The ARA of Chicagoland’s Annual Golf Outing on May 10 at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, Lemont, Ill., offered the perfect combination: a shotgun scramble golfing format, networking, cocktails and dinner, which made the event “a big success,” says primary coordinator Stephen “Sal” Salvatori, who serves as ARA of Chicagoland vice president and treasurer.
“We had 105 golfers and about 20 additional people for dinner. Everyone enjoyed themselves. A lot of great networking took place. We had nice weather, too. It was hot, but it wasn’t 50 and rainy like it had been for the last 40 days and nights,” says Salvatori, president, Event Equipment Rentals & Sales, Hodgkins, Ill., who also serves as an ARA of Illinois board member.
Terry Trusgnich, president, Aide Rentals & Sales II, Highland, Ind., who attended with his wife, Karen, agrees.
“I have been going for 35 or 40 years. The course is beautiful. They do a really first-class job. It is really fun. We go to laugh it up and have a good time. We don’t really care what we shoot. I think we were in the middle of the pack. It’s always enjoyable. The dinner also was great — always way too much food,” he says.
American Rental Association’s (ARA) Aaron Bonick, associate member account specialist, and Scott Anselm, senior account specialist, equipment segment, also attended from ARA headquarters in Moline, Ill.
“We were excited to attend this event,” Bonick says. “It was really nice to get out and network with members of our local Illinois association. Being able to talk with members strengthens relationships between them and those of us at ARA headquarters. That is beneficial to all of us.”
During the golf event, Bonick and Anselm were teamed with Mike Burns from CAM Associates and his son-in-law. “For the ARA portion of the team, Scott really held up his end. Let’s just say that I have no intention of quitting my day job,” Bonick says with a laugh. “We finished 2 under par, which wasn’t that bad for us. We all had a wonderful time and appreciate the invitation from the ARA of Chicagoland. It was a great day.”
For Trusgnich, the value of going comes from the “opportunity to rub elbows with your peers. If you had to distill what ARA is and always has been about is that we get together and solve problems. I always see people I know. I would go again in a heartbeat,” he says.
Salvatori echoes that sentiment. “This event has a legacy. It has been around for so many years. It kicks off the summer and allows event, construction and general tool companies from around the state to get together. Everyone enjoys themselves. It is a great networking and team-building event,” he says.
While Salvatori usually doesn’t have a chance to participate in the event because he is so busy with the coordination, he promises to change that next year. “I am going to play next year. I am going to make sure it happens,” he says.
Main sponsors of this year’s event included Ditch Witch Midwest, Douglass and MJ Miller Combined Cos. CAM Associates was the hole-in-one sponsor.