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EDITORIAL
We are more mobile than ever, with unexpected consequences.
12 AN INCREDIBLE YEAR
All Choice Rentals has shot to stardom in Drayton Valley.
6 INDUSTRY NEWS
Flannery tapped at United, SkyJack launches with Blueline, Elmquist hired at Centec, Hitachi rebrands...
10 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The CRA has tools to help you with your customer service. by Mike Maltby
22 2018 SHOW SEASON REPORT
It was another season of great deals and great friends at shows around North America.
20 AT YOUR SERVICE
You’ve gotten back to basics. Now take your staff there. by Russ Dantu
26 SEEN AT THE SHOWS
Our roundup of new technology introduced this year.
30
SAFETY FIRST AND LAST
What to do when religious observance clashes with safety. by Jeff Thorne
Administrate this
In praise of the people who help everyone do a better job.
There was a member of provincial parliament (as we call them here in Ontario) being interviewed on the radio today talking up the Progressive Conservative’s plans ahead of the election we have coming in May. He said the Tories are going save the government a boatload of money by finding efficiencies. Sounds good. When asked just where they might find such efficiencies, he went to healthcare and said money should be directed to frontline staff and cuts could be made in administration.
“Administrators” are always a nice soft target for deficit-hawk politicians and bean-counting CFOs. Even if they’re unionized (which they usually aren’t in the private sector), they don’t tend to have the same organizational unity as other professions. Announce you’re going to lay off 100,000 nurses or teachers and watch the Queen’s Park protests unfold. Say the same thing about administrators and collect approving nods from budget-trimmers with little or no blowback. But the question that popped into my mind was, is it really true that cutting administration is a good way to improve efficiency?
I started my working life in the mid-’90s when restructuring and downsizing were all the rage. Part of this was a reaction to the digital technologies entering the workplace – did you really need a secretary when email and voicemail were available? I think a lot of the ideas were imported from Lean manufacturing concepts that had worked so well in the automotive industry. I’d say the implementation in other industries, especially non-manufacturing industries, had only mixed success. What a lot of managers seemed to miss was the amount of upfront investment in analysis and
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by Patrick Flannery
reorganization that is supposed to go into a Lean process. The approach, all too often, has been to simply take away resources and challenge employees to find ways to get the job done anyway. Sometimes that works. More often it doesn’t.
Let’s assume for the moment that non-administrative employees (call them core employees), with some creativity and re-jigging of processes, can find the time in a day to perform just enough administrative tasks to keep the lights on. You now have a person doing two very different work functions – the much-vaunted multitasking. At various times throughout their day they will have to stop acting in one capacity, with its attendant train of thought, mental approach, physical demands and job processes, and transition to act in another capacity, with a different set of same. It’s easy to hand-wave at this and say a good worker should be able to do this. Most can, but I would argue that it comes at an inevitable cost to focus and effectiveness. There’s a period of time when you start a new task where you’re thinking, gathering yourself and just getting prepared to do that next thing. That’s lost time every time you ask an employee to switch tasks.
When you have a core employee doing core tasks and support staff doing administrative things, both can be happening at once. Invoicing doesn’t sit idle until the salesperson can enter it into the system. Engine X doesn’t sit unrepaired while the mechanic orders parts for Engine Y. Having multiple functions happening at once was the central insight of the assembly line, one of the greatest innovations in efficiency of all time.
Finally, your core employees are not administrators. They didn’t apply for that kind of a job because that’s not what they are good at and not what they want to do. I can install a ceiling fan if I have instructions. But you’d have a heck of a lot better chance of having a working fan at the end of the day if you got an electrician to do it. And it would be done in half the time with a lot less cursing, too.
I think it might be time for organizations to take another look at whether they should tolerate a slightly higher body count and a bit of redundancy in order to achieve true efficiency. CRS
INDUSTRY NEWS
FLANNERY FOR PRESIDENT
United Rentals has announced that its board of directors has appointed Matthew Flannery president of the company, in addition to his responsibilities as COO. Michael Kneeland, who became president and CEO of United Rentals in 2008, will continue to lead the company as its CEO. Kneeland said, “Matt Flannery is ideally qualified to serve in this expanded role. He is an engaging leader with a talent for inspiring our organization. As president, he will ensure that our company remains at the forefront of innovation, customer service and operational excellence.” Flannery joined United Rentals in 1998. He has over 25 years of sales, management and operations experience in the equipment rental industry, including extensive experience in all areas of the company’s operations. In addition to COO, he previously served as United Rentals’ executive vice-president of operations and sales and in various field management roles at senior, regional, district and branch levels.
SON JOINS FATHER AT CENTEC
Jeff Elmquist has joined Centec Corporation as a sales representative for the Greater Toronto Area and north/central Ontario. He brings over 20 years’ experience in the construction, landscaping and equipment industries in supervisory and operator roles. Elmquist lives in Cambridge, Ont., and will be handling a territory including the GTA, north through Barrie and Peterborough and into Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Sudbury. He’s the son of Jerry Elmquist, president of Centec.
“I feel my background in the construction field gives me an
advantage,” Elmquist said. “I know how the equipment is going to be used in the field and I know what people in the field need and want to make their jobs easier and safer.”
Elmquist holds industry certifications including Certified Landscape Technician and Concrete Paver Installer. He has a degree from the University of Guelph in turf management. Centec Corporation is a manufacturers’ representative that represents 10 different lines of equipment made for the equipment rental, construction and landscape construction markets including American Cart and Rack; Boxer by Morbark; Cormidi; Heat King; ICS; Lind Equipment; Makinex; Overland; Quest; and ReachMaster.
CASE NAMES MARCHAND
Case Construction Equipment has named Michel Marchand vice-president for North America, replacing Scott Harris who has taken a similar role at Case IH. Marchand, who previously served as the regional sales director for Canada, will now oversee all Case Construction operations in North America. “He has both comprehensive knowledge of the construction equipment business and a passion for the Case brand,” says Leandro Lecheta, COO of the NAFTA region for CNH
Industrial. “Throughout his career, Michel has consistently developed strong partnerships with our dealers in order to maximize growth and seize all the opportunities that the market has to offer.”
COMING EVENTS
June 20 - 22
Canada’s Farm Progress Show Regina, Sask. myfarmshow.ca
2019
Jan. 8 - 10
Landscape Ontario Congress Toronto, Ont. locongress.com
Jan. 22 - 25
World of Concrete Las Vegas, Nev. worldofconcrete.com
Feb. 6 - 7
Canadian Concrete Expo Mississauga, Ont. canadianconcreteexpo.com
Feb. 17 - 20
The Rental Show Anaheim, Calif. therentalshow.com
March 6
IPAF Summit Dubai, UAE ipaf-summit.info
Oct. 1 - 3
ICUEE The Demo Expo Louisville, Kty. icuee.com
“The Case Construction brand is strong throughout North America, and we have a real opportunity now, with the advances made across the breadth of our product lines and the development
of our dealer network, to make an even greater impact for our customers and compete in new ways across all markets,” says Marchand. “I am very proud to be a part of the future here at Case.” Marchand left the automotive industry and first joined Case as a business manager in 2009, and then took on the role of regional sales director in 2011. He is married to his wife, Sylvia, with whom he has two children, Luc and Anna.
STIHL TS 440 Cut-Off Saw
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WORLD’S FIRST CUT-OFF MACHINE WITH WHEEL BRAKE TECHNOLOGY
The STIHL TS 440 cut-off machine with extended guard adjustment is the perfect choice for limited access cuts. It is designed to allow extended guard adjustability so that the cutting wheel is exposed at the top – ideal when traditional guard positions limit access such as the undersides of pipes in a trench where the ability to excavate is limited. This expanded guard adjustability is made possible by the world-first STIHL Quickstop® sensor-activated wheel brake technology capable of stopping the rotation of the cutting wheel in fractions of a second if kickback occurs. The STIHL TS 440 is particularly appropriate for specialized cutting tasks in confined spaces –whether concrete, metal, cast iron or stone.
• Thanks to a two-stage belt drive, users can apply a higher feed force while reducing the chance of slowing the engine
• Consumes up to 20% less fuel and 70% fewer emissions compared with similarly powered STIHL two-stroke engines without 2-MIX technology
• Electronically controlled water supply binds dust and reduces water consumption
• Equipped with the ElastoStart ™ handle – a built-in shock absorber for smoother starting
• Only available at specially trained STIHL Dealers
QUALITY AT WORK FOR OVER 90 YEARS.
For over 90 years, STIHL has been a world market leader and innovator in outdoor power equipment. German engineered products featuring the latest pioneering technologies make STIHL the preferred choice for professionals, consistently providing uncompromising quality. STIHL products are only available at independent STIHL Dealers who provide personal advice and expert service. Thank you for the continuous support and for making STIHL the brand you trust.
* “#1 Selling Brand in Canada” is based on an independent market share analysis of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment from 2017. Source: TraQline Canada.
† Excluding fuel and cutting wheel.
Left to right: Mark Burton, HRIA; James Oxenham, HRIA; Nathalie McGregor, CRA; Mike Maltby, CRA; Tony Conant, ARA; Michel Petitjean, ERA; Carole Bachman, ERA; Mark Gilbertson, ARA; Xiaoming Cheng, JCRA; and Phil Tindle, HIANZ.
GLOBAL REPRESENTATIVES MEET AT ARA
The Global Rental Alliance recently held its 16th annual meeting at The Rental Show in New Orleans. As part of the meeting, GRA welcomed back the Brazilian Rental Association (ANALOC) as a member, joining the Canadian Rental Association (CRA); European Rental Association (ERA), Belgium; the Hire Association of Europe (HAE), United Kingdom; the Hire Industry Association of New Zealand (HIANZ); the Hire and Rental Industry Association (HRIA), Australia; the Japan Construction Rental Association (JCRA), Japan; and the American Rental Association (ARA).
“The Global Rental Alliance allows industry and association representatives from around the world to discuss common issues that impact rental operators and share solutions that are having a positive impact,” said Tony Conant, ARA CEO. “We are always looking to add global members who are interested in sharing their geography’s industry data and advancing the rental industry.”
The meeting agenda included the latest review of the global survey initiative of the GRA, which estimates fiscal year 2016 combined rental revenue among the GRA associations of US$96.96 billion. This figure represents a six-per cent increase over 2015 rental revenues, as calculated by IHS Markit on behalf of the group. The GRA members also agreed to start projecting the recent year’s rental revenue and other key figures at their summer meeting and will publish preliminary 2017 figures in August. Discussion was held among the associations on the economic forecast for their countries through 2018 and it appears that the economies of all GRA members are healthy and that operators expect a very good year. Priorities and member initiatives of the associations were shared for the benefit of the group, as well as trends and industry developments. Among the topics discussed were global technology trends and workforce development issues, including the promotion of women and minorities in rental and efforts to engage young professionals. Technology is the one area that cuts across industry segments, geographies and cultures to improve business performance. It has improved safety, operational efficiency and the customer experience, and technology will continue to reshape the industry. The GRA is looking to add technology to its standing discussion agenda and will add a special segment to next year’s program in Anaheim, Calif. The group discussed conference dates and schedules for their respective associations. These dates are available on the GRA website, GlobalRentalAlliance.com. A midyear webinar meeting for GRA will be held and is planned for August 2018. The next annual meeting will be at The Rental Show 2019 in Anaheim.
MCFADYEN WINS BIG AT RENTAL MART
The 2018 Canadian Rental Mart featured a new twist - a door prize for a trip for two to anywhere valued at $2,500. The lucky winner was Joel McFadyen of Elmvale Rental Supply in Elmvale, Ont. McFadyen says he’ll redeem the prize to cover the cost of the recent trip he and his wife, Barbara, took to celebrate his 60th birthday in Florida. They took in the Daytona 500 NASCAR race while down there. The door prize was made possible by the generous support of several sponsors: Alert Easy Pro, Buchanan Rubber, CM Equip, Construction Equipment Solutions, Diamond Products, Frost Fighter, Hose Power Canada, Husqvarna, Precision Components, RDSI, and Rentquip.
SKYJACK DELIVERS FIRST ELEVATE MODELS TO BLUELINE
Skyjack has started delivering off-the-line machines equipped with Elevate, their telematics solution for off-highway fleets, and BlueLine Rental is their North American launch customer. This new telematics solution has already started to see its way into construction rental yards on a variety of Skyjack equipment.
“Elevate is a project we’ve been living and breathing for the past year and to see such a positive reception from rental companies, and to be able to provide them with an immediate impact, is extremely rewarding,” says David Swan, product manager of technology and innovation at Skyjack.
The first company in North America to receive Elevate-equipped machines is BlueLine Rental. As a long-standing Skyjack customer, BlueLine seized the opportunity after hearing Skyjack’s approach to telematics. BlueLine is confident in the benefits that can be provided by this solution and it has ordered Elevate on all Skyjack units for 2018. The solution includes two mobile-first apps, Elevate On and Elevate Go, which will enable BlueLine personnel to digitally access critical fleet data directly from the field.
“Skyjack’s approach to telematics will be industry-leading, solidifying our decision to include Elevate on all of our Skyjack machines going forward,” says Rob Blackadar, vicepresident of operations at BlueLine Rental.
CRA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
THINK SERVICE
The CRA offers tools to improve your service across the board.
by MIKE MALTBY, CRA PRESIDENT
According to the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer, customers will tell an average of nine people about good experiences and nearly twice as many (16 people) about poor ones.
The reality is that your customers are talking about you. Are they speaking highly of you? Are they recommending you to their friends? Or are they telling their friends that you are the Antichrist? In our melodramatic society, there’s almost no limit to how far the hyperbole might go.
I know what you’re thinking: “Here we go again, another lecture about providing excellent customer service.” Yes, you’ve heard this a thousand times before, and you, as the business owner, already provide great service to your customers. That goes without saying. But let me ask you this: is everyone on your team doing the same?
If you can’t immediately answer “Yes, absolutely!” you should check out the Learning Center at ararental.org. The Learning Center offers a mix of stand-alone courses and educational tracks for owners, managers and employees. The blend of free and affordable training options will not only help improve overall efficiency, but also boost employee confidence when assisting your customers.
The Learning Center is full of general business information as well as rental-specific courses, such as:
• Introduction to customer service in the equipment rental industry
• Professionalism in the equipment rental industry
• Telephone skills in the equipment rental industry
...and many, many more.
As a company administrator you can also assign courses to your employees and track their progress as they complete assigned learning courses.
Ongoing training is vital to your company’s success. Studies show that 90 per cent of customers will not willingly do business again with a company that they feel has treated them unfairly. The same studies also show that if you can resolve a complaint in the customer’s favour, people are more willing to accept an error and 70 per cent of them will return. The way you handle a less-than-positive experience can turn these people into some of your most loyal (and profitable) customers.
The opposite, unfortunately, is also true. If a customer issue is not handled well, it can escalate. For example, I recently had a conversation with an industry professional about his experience with Flair Airlines, a new discount airline. He booked a flight from Hamilton, Ont., to Edmonton to attend the CRA Prairie regional trade show. After getting to the Hamilton airport, he was informed by the airline that his flight had been cancelled and this was the only flight from Hamilton that day. He was re-booked on a new flight but would now have to depart from Toronto. Traffic and airport security caused this traveler to miss the re-booked flight and he had to book at the airport with another airline in order to make it to Edmonton in time to attend the show.
After all this hassle and inconvenience, it wasn’t the cancellation or having to leave from another airport that made him upset. It wasn’t even that his return flight was still to Hamilton when his car was now in Toronto. The thing that upset him the most was that when he called Flair to try to work out compensation for his now-useless re-booked ticket, they kept him on hold for an hour and forty minutes before he gave up and ended the call. This fiasco could have been turned around with the customer feeling like his issue was resolved properly if this company had better customer service practices.Instead, not only will this customer not return to the airline, but numerous people have now heard of his struggles, which may make them think twice before doing business with this company themselves. The Learning Center can help you train your team to provide the same excellent customer service you do, and will give them the tools to prevent a problem from escalating. CRS
Mike Maltby is vice-president of Ingersoll Rent-All in Ingersoll, Ont. Mike has been a fixture at CRA Ontario events since beginning his time with the association in 2006, and looks forward to connecting with CRA members nationally in the coming years.
AN INCREDIBLE YEAR
All Choice Rentals leads the charge for change.
When Blake Menning heard his company’s name called out at the Canadian Rental Association’s recent annual general meeting, he wasn’t sure he had heard correctly.
by LINDSEY
RIGHT: Looks pretty good for a rental store in Drayton Valley, a small central Alberta town of 7,235. No surprise that most of the business comes from the oil fields, but Menning has taken steps to insulate ACR against volatility in that market.
“I looked over to one of the vendors I was sitting next to and said, ‘Did they just call out All Choice Rentals?’” he recalls.
Earlier this year, Menning, vice-president of Drayton Valley, Alta.,-based All Choice Rentals (ACR), accepted the prestigious President’s Image Award on behalf of his company at the American Rental Association rental show in New Orleans.
“I was and still am kind of speechless,” says Menning. “We’re a small rental company from Drayton Valley and there are thousands of other rental companies across Canada. To be singled out in your industry is both humbling and awesome.”
Then, in early March, ACR was also recognized at the CRA Prairie Show in Edmonton as 2017 Alberta Rental Store of the
Year.
“It’s been an incredible year for us,” says Menning. “These awards are solidifying our hard work and efforts, and to realize that we’re doing something different that is being noticed by others — and that people took time to nominate us — makes all of this even more special.
“You could say we’re floating on Cloud 9 right about now.”
EARLY DAYS
All Choice Rentals was established in 2009 in Drayton Valley. Initially a Cat Rental Store, the business was acquired by a group of investors (including Menning).
“At the time, there was only one other competitor in Drayton Valley and the demand was high for another rental store, so we saw it as a good opportunity to get into business,” says Menning. “We knew that with some small tweaks and changes we could make this into something really great.”
What started off as a small rental store offering a limited range of equipment has since grown to offer a full range of products and services including 125-foot aerial platform lifts, light towers, heaters, excavators, portable toilets and septic services, on-site repairs and parts and an oilfield rental division.
“We really try to be a one-stop-shop provider for any one project,” says Menning. “We feel our customers are the key to helping us realize our final goal, which is to offer a complete rental solution to every aspect of the oil and gas industry, and to become one of western Canada’s premier rental houses.”
RECESSION BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES
More than 70 per cent of ACR’s customers come from the oil and gas industry. So when the recession hit Alberta, the company was unable to escape being affected.
“There was a significant noticeable decrease in Drayton Valley. Businesses were moving out of town and we were seeing more buildings and leases up
PROFILE
for sale,” says Menning. “It was pretty noticeable that Drayton Valley was hit a little harder than most communities in Alberta. Business wasn’t slow for us, but there was a significant decline.”
That said, the company saw an opportunity to do a few things to improve the business.
“We thought this would be a good time to focus our efforts on what we could do better, to benefit our customers and streamline our business and differentiate ourselves from competitors,” says Menning.
“Basically, we used that time to fine tune our business model so that when work picked up again, we’d have built something that would get more customers through the door.”
FINE TUNING CUSTOMER SERVICE
To get started, ACR brought in a customer service consultant.
“We looked at customer service and how it can no longer be average; it needs to be remarkable,” says Menning. “Everyone thinks that cutting prices is the way to customer service excellence but that’s such a short-sighted approach because customers can always find another rental house with similar products for cheaper services.”
ACR decided instead to focus on enhancing the customer service skills of all employees.
“When customers call us, we want them to look to us as a trusted advisor. So our front counter has been trained to ask qualifying questions, to ensure the customer is receiving exactly what they need to do their job efficiently,” says Menning. “We don’t want to be order-takers; we want to go out and provide a value-add so we can become customers’ first call when they need help.”
The President’s Image Award recognizes customer service, knowledgeable staff and telephone habits as part of its criteria.
On the topic of telephone habits, ACR has a mandate to answer the phone day or night, 365 days per year.
Clean and well-maintained equipment is rule of thumb, but ACR sometimes takes it to the next level by cleaning the machine again if it arrives at the jobsite dirty.
Not hard to see how ACR captured the Image Award with this spacious, well-lit and beautifully decorated showroom. Gaining customers’ trust is at the centre of everything Menning tries to do.
Flexibility.
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ELEVATE enables rental fleets to talk to your service team, your ERP, the end user, and most importantly, your bottom line.
More than Telematics.
With plenty of room in the yard for trucks to turn around, ACR is able to move equipment in and out with maximum efficiency. Little things like brighter lighting deliver disproportionate benefits in terms of customer comfort and corporate reputation. Menning says it all contributes to a feeling of trust.
“No matter what, we always answer the phone,” says Menning. “I feel like customers really appreciate that, knowing that if they have a downed light tower at 2 a.m. we’ll be on the road within 60 minutes to go out and fix the issue. Customers can feel confident that they will be looked after regardless of the time of day, knowing we will be there to swap out or fix equipment if necessary.”
All in all, it’s about establishing and maintaining a high level of trust.
“Building trust in us is vital in
maintaining a high level of customer service, and it’s really helped us as a business for sure,” says Menning. As a result, ACR has acquired some large-scale projects from oil and gas expansions to commercial developments.
APPEARANCES MATTER
Criteria for the President’s Image Award also includes inventory maintenance, store cleanliness and appearance.
“We take pride in our appearance,”
says Menning. “Our building is beautiful, with 16,000 square feet on a three-acre lot, which means we’ve got a lot of room for big trucks to come through our yard, park and turn around. Because it’s not cramped and compact, drivers don’t have to feel uncomfortable about backing up a trailer.”
In addition, ACR has upgraded its lighting to LED.
“These lights emit 2.5 times brighter than halogen bulbs, so when customers are here at 6:30 in the morning and it’s
ACR’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Both the Alberta and national CRA boards have recognized them.
dark outside, our lot is bright and they can feel safe about dropping off and picking up equipment safely. There are literally no dark spots in our entire lot.”
ACR also painstakingly ensures that its rental equipment is clean, presentable and freshly washed, no matter the weather conditions or location.
Menning recalls one time when a large oil and gas company was doing a three-week plant shutdown and needed to rent office trailers, washcars and garbage bins. “It was around the time that it was becoming nice outside, but the roads were extremely muddy. By the time our equipment was on site, you could hardly see our logo, let alone tell what each piece of equipment was,” he says.
to wash every single office trailer, washcar and garbage bin. The customer was really blown away by that, as they hadn’t asked us to do it.”
EXPANSION AND NEXT STEPS
“We took tools and lessons we learned from our first location and applied them to the new business and it’s flourishing; we’ve never been busier,” says Menning.
“We knew this project would be on for three weeks and be highly visible, so we used our portable pressure washer
pte7x5slopepro_noflash_1718-01-031:10PMPage1
After fine tuning its model, ACR decided to open a second location in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
The leadership team has an aggressive expansion plan. Across both locations, ACR already has 25 employees and a total fleet value in the
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range of $10 million. Within the next 12 to 18 months, they would like to open two or three more stores.
“When we acquired the business, our 10-year plan was to expand,” says Menning. “If we felt we were onto something, then we would take that business model to other locations.
“We really want to be a player in the industry,” he continues. “There are some fairly significant rental companies in the area that started with one store and look where they are today. If we continue to grow and expand and be industry leaders in customer service, maybe that could be us down the road.”
“A FUN GAME”
Menning, who is also on the board of the Canadian Rental Association Alberta chapter, is keeping his eye on how technology trends are changing the rental industry. “It’s a fun game trying to stay ahead because the rental industry is always changing and evolving,” he says. “Especially at the ARA show this year, there was a heavy focus on software and technology. Look at Amazon, which has direct shipping to your door within two days. And at the show we saw how you can now use Siri or Alexa to close out rental contracts. It’s really all about convenience for the customers.”
Regardless, Menning is intent on staying ahead of the curve.
“It’s important to recognize your business model must change constantly and to look at what the market is dictating, but we also want to be trend setters and not necessarily followers,” he says. “We will always be looking at how to make things easier for our customers, whether it’s through our direct website, or a new app or something else.
“No matter where the industry goes, ACR is focused on being at the forefront of change.” CRS
AT YOUR SERVICE
Back to the basics
Get your team involved for maximum benefits.
by Russ Dantu
If you read the last newsletter, you saw we focused on preparing yourself as a leader to be ready to lead your team by getting back to the basics.
Once you are ready, it is important to make this as professional as possible. I would suggest holding your training session outside your regular business hours. Pay your employees to be there. Order pizza or wings and have cold beverages of your choice there. Hold it at a different venue if you can afford to. Consider enlisting the help of some of your top performers to go over the basics with the rest of your team. Can you make games out of the activities so it is more engaging? Can you give out prizes? We learn during moments of enjoyment so try to make it fun.
When you build a strong, interactive presentation and make it fun, you will have a greater chance of success with everyone enjoying themselves, learning some new ways to do things and getting involved in team building. Employees don’t always get together outside of work, so holding an event like this will definitely increase the team spirit.
Here are four benefits your team will have from going back to the basics.
It will keep them “present” at work and focused on what is important. Being present each day will make a huge impact in the number of mistakes that happen. Philip Crosby was one of the biggest names in the “quality revolution” era. In his book, Quality is Free, Crosby talks about Zero Defects and the effect it can have on your company. Imagine if you cut your mistakes down by 50 per cent – how much would that add to your bottom line? What about 90 per cent or more? Having your employees present each and every day will help you achieve this.
Getting back to basics keeps everyone on the same page so that procedures are followed the same way by everyone. Anyone in a given department can pick up where one person left off and continue on if everyone is doing things
the same way. This is especially important if you are on shared drives at work. If people store their finished reports wherever they want, it can be frustrating for others to find. If everyone is on the same page and sharing the same folders for reports, everyone knows where to look if one person is away ill or no longer with the company.
It reignites passion. Once you have buy-in on going back to the basics, it can have a very positive effect on each of the team members. Sometimes we get stale in our positions or just go through the motions. When we reignite that passion, the culture and productivity become so much more positive.
There will always be a few that say they are not learning anything new, but new advancements are coming all the time in all industries. For most, they will learn one or two new techniques that will make their job easier or make something better for their customers. It may be the same thing they have been doing for years but said in a different way that resonates more with them and they will carry it forward. Every once in a while I will hear from an older attendee at my customer service training sessions that they do not feel like they are learning anything new. With 95 per cent of my stories being completely original, I know my way of saying it will be brand new to them. I also have a few acronyms that they will not have heard before until they come to a session. I usually remind them that customer service is pretty basic and there is not much of anything new you can do but there are always ways to do things better than the way we are doing them now.
CRS
Russ Dantu is a 30-year veteran of the rental industry and has been delivering workshops, seminars and keynotes on customer servicce for over 15 years. For more information, visit russdantu.com or email russ@russdantu.com
SHOW SEASON 2018
THE INDUSTRY GATHERS
Our review of rental shows across North America.
It’s the annual rite of spring for the equipment and event rental industries. Once again, thousands of rental store owners, managers and workers got together to look over the latest technology, make valuable connections, meet friends and pick up business tips. These are the events that bind us together as more than a collection of businesses – they define us as an industry.
CANADIAN RENTAL MART
The Canadian Rental Mart saw its move to the International Centre in Mississauga attract about 200 attendees from 79 different rental stores. While not as large as some past crowds, exhibitors noted the quality of attendees was excellent, with visitors typically being owners or senior managers with buying authority. These influential industry leaders toured a 40,000-square-foot show floor featuring a full selection of rental-ready equipment from Canada’s top suppliers.
“The comment I’m hearing is that this is the place you need to be to meet the people who
make decisions,” said Ken Mallott of Kensal Rental in London, Ont. “I think that’s a strong message about the show.”
“I’ve had a great day,” commented Mark Peart of G.C. Duke. “Several customers have shown up here today ready to buy.”
Two training sessions attracted about a dozen students each. Lucie Giroux of Sunbelt Rentals trained her group to act as their company’s safety inspector, and Genie’s Scott Owyen conducted mobile elevated work platform operation training. The Ontario banquet looked to have about 100 diners enjoying a delicious dinner served by the Delta hotel. Attendees voted for
People do love to win stuff. Shows across the country offer door prizes, 50/50 draws and show specials to draw attendance. Here, Wes Friess and Stephanie Chies of CRA B.C. present the spoils to one lucky 50/50 winner at the B.C. Regional Trade Show.
the winner of two tables decorated by party store members, with Higgins Event Rentals taking the contest. The main event of the banquet was the presentation of the Ontario Canadian Rental Association awards. Honours went to Cavalier Industries for Supplier of the Year and Michelle Nichols of Higgins Event Rentals for Rental Professional of the Year. The CRA Ontario Regional Award was given to Gord Ellis of Cavalier. The General Tool Image Award went to GAL Power and Higgins Event Rentals took the podium yet again for the Party and Event Image Award.
THE ARA RENTAL SHOW
New Orleans was home to the 62nd edition of The Rental Show, which ran from February 19 to 21. For Canadians, the event started on the Sunday night with the very popular Canadian Rental Association hospitality night. Almost 400 people crowded into the Generations Hall to exchange rental tales and enjoy beverages, finger foods and renew acquaintances.
The following day, the rental show was officially opened by a keynote presentation by Canadian-born Jonathan and Drew Scott, hosts of multiple HGTV series including the Emmy-nominated “Property Brothers,” “Brother vs. Brother” and “Property Brothers at Home.” They mixed humour with some of their life experiences as they told the story of their start and rise to fame in
business.
Following the keynote session the show floor, featuring over 700 exhibitors, opened to a steady stream of rental operators looking to upgrade and re-stock their rental fleets. Canadian Rental Service caught up with Jeremy Andrew of Prairieland Rentals and Sales from Regina, Sask., on the floor and he mentioned he attends the show each year for the socializing and networking opportunity that the show presents. He also compared notes with salesmen from the different companies that he does business with.
On Monday afternoon, the CRA held their annual AGM. Tim Ranson led the meeting, which started with Hank McInnis reviewing the past year’s significant activities. John Gillespie from Western Financial Group gave an overview of the CRA self-protected insurance program. He reported that 291 locations are presently using the program and an anticipated 21 per cent return on premiums will be paid back to the members based on the excellent results that the program had in 2017. Mike Maltby of Ingersoll Rent-All was then introduced as the CRA president for the coming year. A number of awards were presented as follows:
• Rental Professional of the Year: Nancy Crosby from Classic Rentals in Truro, N.S.
• National Supplier of the Year: Rentquip Canada
• President’s Image Award All Choice Rentals in Drayton Valley, Alta. (see page 12)
The trade show continued both Tuesday and Wednesday with brisk buying activity reported on the show floor by exhibitors across the hall. Attendance was reported as 6,047 rental store owners and staff representing 2,657 separate stores. Total attendance for the event (including suppliers) was 12,066. Plans are already underway for the 2019 edition, which will be held in Anaheim, Calif., from February 17 to 20.
B.C. REGIONAL TRADE SHOW
The Canadian Rental Association’s B.C. trade show took place Jan. 20, featuring some good energy and an uptick in attendance from local rental stores. The CRA reports a 12 per cent increase in attendees over the year before, with 45 per cent of local member houses coming to the event. Absolute numbers were not available, but there were 16 tables at the banquet, which translates to around 130 guests including vendors.
The show followed its usual format running Friday evening and Saturday at the Agriplex barn at the Cloverdale Exhibition grounds in Langley, B.C. Vendors reported some good activity fuelled by the ongoing strong B.C. economy. Draws were held for Show Bucks valid at any exhibiting vendor, a 50/50
13STK/16STK TRACK TRENCHER
The STK features Adjustable Trenching Controls (ATC) that use rod linkage instead of cables, and the ATC can be positioned to modify the trenching speed of the tracks individually while on the go. By utilizing the individual track controls, the operator has the ability to keep their trench straight when working on uneven terrain.
SHOW SEASON 2018
prize and a table full of other prizes throughout the day.
Banquet attendees heard from Colin Wilson of A World of Rentals in Kingston, Ont., who was there representing the national CRA board. Wilson is the national Ontario director. Wilson complimented B.C. on the lively event and reminded attendees about the many benefits CRA membership brings. Wes Friess of the Cat Rental Store, a B.C. director, MCed the night.
Rentquip won B.C. Supplier of the Year and Star Rentals was honoured with B.C. Rental Store of the Year. Mike Faulkner accepted on behalf of Rentquip and Rob Potter took the stage to accept for Star.
PRAIRIE REGIONAL TRADE SHOW
The sun shone brightly as the Canadian Rental Association hosted its annual Prairie Regional Trade Show in Edmonton, Alta., on March 9 and 10. The event started on Friday evening with a hospitality function that included an ample selection of finger foods and adult beverages. A casino night, along with prizes and a silent auction, entertained the crowd that evening. $1,645 was raised for the Doug Mitchell foundation.
The actual trade show was on Saturday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. Forty-nine exhibiting companies filled 120 booth spaces and provided plenty to see for the rental store attendees from across the prairies that attended the event. The $1,000 Show Bucks prize that was offered by the CRA was won by Jennifer Myers from Stettler Sales and Rentals from Stettler, Alta. The other large prize, a Snorkel S3008P scissor lift provided by Ahern Canada, was won by Brent Fillmore from Legacy Equipment in Edmonton, Alta. .
That evening 120 gathered for the dinner banquet back at the DoubleTree hotel. During the business portion of the evening the following awards were presented:
• Alberta Rental Store of the Year: All Choice Rentals from Drayton Valley, Alta.
• Doug Mitchell Supplier of the Year: Rentquip Canada
• CRA National Rental Person of the Year: Warren Carriere from QBI Equipment Management
Lastly, the prestigious Dickie-Doo award was won by Trevor Barnes from Rental Experts.
ATLANTIC REGIONAL TRADE SHOW
This year’s Canadian Rental Association Atlantic regional trade show was held in Moncton, N.B. on Feb. 9 and 10. It was a success on many levels with an increased number of vendors participating, an increased number of rental stores walking the event and..no snow storm!
Friday evening began with a meet-and-greet function followed by a warm welcome from the new Atlantic board president, Matt Brun. The record number of attendees enjoyed the delicious group meal that took place in the very hub of the show floor. Sales of the paper bag auction tickets were brisk before, during and after the meal, which made for an exciting auction later.
The entertainment for the night was a very talented
No matter what else goes on, rental trade shows will always be about the products. Show floors are where you can meet the experts who can help you a lot more than a website can.
singer and musician, who was able to create a fun and relaxed mood for the remainder of the evening. Our golf game challenge was again a popular activity, with a record amount of money being raised and donated to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Saturday began with a hearty breakfast and the AGM, which ran like clockwork, thanks to the Atlantic board. The trade show floor opened soon after and saw lots of deals and demos, right up until the conclusion of the show. There were Show Bucks draws and door prize draws to finish off the event.
QUEBEXPO
by Jasmine Lacoste-McCormick
Back in Drummondville for the second year in a row, 49 companies hailing from Canadian locales such as Gatineau, Rouyn-Noranda, Montreal and Edmonton, and as far away as Europe, China and the United States, attended the Canadian Rental Association’s Quebexpo 2018. More than just an equipment show, the exposition generated valuable networking opportunities for newcomers and regulars with its lunches and ever-popular cocktail hour on opening night.
Returning exhibitors included Skyjack, Contrax Equipment, Kubota, Inteq Distributors and Genie. Dominique Méthot from Rentquip Canada, and associate director on the CRA board, observed that the exposition was enjoying an increased attendance in visitors this year. “Quebexpo is an opportunity for us to meet clients face-to-face who are based far away,” commented Paul Astudillo, market development specialist for Wacker Neuson. One of this year’s newcomers was Pierre Benetreau, CEO and “ringmaster” of LP Tent. The company’s roots as a touring European circus were evident in its patented, steel-framed pop-up tents and inflatables, designed for intuitive set-up. Marie-Pier Vachon, controller for SOSLocation.ca, attended Quebexpo many times as a buyer before setting up her own booth this year to showcase the business’ electric and diesel boom lifts. Wallenstein displayed its signature log splitters and wood chippers, handmade in Ontario for over 25 years. Several vendors highlighted the visibility and partnership possibilities with rental centres offered by the show. CRS
light tower is equipped with four 1,000-watt metal halide lamps, which can illuminate an area up to 43,000 square feet with an average brightness of 20 lux. The HiLight V4W includes a manually operated vertical mast, which rotates 360 degrees and provides a maximum operating height of 25 feet. To assist with the manual mast, Atlas Copco also provides an electric winch option. The mast can withstand wind speeds of up to 51 miles per hour.
LASER-CLAD BLADE
8billygoat.com
Billy Goat’s Next Gen hydrodrive 18-inch sod cutter now features an exclusive laserclad cutting blade which provides a hardened leading edge that offers three times longer blade life. The blade has a uniquely coated edge with proprietary powder material. When tested in harsh sandy conditions, the blade showed 0.04 grams of edge loss over 180 hours of
use compared to the same loss on other blades at only 60 hours of use. By retaining sharp blade edges longer, rental stores save blade replacement downtime and their customers enjoy a cleaner cut, easier handling and effortless advancement. The recently released Next Gen is built upon the most rugged frame in the industry and features a heavy-duty gear box and cutting system with oversized sealed bearings, tight shaft-mounted eccentrics and a one-inch lateral stability bar – all designed to perform in the industry’s most rugged conditions providing the next level in durability. The unit also features the popular variable speed fingertip control in both forward and reverse – similar to the innovative Billy Goat hydro-drive overseeder and brushcutter controls – for consistent feel, simple operation and reliability in any cutting conditions. Compared to multiple settings on other machines, the SC181H offers easy-to-use, set-and-forget blade depth adjustment where users can simply adjust depth to 2.5 inches with a single lever from the operator station. The unit comes with a rear caster wheel for curved cuts that locks when straight
cutting. Unique drive wheels clear mud and improve grip for added control. For golf applications (softer touch, bent grass, shallow cuts) knobby tires are now available (model number SC181HG).
AUTOMATIC PRIMING
8cp.com
Chicago Pneumatic Power Technique launched a new line of CCP vacuum prime centrifugal pumps at The Rental Show in New Orleans. The three pumps include four, six and eight-inch models. Efficient and versatile, these medium-flow pumps are suitable for many industries including construction, general de-watering and emergency applications, such as flood cleanup. The pump system consists of a centrifugal pump and an air and water separator, which enables air to be separated from the liquid and be sucked by a vacuum pump making automatic priming possible. Even with suction heights of several meters, the machine rapidly evacuates the air from the suction pipe and starts to pump. Furthermore, a semiopen impeller allows the CCP range to pump liquids with solids in suspension. All three sizes of unit feature rapid dry priming up to a height of 27.5 feet and a high resistance to abrasive liquids and sandy waters. A rotary vane vacuum pump is lubricated with an oil recovery system and coalescing filters, which will not contaminate the environment. Additionally, the castiron-lined wear plates are
easily replaceable. The control panel includes a display with six languages, an hour meter, a rev counter, a battery voltmeter, a throttle rod or buttons and an emergency stop button. For safe operation, the engine automatically shuts down in the event there is low oil pressure or lack of battery charging, while an engine failure alarms with LED lights and a display message for the operator.
MORE SEED ROWS
8classenturfcare.com
Classen now offers its Pro HTS20 hydro-drive overseeder. The self-propelled machine features the industry’s tightest blade placement, providing 13 seed rows in a 20-inch swath for a thicker, carpet-like coverage. The unit’s double-edge, double-blade reel spaces the blades a narrow 1.5 inches apart to provide greater than 15 per cent more rows of seed than competitive units. Depth can be set in any of 10 settings from zero inches to 1.625 inches to attain the proper depth for the seed. This allows for better seed placement to refresh existing turf, establish new grass or tackle a weedy lawn.
Classen’s Pro Overseeder features a 40-pound-capacity floating seed box that follows the contours of the terrain whether it includes bumps, dips or uneven areas to ensure consistent seed placement. The floating seed box also locks in place for seeding on hills and slopes. A seed
agitator inside the seed box breaks up seed clumps caused by dew and humidity. The hydrostatic drive delivers smooth power flow in forward and reverse. This means less physical strain and enhanced productivity. The nine-horsepower Honda engine offers operating speeds as fast as three miles per hour forward and 1.5 miles per hour reverse.
TWO COMPRESSORS IN ONE
8doosanportablepower.com
The Tier 4 Final–compliant P425/HP375 dual-pressure and dual-flow air compressor
from Doosan Portable Power delivers the pressure and flow options typical of two units in a single air compressor. Operating at either 425 cubic feet per minute at 100 pounds per square inch or 375 CFM at 150 PSI, the variable settings are suited to a wide range of applications, including general construction, abrasive blasting and structural steel spray paint-
ing. Powered by a Cummins QSB 4.5-liter Tier 4 Final–compliant engine, the P425/ HP375 offers the great performance and reliability expected from Doosan portable power air compressors. Emissions technology includes selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) aftertreatment, which is virtually maintenance-free.
Walking the tightrope
by Jeff Thorne
This topic is one that creates challenges in many workplaces: when wearing personal protective equipment interferes with one’s religious beliefs. When these situations arise, human rights legislation is pitted against occupational health and safety legislation and employers that accommodate a worker’s religious request may be in contravention of health and safety requirements. So, what do you do?
It’s clear in human rights legislation that discriminating on the basis of a person’s religious beliefs is prohibited. It is also clear in occupational health and safety legislation that employers have a primary duty to provide information, instruction and supervision and take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of the worker. Employers have the duty of balancing the effort between keeping the worker safe and accommodating religious requests.
The primary topic that has received the most attention over the years deals specifically with hard hats and turbans. This has been discussed and evaluated since 1985 in the Bhinder vs. Canadian National Railway case where Mr. Bhinder worked as a maintenance electrician in the coach yard for four years. CN Rail changed policy and announced that everyone who worked in the yard would have to wear a hard hat. As a member of the Sikh religion, Mr. Bhinder was forbidden to wear anything over top of his turban and refused to wear the hard hat. Because of his decision, he was fired. He filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission stating that he had been discriminated against based on his religious beliefs.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found CN had engaged in a discriminatory practice and ordered reinstatement of Mr. Bhinder and compensation for lost wages. The Federal Court of Appeal set aside the decision and referred it back for disposition on the basis that the new rule was not discriminatory. Did the hard hat rule discriminate against Mr. Bhinder on religious grounds? Did the employer have a duty to accommodate short of undue hardship?
The answer to these questions came in December of 1985. The Supreme Court of
Canada ruled that the decision to have hard hats worn was a bona fide occupational requirement: a rule or requirement that was made in good faith with the intention of achieving its stated business purpose and not as a means of skirting the law. In this case, it was determined that hard hats were a genuine job-related requirement, so there was no discrimination and therefore nothing to accommodate.
This decision has risen on numerous occasions since then and has been consistent when the employer can show that the job cannot be done without the requirement in place. There was a similar case in 2006 where turban-wearing Sikhs applied for an exemption to wearing hard hats and lost in arbitration. They were reassigned to an area where hard hats weren’t necessary. Another case arose in 2008 when two mill workers objecting to a mandatory hard hat policy were simply reassigned to a less dangerous part of the mill. Both cases were in B.C. where members of the Sikh religion are not required to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. One of the most recent decisions came in 2016 where the Quebec Superior Court has ruled against an application to have hard hats exempted for turban-wearing Sikhs at the Port of Montreal. This is not to say that you don’t accommodate, but there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration. Considerations may include investigating alternative approaches that do not have a discriminatory effect. Employers must consider whether it is necessary for all employees to follow the standard for the employer to accomplish the stated objective, or if group or individual differences could be established. Where employers rely on safety standards to support undue hardship, they must be able to identify the specific hazards the individual or group may be exposed to and they must provide convincing evidence that the safety concerns outweigh the obligations owed to an individual seeking accommodation based on religious beliefs. CRS
Jeff Thorne is manager of training at Occupational Safety Group.
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