THE GLOBAL RENTAL ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP
The following article provides information regarding how The Global Rental Alliance began and how we are functioning today. We hope you enjoy learning about us and that you will visit this web site often. Please feel free to contact our organizations to learn more about how we serve our members and our role in the global industry of equipment rental.
Pictured (front row-left to right) are: Andrew Paquette, President, Canadian Rental Association (CRA); Graham Arundell, Managing Director, Hire Association Europe (HAE); Chris Wehrman, CEO, American Rental Association (ARA); Phil Newby, CEO, Hire & Rental Industry Association (HRIA-Australia); Michel Petitjean, Secretary General, European Rental Association; (back row-left to right) Wayne Beckett, Senior Vice President, CRA; Terry Douris, President, HAE; Kevin McGuinness, Chairman, HAE; Buddy Stubbs, Chairman of the Board, ARA; Peter Lancken, Board Representative, HRIA; and Neil Wallis, National President, HRIA. Association not present: Hire Industry Association of New Zealand (HIANZ).
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How We Began...
Initial discussions to form a network of equipment rental organizations began in February 2001 at The Rental Show in Orlando, Fla., among staff executives from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Further discussions held over the course of the next year encouraged the associations to join together in a forum to discuss mutual interests.
Representatives of these countries (with the exception of New Zealand) and France met at The Rental Show 2003 in Anaheim, Calif., and agreed to form The Global Rental Alliance, an informal network among the peer rental associations. Because of their previously expressed interest, the New Zealand association was included. Each association represents rent-to-rent equipment rental businesses and suppliers/manufacturers. They serve a broad base of rental members with a diverse inventory of rental equipment which, while country specific, is fairly universal in the segments of construction, general tool/homeowner and party/event rental.
Universal topics identified to focus upon included membership programs, equipment theft, research/statistics on the industry, government related issues, rental careers, environmental matters, insurance, and safety/risk management. An important priority was to share information and learn from one another.
The purpose of The Global Rental Alliance was defined as, “To increase the profile of equipment rental worldwide and increase membership value to the respective membership associations.” The group functions informally through networking, personal relationships developed on behalf of their associations, and ongoing communication.
And by This Time….
In 2007, the newly formed European Rental Association (ERA) was formally accepted into Alliance membership. Each year, Alliance objectives are reviewed in the context of complementing the program work of their respective organizations.
The working relationship among all the associations has continued to strengthen since 2001, with travel among and from the respective organizations as guests or speakers. The Global Rental Alliance International Exchange Program, administered by the ARA Foundation, has been developed and is in place. A web site has been established. Information is being shared among the associations, and each respective organization continues to effectively serve their membership. The Alliance continues to raise the awareness of equipment rental worldwide and increase membership value to the respective membership associations.
Global Rental Alliance Objectives 2012-2013