Handy Rents recently acquired the party rental inventory of Elyria Rent-All, Elyria, Ohio, and moved into the Elyria Rent-All facility, where the Eastlake, Ohio-based company is renting tools and equipment as well as party gear, Handy Rents owner Mike Miller told RER. Handy now has seven stores in northern Ohio as well as an Aladdin Rents party rentals store.

Miller said the deal for the new branch began in late October. “I found out that Brad Hawes [former owner of Elyria Rent-All] was going to have an auction in early November and close the business,” Miller told RER. “I went to see him and offered to buy the business.” Miller made a deal to acquire Hawes’ party inventory and after the tools and equipment were sold at auction, Miller brought in tools and equipment from his other stores and took over the facility on the Monday after the auction.

Despite the economic slump in the Cleveland area, Handy opened two new branches during an 11-month period from December 2008, when it opened in Kent, Ohio, and November 2009 with the opening in Elyria. “You have to recognize an opportunity and jump on it,” Miller said. “I’m probably a bit more willing to take risks than a lot of other people.”

The former employees of Elyria Rent-All were hired by Handy, including branch manager Dennis Smith, who will manage the Elyria branch for Handy.

“I’m particularly glad we could keep the employees who are just awesome people,” said Miller.