Former American Rental Association president Milt Neumann died last week. The founder and former owner of Spokane, Wash.-based A to Z Rentals was 78. Neumann served as ARA president in 1983.

According to ARA, Neumann bought his first rental business in Bismarck, N.D., which he then expanded to Minot, Dickinson, and Grand Forks, N.D.; Lewiston, Idaho, and Walla Walla, Wash. In 1960 he opened A to Z Rental in Spokane and sold the other rental business to his brothers. In 1996, Neumann sold the company to RentX, a British rental chain, and later bought the stores back in 2005.

Neumann’s children — Steve Neumann, Jody Neumann and Cheryl Kettrick, along with grandson Trevor Kettrick — still operate the business.

Neumann is survived by his wife Alice, three children, six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.