GE Capital expands financing program for construction equipment dealers to support growth in rentals

Words: Lisa AikenGE Capital, Equipment Finance announced that it is expanding its financing program for dealers to purchase construction equipment for use in their rental fleets. About half of U.S. dealers offer rentals in addition to sales – a figure that’s expected to grow in 2014 and beyond.

According to the American Rental Association’s Rental Market Monitor service, the construction and industrial segment of the rental industry will grow 9.1 percent to $24.4 billion in 2014 and 10.5 percent to $26.9 billion in 2015 in the U.S.

“At a time when contractors and construction companies are reluctant to commit to large purchases, equipment dealers are seeing success by offering end-users the latest machines without the big payments,” said Jim Kelly, managing director of GE Capital’s Vendor Finance business.

Dealers typically pay cash for equipment that costs less than $10,000 each, but may be interested in financing more expensive equipment, Kelly explained, particularly through GE Capital’s offer of line-item financing where equipment is purchased unit-by-unit, allowing dealers more flexibility than an asset-based loan for a pool of equipment.

Equipment rentals have grown in each of the past three years, according to Frank Manfredi, president of Manfredi & Associates, Inc., a market research and consulting firm that specializes in the industrial sector of the rental industry. He estimates that about half of U.S. dealers offer rentals in addition to sales and he expects the market for equipment rentals to continue to grow.
About: Tools
Installation Starts Before the First Course
August 2026

Some of the most expensive masonry installation problems begin long before crews arrive onsite. By the time a project reaches the field, many coordination decisions have already been made. Dimensional conflicts, congested reinforcement, specialty materia

Designing for Performance: Key Considerations for Efficient, Durable Masonry Projects
August 2026

A successful masonry project starts well before the first stone is set. The craftsmanship on site matters, of course, but many of the decisions that shape the final result are made much earlier—during design, detailing, and material selection. Those choic

Change Orders: Standard Operating Procedure
August 2026

In masonry construction, change orders are not occasional events; they are guaranteed. Drawings do not always match field conditions, specifications can conflict, and real-world construction has a way of exposing gaps in design. At DRP Masonry, we operat

RFIs: Clarity, Communication and... Hierarchy?
August 2026

In construction, any project starts with drawings. Plans. Schedules. Specifications. Whether we're talking about new construction, additions, or restoration, there is a plan, there is design intent, and a way every piece of a project needs to fit together