Only thing constant in life is change...

ELKabong · Jul 11, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-07 AT 03:31PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-07 AT 03:03?PM (MST)

Whelp... after a 40 year run, we (me and my bro) are shutting down our family-owned equipment rental store here in SLC...
Big auction end of July.
If ya can't make money, go fishing.
I'm going fishing...
(right after I find a yob...)

Russ

( hay Rut?? Can I move in with you?? ;-) I'd ask Rimrock, butt after I accidentally knocked him senceless in Cabela's last sunday I know he'd tell me to F O! )

Cannon · Jul 11, 2007

Russ
thats too bad!
After 40 years you can't make money??
The construction appears to be booming!
What rental store?
What equipment?
From the outside looking in equipment rental is easy $$$$$$$$$
What is the major down fall?
best of luck to you, if you get a job it might be like a vacation after working for yourself!

CANNON

NVBighorn · Jul 11, 2007

I imagine the investment in the equipment has to be killer. Lots of capital tied up there.

ZToo bad you can make it continue to pay. I know the feeling.

ELKabong · Jul 11, 2007

Lots of reasons... a realestate deal that has gone bad was the last straw.
We have relied on light contractor/home owner stuff for too long, so with the Hoe Depoe doing rentals (we are right in between 2 of 'em) and Harbor Freight selling cheap chinese crapp(right around the corner), it has been tuff.

It cracks me up when someone says rental is easy money!
It would be... 'cept fer insurance, high equipment costs, lots of damage thus repair, theft, maintenance, etc...etc...

ELKabong · Jul 11, 2007

>I imagine the investment in the
>equipment has to be killer.
>Lots of capital tied up
>there.
>
>ZToo bad you can make it
>continue to pay. I know
>the feeling.

Yes, equipment costs are skyrocketing... rental rate have not followed suit.

eelgrass · Jul 11, 2007

ELK-bong, now I see your problem. You gotta upgrade once in awhile! You can't rent stuff like this out!

Just kidding! I know it's scary trying to start from scratch. Especially with buddies like Rut and Rimrock. Rimrock is good with money though. With him as Treasurer of NTHA we filed Chapter 11 within one year.

Good luck!

Eel

RIMROCK338 · Jul 11, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-07 AT 07:50PM (MST)[p]
Eelgrass: IF the equipment was half that new someone would be cutting some tall cotton

...I knew a guy Named Tony Price that went out of business (Chevy dealer) beacuse he couldn't sell his cars cheaper than Menlove Dodge

...So I guess if you can't run with the big boys you had better stay on the porch

..RIMROCK

ELKabong · Jul 12, 2007

'Cat, yea... chinese take a tool 'an copy it egg-sactly, other than small details like the grade of steel used, number of windings on the armature, quality of the bearings, etc...

Eel, we had an old 2 cyl odd-fire Deere 25 years ago! great old tractor.

Actually, we've been turning over the large stuff no later than 2 years, so we always have a decent unit for the customer.

Guess I better get back up on the porch...

huntindude · Jul 12, 2007

Sad to hear it, we had three rental outfits in my county a few years ago, now one mega chain store is all that's left. just like Wal Mart they ran the local guys out of business then raised their prices, the service sucks also. the big get bigger and the small get smaller, it's sad but I don't know what you can do about it.

Cannon · Jul 12, 2007

ELKabong
Didn't mean to sound like it "is" easy $$$ just that from the out side looking in. After renting equipment for 20 plus years, anything broke the contractor gets charged or has to pay for insurance, take something back empty and get an education of "high" gas prices etc.

Remember the "old construction rental"??
They sky rocketed and then sold out!!

Anytime you run your own business there is lots of work involved, it's never easy untill you have some good people doing all the work!! I think key people are the ticket!!
With small business its hard to keep some good people.
Young kids don't know the meaning of hard work, but I think that is our own fault.

Sorry to see small family owned business falling to the big boys, happens to some good busineses!

Cheap tools are SH!T can't stand them, but when 2-3 days rental is more than the tool you don't have much choice!!

Hope all works out for your self and brother
CANNON