rentals in coming years, has added more to fleet. With much business coming from emergencies, Hurricane Sandy provided strong opportunities. 96 HERC-U-LIFT (98)

Maple Plains, Minn.
Tom Showalter
www.herculift.com 9 A 25-percent rental volume jump for Minnesota aerial specialist. General market area covers Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa and western Wisconsin. 97 TRENCH SHORE RENTALS (-)

Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jack Woudenburg
www. Tsraz.com 4 Provides shoring equipment rentals and services in Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; El Paso, Texas; New Mexico and San Diego. TSR also provides other services such as Excavation Awareness and Confined Space Training, crane service and on-site job evaluations. 98 SNOOK EQUIPMENT RENTAL (84)

La Salle, Ill.
Robert Snook
www.snookequipment.net 3 A rental decline for Illinois-based company. 99 METROLIFT (96)

Sugar Grove, Ill.
Rick Dahl
www.metrolift.com  1 Added more than 400 new machines to fleet in 2012. Acquired a building in 2012 that doubles the size of the current Metrolift headquarters. A 7-percent rental volume increase for Chicagoland aerial rental specialist. Reports more jobs being bid and more commercial money flowing. Plans to upgrade telehandler and large boom fleet. Hired a marketing specialist. 100 ILLINI HI-REACH (93)

Lemont, Ill.
Larry Workman
www.hi-reach.com 2 Chicago aerial specialist celebrating 20-year anniversary in 2013. Only a slight increase because of a slow start to 2012, although year finished strong. Has a new rental commission plan in place.

*Denotes RER estimate based on regional economic conditions, industry sources and interviews by members of the RER staff. Other revenue figures are based on actual reported revenue for North American operations. Location data is as of publication to the best of the knowledge of the RER staff. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and thoroughness, omissions sometimes occur. All figures are in U.S. dollars. Figures for Canadian companies were reported in Canadian dollars. The full-year average daily value of the Canadian dollar was virtually even with the U.S. dollar, according to the Bank of Canada.

These companies didn’t quite make the RER 100, but came close enough for our extended list. Some will make the cut next year.

2012 RANK Company Name
(Last years rank)/
Headquarters/
Top Officer/Website 2012 Rental Volume in Millions 2012 Total Volume in Millions Total Number of Outlets Editorial Comments 101 NOBLE IRON (-)

Houston
Willie Swisher
www.nobleiron.com 11 Entered into dealership and rental business in 2011.
Exclusive dealer for LiuGong in southeast Texas. Swisher has
30-year industry history with Prime/RSC, HERC and Canada’s
Stephenson’s. Co-founder Nabil Kassam a veteran of venture capital, adept at attracting capital. Branches in Houston (former Bane Machinery location) and former Rolls High Reach in southern California. With capital backing and Swisher’s expertise, likely to grow fast. 102 COASTLINE EQUIPMENT (101)

Long Beach, Calif.
Del Hosler
www.coastlineequipment.com 6 A 17.9-percent rental volume hike for Southern California Deere dealership. Rents earthmoving equipment, boom trucks and rough-terrain cranes. Growth in 2012 mostly came from the crane side. Expects a strong 2012 despite continuing rate pressure. 103 LALONDE EQUIPMENT RENTALS (102)

Fairfield, Calif.
John Wooten
www.allstarrents.com 11 Heavy earthmoving rental specialist comes close again with 14.8-percent rental volume increase paced by demand for operated rental. Rental rates increased for operated rentals because of higher cost of fuel, insurance, labor and machine purchase price. Rates flatter on bare rental. Expects growth to come from infrastructure projects, such as bridges, rail, grade separations, freeway improvements, port upgrades and public transportation. 104 ELECCOMM POWER SERVICES (-)

Hyde Park, Mass.
Brian Kerins
www.eleccommps.com 2 Formed in 2006 when two former GE Energy Rentals staffers joined with ElecComm Corp., provider of underground electric services to form new company. Provides power solutions throughout Boston, Hartford, Providence, NYC and New England service area. Supplied 16 MW to power island off Cape Cod; and more than 50 MW to Back Bay in Boston when 100-ton transformer blew, restoring power to that part of the city. 105 ALL STAR RENTS (100)

Fairfield, Calif.
John Wooten
www.allstarrents.com 11 Strong growth trends continue in Northern California, despite challenges such as general insurance rates, workers’ comp, and air resources regulations. Concrete-polishing line has contributed to the growth. Reducing print ads in favor of Internet-related marketing efforts. Tier 4 and CARB regulations adding to costs. 106 KROPP EQUIPMENT (104)

Schererville, Ind.
Al Kropp
www.kropp.us 2 Added five 135-foot booms to fleet in 2012 and another $1 million in smaller booms. Genie still main product line. An 11-percent rental volume increase. Industrial sector is strong, modernizing and expanding facilities. Sees smaller commercial facilities being constructed in 2013, from 5,000 to 50,000 square feet. Growth with energy and medical facilities, schools and libraries. 107 NELSON EQUIPMENT LTD. (-)

Baytown, Texas
Albert Nelson III
www.nelsonconstructioneq.com 1 Twenty years in business, specializing in heavy earthmoving equipment sales and rentals: excavators up to 100,000 pounds, water trucks, dozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, compaction and more. 108 COOPER EQUIPMENT RENTALS (-)

Toronto
Darryl Cooper
www.cooperequipment.ca 4 General compact equipment rental company, just opened fourth location, all around the greater Toronto area. Uses vehicle- and asset-tracking technology. Founded by Gordon Cooper in 1972. 109 AMERICAN SCISSOR LIFT (78)

Stockton, Calif.
Michael Melthratler
www.americanscissor.com 4 Aerial rental specialist; fleet includes MEC, Genie and Custom Equipment. Has more than 750 units in rental fleet, covers from Bay Area to San Diego.