When the only rental operation in town closed, William (Bob) and Paula (Diane) Mullendore saw a community need and decided to address it. That was 33 years ago. Today, In-A-Pinch? Rent It! is a small rental operation that is filling a mighty niche by being a trusted rental resource for the residents of the greater Martinsville, Ind., area.
The plunge into rental seemed like a natural choice, recalls Erika Bauman, the Mullendores’ daughter who now runs the operation with her stepson, Alex.
“My parents had experience renting houses but not equipment. Even so, they saw the need and thought they could do something about it. They first brought equipment from home — a tiller, air compressor and such — and started renting them out of the used car lot they ran,” Erika says.
The community responded and the business took off. When another nearby rental operation closed, the Mullendores purchased some of that operation’s equipment. By 1987 they had outgrown their car lot and opened a store in Greenwood, Ind.
By 1997, the operation — which has catered primarily to the small contractor and homeowner markets since its founding, with just a few tables and chairs as its party inventory — had grown to the point where two locations were needed. “We built our second store in Martinsville, Ind., which is about 20 minutes from Greenwood,” Erika says.
As is the case with most family rental operations, Erika grew up in the business. “I was 12 years old in 1987 when we started. I began helping out after school and on weekends as a kid and have been here ever
since,” she says.
Alex followed his stepmother’s lead. “I started helping out in 1999 when I was young and still in school. I used to work in the summers, helping clean equipment,” he says.
In 2002, the Mullendores wanted to slow down a bit, so they decided to close the Greenwood store.
That turned out to be a blessing when the 2008 recession hit. “The store had already consolidated into the one location. We didn’t make any big purchases at that time and were able to make it through,” Alex says.
While Alex took a break from the business after graduating from high school, he came back in 2012. “My parents called and said they needed some help. I made the decision to come back. My wife and I had just had a baby and I wanted more stable hours,” he says.
After Alex joined Erika and two other employees, the Mullendores decided to retire.
“When I came on board full time as manager, I was well aware of our strengths — always offering great full service to our customers, including new and clean equipment — but I knew we needed to grow and get on the cutting edge of everything,” Alex says.
That is why he decided to become more involved in the American Rental Association (ARA). “We initially got involved with ARA because of the insurance. My grandparents needed better coverage. That was a great move for us. When I came back, ARA was beginning to talk about reactivating the Indiana chapter. I received a call to see whether I wanted to attend a reactivation meeting. I said, ‘Sure,’” Alex says.
That one meeting showed him the benefits of involvement with ARA. “I was hooked because of the ability to meet people, ask questions, etc. It is like everyone is a competitor but also like a best friend. That is how we got back involved with ARA in a bigger way. I guess I was the impetus and started having us go to The ARA Show™ and such. Now we close down our operation every year and have all four of us, including our spouses, attend the show,” says Alex, who serve as secretary on the ARA of Indiana board.
“The show is kind of like a family affair,” Erika adds. “We include the spouses because they are just as involved in the business as those of us who work here. We want everyone to have the show experience. We all attend the educational sessions and other show offerings.”
Alex says his involvement with ARA has made a direct impact on the business. “Being involved has made me a better rental operator. I feel like I have gained all this experience without having all the years under my belt,” he says.
Knowing he can call another rental operator with a question also comes in handy for a small rental operation in which everyone wears multiple hats, Alex notes. “We all just don’t do one job. It is a team effort for sure. We all do everything as we are dedicated to full service for our customers,” he says.
A direct result of this teamwork has been the creation of a family-type culture at the business, which has spilled over to their customers, too.
“We have loyal customers and are even seeing some of the next generation come in and use our services,” Alex says.
The team was concerned initially when the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit, but as an essential business they were surprised at how busy they remained throughout that time up to today.
“We couldn’t believe that the past two years have been some of our best years ever. Everyone has been home doing projects and coming to us for that equipment,” Alex says.
“Now we, like other rental operations, are dealing with equipment shortages and difficulty getting parts in time,” Alex says. “Another big problem is finding help. There are only four of us. We could really use another employee, but we are having trouble finding that person.”
Being a small operation hasn’t diminished their capacity to be strong online. “We made it a point to have an interactive website and stay active on social media. That is one of the major changes we have seen over the years — the need to have a good online presence. We invested in a good website. My wife, Lynlee, and Erika handle the marketing and social media. We try to post something every other day,” Alex says, noting how important it is as a small rental company to stay actively involved with their customers online as well as in the store.
Alex and Erika are proud of what their family rental operation has become and what it has meant to their community. “Our community sees us as the place to go for their equipment,” Erka says. “I am glad I have made my niche here. One of the key factors has been the people on our team. We have a real solid team.”
“There is a lot to running a rental operation, but I am glad I made that choice to come back,” Alex says. “We are growing the business and plan to double in size in the next year. We hope to carry on for more generations to come. I am the third generation. I have two children. It will be fun to see where we will go in the future. We just keep going with the flow, providing new, quality equipment for our customers and offering the full rental service. We are growing. Every day is different. That’s fun.”