FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
2026 Midyear Meeting Registration is OPEN ↗

Rental industry trends upward

Words: Chris ColemanAn extremely active trade show floor, sold-out seminars, and positive energy and enthusiasm at The Rental Show 2013 in Las Vegas reflected the equipment rental industry’s upward trend.

The Rental Show 2013 marked the fourth straight year of increased attendance growth. The number of rental businesses represented increased this year as well and was the highest total since 2006, which was the 50th anniversary of The Rental Show. The total number of attendees was 5,365 from 2,480 rental businesses.

Attendees came from throughout the U.S., Canada and more than 40 countries to The Sands Expo and Convention Center for the Feb. 10-13 show.

“Overall, The Rental Show reflects where this industry is headed. Everyone anticipated a great show because of the attitude, tone and urgency we’ve seen from attendees on buying equipment,” said Christine Wehrman, CEO of the American Rental Association, organizers of The Rental Show.

“Everything about the Show was positive this year. The Events & Tents program on Saturday and the seminar day on Sunday were huge successes. Our sessions honoring our volunteer leaders were highly regarded and enjoyed by everyone,” she said.

ARA President Mike Blaisdell of Bunce Rental, Tacoma, Wash., also found this year’s Show electric. “It was great to see so much positive energy at The Rental Show this year with both attendees and exhibitors very optimistic about 2013 and beyond,” he said. “Attendees and exhibitors alike felt like the Show was well done and really enjoyed it. The educational sessions were well attended and received excellent reviews and, as always, the Show offered a lot of value and provided many opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer discussions that are impossible to get anywhere else.”

The perspective from exhibitors also was positive. Scott Smith, director of sales for Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla., said, “This year’s show was a tremendous success for our Ditch Witch organization. We saw a significant increase in traffic and all of the customers that we talked to were excited about the strong opportunities in the rental market for 2013 and beyond.”

Similar thoughts were shared by Pam Meyer, equipment sales manager for Subaru Industrial Power Products, Lake Zurich, Ill. “Subaru had a very good show. We were really happy with the increased attendance and the overall energy and excitement level of the rental store attendees,” she said. “Many attendees were armed with purchase orders in hand or a long list of items they needed to purchase when they came to the booth. That has not happened for several years. Subaru was also one of the exhibitors that was promoting the Show-Only Specials, which was a huge success. We’re looking forward to Orlando 2014!”

Next year, The Rental Show is Feb. 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Since the last Show in Orlando in 2010, the city has experienced a development renaissance with many new restaurants, hotels and attractions beyond the Disney complex. It’s also the No. 2 location on the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) list of the Top 250 Trade Shows in the U.S.

Watch TheRentalShow.com for the latest information on 2014.
 0
Chairman’s Message: When Things Don’t Go as Planned
June 2026

Not every day in this business goes the way we planned. Some days, everything lines up. The crew is moving well. Materials are on time. The job is flowing the way you hoped it would. And then there are the other days. The ones where something breaks. T

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Fechino Files: Trust Your Subs, Just Document!
June 2026

When I was working for a large masonry contractor, we typically performed masonry work with our own employees. When we would construct large Segmental Retaining Walls, often we would require a subcontractor who had larger equipment for different portions

Steve Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Borobudur
June 2026

For masonry contractors and suppliers, few structures offer as much practical insight as Borobudur. Built in the 9th century in Central Java, this massive stone monument remains as one of the most advanced examples of large-scale masonry construction ever

Cassandra Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
Wrapping Up Our Year And A Look Ahead
June 2026

It is amazing another year has gone by and what a year it has been. We have seen a lot of progress on so many fronts. All of this happens specifically due to the support of our members. Your support this past year is positioning our industry to make huge

Jeff B
President's Message
Read More