TEXTILES.ORG
Attendance at The Rental Show 2011 displayed a marked increase over 2010, reflecting a renewed optimistic attitude throughout the rental industry. The show was held Feb. 27–March 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
According to Christine Wehrman, American Rental Association CEO, “Attendees demonstrated they were here to buy equipment, strengthen their businesses and celebrate their industry.” The number of rental business personnel in attendance increased nearly 40 percent over the previous year’s show, while the number of rental businesses represented increased just under 30 percent. Attendees came from the U.S., Canada and 39 other countries.
“The best part of the show in 2011 was the mood of the customers,” said Dave Garton, marketing manager of John Deere Construction & Forestry, Moline, Ill. “After a couple years of heads down, walk-right-past-our-booth traffic, it was great to see some long-time friends stop by to talk about machine purchases. It was even better to meet some new contacts and learn about their business. The best word to sum the show up actually comes from one of our customers who said people seem to have more confidence than they have in the past.”
Tim Ford, president of Terex AWP, Redmond, Wash., said, “I think the message for this year is that the industry is back. The companies we’re doing business with, the marketplace we serve and the products that we make are making a rebound as we thought they would. The industry is making a turn. You can feel it in the energy level of our customers.”