WesternOne Equity Income Fund has named Geoff Shorten chief operating officer, the Vancouver, B.C., Canada-based rental company said this week.

Shorten joined WesternOne in February 2008 in conjunction with WesternOne’s acquisition of Deerfoot Equipment Rentals, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Shorten, prior to the acquisition, was one of two owners of Deerfoot, operating as a Volvo Rents franchisee. After the acquisition, Shorten remained with WesternOne as president, Alberta Platform.

In June 2008, Shorten expanded the WEQ Deerfoot Equipment Rentals’ Calgary operations into Lethbridge, Alberta, and was instrumental in completing its recent acquisitions, including SureFire Propane Ltd. and Davis Heater Surface, an equipment rental, construction heat and propane distribution business with locations in Edmonton and Calgary that was acquired by WesternOne in October 2008, and On*Site Equipment, an aerial and material-handling equipment rentals business based in Calgary. On*Site had branches in Lethbridge, Red Deer and Edmonton.

More recently, Shorten took over responsibilities for corporate IT, strategy and human resources.

“During his tenure with the company, Geoff has provided tremendous leadership and the operating companies under his responsibility have delivered strong sales and earnings despite the recent downturn,” said WesternOne CEO Darren Latoski. “The broadened responsibilities will allow Geoff to continue with efforts to integrate and align the operations of the company, and in turn improve the overall financial performance and enhance shareholder value, as we look to expand our presence in the equipment rental and fuel distribution industries in Western Canada.”

WesternOne Equity Income Fund seeks to acquire equipment, fuel distribution and infrastructure-related businesses located primarily in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. WesternOne is No. 73 on the RER 100.