In this episode of The Rental Roundtable, Dan Crowley, founder of Peer Executive Groups (PEG), shares what he’s hearing from hundreds of rental companies across the industry.
From AI adoption to strategic planning, Dan explains how technology, people, and community are shaping the next phase of growth, and why now is the time to start planning for 2026.
Every day, 14 to 18 construction workers die by suicide - a rate far higher than jobsite accidents.
In this episode, Dr. Vince Hafeli, President of Ajax Paving, shares his personal journey with depression and how it led him to champion mental health awareness across the construction industry. He explains why mental health has to start at the top, how leaders can use existing resources to make an impact, and what it means to truly lead with empathy.
Most rental companies try to serve everyone, but the smartest ones focus on the few who matter most.
In this episode, Nick Mavrick, CEO of BiltData.ai, shares how independents can use focus, data, and personalized service to outsmart national chains and build stronger, more profitable rental businesses. He explains why just 3% of customers can drive over 60% of your business, and how identifying and serving those top accounts can transform your growth strategy.
The global rental industry is evolving fast, and Australia offers a glimpse into its future.
In this episode, Rental Journal host Michael Larsen joins The Rental Roundtable to share lessons from Australia’s $6.5B rental market, where independents thrive by focusing on relationships, service, and specialty solutions. We also dive into what 200+ podcast interviews have taught him about leadership, authenticity, and the power of people in the equipment rental business.
Brandywine Rentals started as a small family business, but in the last decade, it’s grown from two employees to forty.
COO Haymond Meinhardt shares how learning every part of the business, from driving trucks to building a sales team, helped fuel that growth, and what it takes to scale a rental company in a competitive market.
Frustrated by poor service and outdated equipment, Jeff Van Dongen launched Econorent to raise the standard in equipment rental.
He shares how the company scaled quickly with young fleets, rural delivery, and a rental-first model, and why digital transformation in rental is accelerating fast.
Truck rental is exploding — and for good reason. Contractors are realizing that renting trucks offers tax advantages, predictable costs, and fewer headaches compared to owning.
In this episode of the Rental Roundtable, Chris Keys of Premier Truck Rental (PTR) explains why contractors are making the switch, how the AI-driven data center boom is fueling demand, and the culture and sales model that helped PTR scale to 15,000 trucks in just 11 years.
Rob Mayes, General Manager at Empower Rental Group, shares how he went from finance to running two rental branches, and what he’s learned along the way.
Hear how he navigated the shift from a scrappy independent to a national player and now a fast-growing regional company, why relationships are everything, how “scrappiness” gives smaller companies an edge, and where AI fits in without replacing people.
Mike LeMaster, CEO of Black Star Auctions, shares how rental companies can sell equipment faster and maximize returns through national and international buyers.
He explains why most traditional listings fail and how flexible auction strategies turn slow-moving or retiring fleet into profitable opportunities.
Video marketing is one of the most powerful yet underused tools in the equipment rental industry.
Dave Timpone, Marketing Director at Luby Equipment, shares how rental companies can capture authentic content with just a phone, repurpose it across LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, and use AI to save hours in content creation.
Learn practical strategies to boost engagement, generate leads, and turn everyday operations into high-impact marketing.
Most of the drilling industry still sees equipment ownership as the only option—but Rig Source CEO Jake Rockafellow is out to change that.
He shares how his team educates customers on renting vs. owning, builds a high-performance culture, and uses data systems to scale. Along the way, Jake reveals why in-person visits still win in a digital world and what the future holds for specialty rental.
This week’s Rental Roundtable features a rare insider perspective on one of the most influential companies in the rental industry. Joe Kondrup, co-founder of United Rentals and now CEO of Catalyst Strategic Advisors, joins Kyle alongside Josh Mosko, a 25-year rental veteran who recently joined Catalyst after helping build United’s early specialty business.In this episode:
Joe and Josh explain how technology, timing, and strategy shape the value of every rental business.
In this episode, Ben Bradshaw, Executive Vice President of North American Sales at Genie, shares insights from his 23-year journey from yard worker to executive leadership.
He explains why the days of casual drop-ins are over and how intentional, value-driven sales can set rental companies apart. You’ll learn:
How to build long-term, trust-based customer partnerships
Why deep knowledge of your customer’s business is your biggest sales advantage
Strategies for independents to compete against national firms
The power of focusing on a specific market niche
Career advice to bloom where you’re planted and excel in your current role
Hear stories, lessons, and practical strategies to strengthen customer relationships and grow in today’s competitive rental market.
Dan Maitland, Fleet Manager at Ajax Paving, has worked on both sides of the rental industry. From sales and branch management to managing a construction fleet, he shares practical tips on building trust, running effective account reviews, and improving customer retention in the equipment rental business.
Rebecca Warnick returns to the Rental Roundtable to break down the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the major tax bill passed on July 4th, and what it means for rental businesses.
We cover:
Rebecca shares what’s exciting, what’s risky, and how to plan ahead with this bill in mind.
The construction industry is facing the longest backlog of work in history, with contractors booked through 2027.
In this episode, Luke Powers, founder and CEO of Gear Flow, explains why procurement is the missing link, and how digitizing it can save contractors millions. We cover the true cost of downtime ($234 per minute!), why independents thrive, and how AI will shape the future of construction workflows.
In this episode of the Rental Roundtable, we sit down with Garrett Schemmel, known as “the equipment data guy,” to explore how the rental industry’s relationship with data has transformed over the past decade. From mailing out quarterly pricing books to integrating real-time APIs and embracing AI, Garrett shares a firsthand look at this massive data evolution.
We cover:
The rise of equipment data from 2011 to today
Why standardizing data taxonomies is still a major hurdle
Practical ways rental companies can start using AI tools right now
How AI will reshape pricing, utilization tracking, and even sales prospecting
Advice for challenging “mindset gridlock” in your business
What does it take to grow from cleaning bathrooms to running an entire rental operation?
Eddie Wilson, General Manager at City Rentals, joins The Rental Roundtable to share his incredible journey from an entry-level yard position to leading one of the most respected independent rental businesses in California.
He discusses building a strong team culture, preventing theft, and adapting to today’s changing rental market.
AI agents aren’t coming—they’re already here.
In this episode of Rental Roundtable, we’re joined by Jesse Buckingham, former CEO of Record360 and founder of Vooma, to explore how AI is actively transforming the freight industry, and what that means for the future of rental.
Jesse walks us through a live demo of a voice AI agent that can answer calls, qualify carriers, and book freight with zero human involvement. This isn’t a future prediction. It’s already handling thousands of calls a day.
“AI is answering thousands of calls every day for brokers across America.”
Steven Eisenstein, owner of Classic Tents and Events, shares how he scaled a small tent rental company into a 96-person operation serving movie sets, major sporting events, and even the Secret Service. From building a strong team culture to developing custom software, Steven breaks down the systems behind his growth, and what makes Atlanta’s event rental market unique.