Come rain or shine, one thing that members of the Minnesota equipment and event rental community can count on year after year is the ARA of Minnesota’s summer get-together. This year, members were offered two separate opportunities to reconnect for some fun and long-awaited camaraderie: the annual “Summer Cruise” and a “Day at the Lake.”
First up was the Summer Cruise, which took place July 14-15. By car and motorcycle, participants took in the beautiful rural Wisconsin countryside en route to the destination of Waumandee Haus — a historic restaurant and bar located in the heart of Buffalo County, Wis.
Then, on Aug. 11, members enjoyed a Day at the Lake, cruising scenic Lake Pokegama in Grand Rapids, Minn. The event kicked off at host location R&R Rentals, Grand Rapids, where a shuttle took rental store folks and vendors to the lake where they talked rental while floating on pontoons and enjoying food and drinks.
Wayne and Tracy Neifert of Isanti Rental, Isanti, Minn., attended both events. Tracy says that the best part was “meeting with people who are in the same boat and understand the challenges we are facing — especially this year. You don't feel so isolated, and even get some good tips that the other rental owners are implementing in their businesses. The bike trip, which should have been a washout with all the rain that day, was actually even better because we had to stay in one place longer and got to talk to everybody.”
In fact, the Neiferts make a point of participating in most ARA of Minnesota social events — and encourage their peers to do so — because “the relationships are key,” Tracy says. “I know I can call any of these people and they will help us out as much as possible. Bouncing problems or ideas off other people helps us keep things fresh.”