A message from your regional director

Hello, Region Four members,

Spring always brings more activity for rental operations and for our American Rental Association (ARA) state chapters.

We had a great return to in-person events in Oklahoma during late February. Thank you, Oklahoma, for jumping back into in-person events! It was great to see and connect with all who attended.

One of the speakers at the event was James Auerbach, ARA vice president of the event segment. He spoke about why ARA membership matters. Specifically, what resources and tools we have at our fingertips — all to use at our discretion as ARA members. This includes, but is not limited to, access to:

• Business insurance policies tailored specifically for the rental industry, thanks to ARA Insurance.
• Customizable online training for employees and owners alike from RentalU. The latest includes the Certified MEWP (mobile elevating work platform) training, the new Certified Sales and Certified Service courses and the new prioritized safety courses. Look inside this issue and the April issue of Rental Management for more details on the Certified programs.
• The ARA Job Posting Portal, which allows your postings to be seen by thousands of candidates per month. Each open position is shared among more than 15 additional national and local job boards with whom ARA has partnered, including Careerbuilder.com, Military.com, Google Jobs and Facebook Jobs. Take advantage of the five free postings by using the promo code ARA-5Free2022.
• A new solution for ARA members’ group health-care needs that will launch May 1. This is an initiative ARA has been working on for a long time. Now it is coming to fruition. Learn more about this important program in this issue.

With the wide array of offerings, it is clear that ARA is an association that has our backs!

Speaking of changes and new implementations, one thing that you may not know is that James Auerbach and Josh Nickell (ARA vice president of the equipment segment) are heading up ARA’s membership team by focusing on the sectors they spent much of their careers in. James comes with years of experience in the event segment and likewise Josh on the equipment side of rental. It is great to know that you are speaking to someone who has walked a mile in your shoes should you ever need help. They are probably two of the best ‘hidden’ secrets ARA has in its toolbox. James and Josh are active on social media as well, so if you have any day-to-day questions, check ARA’s Event Rental and ARA’s Equipment Rental groups on Facebook.

For those in Louisiana, you won’t want to miss the ARA of Louisiana’s two-day event April 20-21 that combines legislative action, golf and a great crawfish boil. Discover details in this newsletter.

Then, on June 27-28, the Texas Rental Association has planned its next Roundup at the family-friendly Margaritaville Lake Conroe Resort in Montgomery, Texas. This is another event you will want to take advantage of. Learn more and how to register in this issue.

I look forward to seeing you at these and other gatherings in the months to come. Remember that connecting with others in the industry and learning new strategies are key to helping all of us bring our best game to the table and make our businesses better. Let’s take advantage of the tools and resources available to us. I know they will make a difference for you and your business.

Bryce Puckett, Region Four director
Kirby-Smith Machinery
Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas
817-937-0581
bpuckett@kirby-smith.com