In 2021, Treasure Valley equipment rental titan Tates Rents celebrates its 75th anniversary. While the company has been associated with high-profile projects around its home base of Boise, Idaho, over the decades, Tates Rents has never lost sight of the smaller DIY enthusiast and, in fact, prides itself on being “where the locals go.”
Tates Rents was founded by Paul Tate in 1946 as Safway Scaffolding Co.. Over time, Tate supplemented his inventory with products like ladders, liquefied gas and cable tools. The offerings grew to the extent that the company’s name was changed to Tate Scaffolding and Power Tool Co. and in 1962, its first branch location opened.
That year also saw the arrival of Sydney “Syd” Tate, Paul’s son, to the organization. After Paul retired in 1969, Syd skippered Tates Rents through the early 1990s, when a third generation of Tates succeeded him. In 1991, Syd served as the 30th president of the American Rental Association (ARA).
The now-familiar Tates Rents name was adopted in the early 1980s, and the company saw significant growth over the next 40 years as it expanded to additional locations, servicing both contractor and DIY customers with forklifts, excavators, lawn and garden equipment, and virtually any other item needed to accomplish their projects.
A major shift took place in 2020 when, after more than seven decades, ownership of Tates Rents changed hands. But by no means was it to an outsider with no connection to the Tates rental heritage — it was to the very employees whose efforts propel the company.
“Tates’ third generation said, ‘We want to look at emerging markets and view Tates Rents from 30,000 ft. instead of being in the trenches all day,’” says Joe Plehal, director of sales and marketing for Tates Rents. “They developed a leadership team to take care of their roles. Then, they told us that since we had been doing a fantastic job, they wanted us to continue to run the company and that they had landed on the ESOP [Employee Stock Ownership Plan]. That generosity is so typical of the family.”
Today, Tates Rents is equipped to handle rental jobs of any scale, but the identification as the go-to resource for local homeowner projects is at the heart of the organization.
“We have a very good mix of customers and, although big iron creates more revenue from the commercial side, we pride ourselves on being in neighborhoods and involved in communities. The homeowner has really built our business and kept us alive through good times and bad,” Plehal says.
Western Idaho has experienced a population surge in recent years. While this has been good for business, it also, ironically, has presented a challenge for the Tates team as it strives to maintain its reputation as the undisputed hometown rental resource.
“The biggest challenge for us is letting people know that we’re where the locals go,” Plehal says. “There is an influx of out-of-town people who are not used to our great track record and decades of rental history. So, we’re hitting the airwaves this year to let the locals and newcomers know that we’re the place to be. Retaining that household name — that’s the respect we try to command and the part we want to play in our community. It warms my heart to see a Tates Rents banner at softball fields, gymnasiums, motocross tracks and rodeos.”
Boasting a network of eight locations and 100-plus employees, Tates Rents can accommodate the area’s major projects, but also strives to remain personally engaged with the smallest of customers. “What separates us is that we’re a very nimble company. We’ve got 40 vehicles and eight stores so, if there’s an emergency — fires, floods, etc. — we generally get that call. But we also know our customers by their first names and are involved in their projects. We don’t want to be order takers; we want to be involved. The success of our customers is the success of ourselves, so it’s vitally important that we’re engaged and doing things right,” Plehal says.
As it reflects on its history, Tates Rents also invests in its future by fostering a fun and rewarding work environment. That is why “one of our core values is, ‘work hard, play hard,’” Plehal says. “If you spent the day in one of our locations, you would see that in full force. I have laughed until I cried so many times with this company, it’s not even funny. And we have done very well with the younger demographic. Our employees ramp up when people are looking for part-time or seasonal work, and honestly, they fall in love with us in the three or four months they come in. I started in 2004 doing that same thing — driving to and from college. They worked around my school schedule, and I absolutely fell in love with the company. The Tates family treats you as an individual — you’re never a number to them. And it can be the simplest gesture. They will come by, hand you a Christmas bonus and ask you what’s going on in your life. If you’re not working that day, they don’t just drop off an envelope, they come back to see you when you’re working. There’s something magic about that culture. My appreciation paycheck is bigger than my actual paycheck.”
How does a company that lives by the “work hard, play hard” credo celebrate such a major milestone? “We did an employee picnic, which we do every year, but this year was more special with swag and things to
celebrate our 75th anniversary and our ESOP. We also did several TV commercials celebrating our involvement with the community for 75 years. It was a big, evolution-style piece but more of a reminder to contractors big and small and to DIYers that we’re where the locals go,” Plehal says.