Rental industry is more woman-friendly, but further change would be beneficial

Mar. 27, 2022

With more and more women taking leadership roles in their rental operations, be it as managers, chief financial officers or even presidents, they are being noticed and recognized for their expertise and buying power.

“There has been a rise of women in all types of industries, including what were traditionally known as male-dominated industries. Just as we have put a focus on women in the equipment and event rental industry, there has been a focus on women in construction, women in asphalt and women in engineering. In our industry, we have seen transitions in families with women taking over their parents’ rental operations as well as women starting their own companies,” says Beth Hoff Blackmer, president, Aspen Rent-All, Basalt, Colo., who serves on the American Rental Association’s (ARA) Women in Rental Committee.

Their male counterparts are supporting the rise of women in the industry, too.

Beth Hoff Blackmer

“What was so fantastic is that when we were starting to talk about and look into forming the ARA Women in Rental Committee, the men on the board embraced helping us have a voice and recognized that there are many women in the industry who are owners and decision-makers,” Hoff Blackmer says.

When the first Women in Rental Breakfast at The ARA Show™ sold out, the ensuing Women in Rental Committee expanded offerings at the show and a recent in-person summit in San Antonio — all attracting a record number of women — there was no question about the need for women to gather, share, mentor and support each other.

“The success has just been fantastic. It’s been great to see that energy in the industry and the people who are already working in it. The excitement about the ability to connect with each other has been wonderful,” Hoff Blackmer says.

“The turnout at these events highlights that there are so many women in our industry,” says Rachel O’Brien, president, J & F Reddy Rents, St. Louis Park, Minn., who served as the 2021 chair of the ARA Insurance board. “Women shouldn’t think they are only one of a few in the industry. No, there are a lot of women out there. We need to get them even more active. All of us women need to speak up more, volunteer, sit on committees, show up to a summit or come to the webinars. There is so much to learn from each other and in our industry so we can help each other out.”

That support from ARA and the men on the ARA board has continued, not only for women but for all who could be marginalized. “We have very strong support on the board level, having made a strong effort with our strategic plan and our core values to embrace diversity. That will continue on the state boards, too. I would never want to throw somebody in to just have a body in there. It needs to be a successful and good candidate, but there is room for growth. Everyone supports that effort,” Hoff Blackmer says.

Another positive is that more and more women are on the show floor — on both the vendor and rental sides, O’Brien notes.

Rachel O’Brien

“I am in tool, so I am seeing more in the tool area. I am seeing more female salespeople, too, which is great. And the male salespeople are slowly getting better at talking to women on the show floor and realizing that this is the person who can actually buy the equipment and ask technical questions — that we are not just there to do research,” she says.

For instance, when O’Brien was looking at air compressors at the show, she found one company had different cylinders for its compressors. “I asked a question about that. The one male sales rep knew I had done my homework. We chatted and figured out what would be the best for my store. It was a good interaction. I think more companies are paying attention. Between all the marketing that ARA has done for women in rental and when they see us come in with our big pink Women in Rental buttons, I think that has helped them become more aware and has awakened them. I also think there has been more education from their companies too,” she says.

This is in stark contrast to what O’Brien, Hoff Blackmer and other women experienced in the past at vendor booths.

“I went into a vendor booth and couldn’t find my rep,” Hoff Blackmer recalls. “I stood there a number of minutes looking around the booth. Then one guy finally broke away from a group of other salesmen he was chatting with as there weren’t very many customers in the booth. He looked at me and I told him my situation. He looked around and said he didn’t see my rep, turned around and completely ignored me. I texted my rep and said he lost a $30,000 order that day. Needless to say, my rep wasn’t very happy with his company at that point. I have not used that vendor since.”

O’Brien has experienced the same irritating encounters. “My husband, who is not involved in the business at all, stopped coming to the booth with me because the reps kept coming up to him. He kept telling them that they better talk with me because I am the one who owns and knows the business and will be deciding what we purchase,” she says.

Both Hoff Blackmer and O’Brien say other women have had those types of experiences at vendor booths. They also know that they and other women have had similar experiences while working the rental counters at their stores. Some male customers who came into their stores had trouble comprehending that these women could be owners and actually knew the ins and outs of their rental equipment.

Even with these positive changes, Hoff Blackmer and O’Brien say that more could be done to make this a better situation for women.

“We need to continue to see more women on the vendor side,” O’Brien says. “I know sales is really hard and you are on the road a lot, so I hope to see more family-friendly support for women who are on the road in sales positions. I also think there is still the stereotype that women are not the owners. That needs to change.”

Hoff Blackmer has still had instances when vendors have not seen her as the decision-maker. “It is not as egregious as my first experience, which is good,” she says. “It just shows it’s an education process. It is happening here, nationally and worldwide now. It shows that we have more work to do.”