Brianne Crist, manager, TLC Rentals, Wendell, Idaho, has joined the ARA of Idaho board of directors.
Motivated by the lack of equipment rental stores around the Magic Valley area of the state, family-owned-and-operated TLC Rentals was launched in 2017. The company specializes in rentals of a diverse range of equipment, including skid steers, excavators, trenchers, scissor lifts, bucket trucks, compactors, forklifts and concrete mixers.
“I got involved in the industry at the end of 2017,” says Crist, who is a member of the American Rental Association’s (ARA) Young Professional Network. “We’re a small family business that was much needed in our community. My dad, who is the owner, also owns a construction company, so with him being so busy, I took over the rental side of things and loved it from the beginning. I do everything from bookkeeping to working the front desk and loading equipment. I do the occasional delivery and pickups as well. Small family companies are like that — we jump in and do whatever is needed to make our business successful.”
Even during the planning stages of TLC Rentals in 2016, Crist had her eye on ARA involvement as a means of learning about the equipment rental industry and growing her family’s business.
“I learned about ARA when we first planned on opening. My dad and I knew ARA would be a great opportunity for us to get our feet wet with how rental companies work,” she says.
Five years later, when the notion of joining the ARA of Idaho’s leadership team arose, Crist says she jumped at the opportunity.
“It wasn’t even a question for me. Now that I have the hang of the rental side, I knew being on the board would be a great opportunity to meet with other rental owners and be able to discuss with them my questions and problems,” she says, adding that answering the call to serve on the board “was an easy decision for me. Since I was young, I’ve always been involved in the community: 4-H, FFA, local assisted livings, etc. So, it was a natural decision for me to join the board and do my best to help in any way possible.”
With all the pandemic-related uncertainty that has surrounded the rental community in 2020 and 2021, Crist is appreciative of the chance to serve on the board and share ideas with her peers about moving the industry forward through the planning of member meetings and events.
“With it being such a weird time with the pandemic and seeing so many local businesses closing, I quickly realized how much of an asset it would be to serve on the board,” she says. “Hearing how other rental companies are doing with staff, delayed equipment and parts orders, and everything else that has slowed down within the last year, I definitely want to find out more about what’s going on in our industry and what I can do, if anything, to get us back on track.”