Kacie Brewer admittedly likes to shop, so her first instinct was to work in retail. However, a retail internship while she was in college convinced her to consider other industries, including the equipment and event rental industry.
“I first got involved in the rental industry by working as a human resources representative for a rental company that was then acquired by United Rentals. I only had been in the industry about nine months prior to the acquisition, so I didn’t fully understand the scope of the equipment rental industry and what the opportunities were at that time,” Brewer says.
“My husband was a construction project manager at the time and had mentioned looking into the construction rental industry a few times, but actually finding a home in rental was just happenstance, yet meant to be,” she says.
Brewer, 33, now is manager, inclusion and diversity programs for United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company based in Stamford, Conn., with Brewer working for the company in Houston.
“What really attracted me to the rental industry specifically were the people and networks that are a part of it,” she says.
At United Rentals, she is part of a pioneering team in the diversity, equity and inclusion space for the construction and rental industries.
“It has been a dream. There is so much opportunity and I’m thankful every day that I am on this journey,” she says.
“The best part of my job is the daily interaction with our team at United Rentals. What I do at United Rentals touches all employees and departments. I love collaborating with others to help create a better United Rentals for our team, customers, communities and industry partners,” Brewer says.
When she was growing up, she initially wanted to be a medical doctor with a goal of helping others. “However, I learned through my late teenage years that I was not meant for a life in medicine as the sight of blood brings me to feeling faint. Fortunately, I found my calling in helping others in a different way,” she says.
Having worked in human resources, Brewer says a way to “sell” a rental career to students and prospective employees is by focusing on the excitement and camaraderie of the industry.
“I wouldn’t market things as a ‘rental career,’ but as a career for you if you like working with people, making lasting relationships, building your network, and finding personal and professional growth,” she says.
During the pandemic, Brewer says she learned that everyone has the ability to adapt and change for better and persevere, no matter what.
“We all can learn new helpful methods for connecting through technology as long as you have a good internet connection. There is so much I have learned over the last year that I hope I never forget,” she says.