Story and photos provided by the Butler family
William “Bill” Butler, one of the pioneers of the rental industry in Southern California, died this week at the age of 83. Butler was born March 11, 1939 and died January 10, 2023. Butler started Able Equipment Rental in 1961 at the age of 22, starting with a “handshake” and a Quonset hut in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (just east of downtown Los Angeles), according to his daughter-in-law Pamela Butler.
His son Jeffrey worked in the business for many years, and Jeff’s son William Jefferson “Jake” Butler, named for his grandfather, still works in the rental industry as a sales rep for H&E Equipment Services.
In 1998, Butler sold his six-location company to United Rentals.
Butler is survived by his wife Lois, and three children – Jeffrey (wife Pamela), daughter Pamela (married to Richard McKenney}, and daughter Patricia (married to Douglas Cook.) Butler is also survived by nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren.