While the ARA of Michigan had to offer its annual Winter Conference virtually in 2021, it returned in person this January with a full slate of educational, networking and vendor activities. For the record turnout of attendees, this was an event that everyone needed.
“Being there in person was fantastic,” says Angela Bishop, CERP, co-owner, Taylor True Value Rental, Petoskey, Mich. “It was wonderful to see everyone. Everyone was happy to be there. We really wanted to go to see our rental friends and because the educational topics really grabbed us.”
James VanderWier, president, Redi Rental, based in Muskegon, Mich., who serves on the ARA of Michigan board, didn’t want to miss this year’s event either. “We rarely miss the Winter Conference. We typically bring a couple of our staff with us. We like to go to learn new ideas and talk with others. In addition, we go as a vendor as we wash and repair tents for other rental centers.”
“We love to go to Winter Conference because we always learn new things and have the opportunity to share with our rental friends throughout the state,” adds Lois Ashbrook, co-owner, Taylor Rental Center, Benton Harbor, Mich. “This year’s event was very good as there were several different seminars that were excellent.”
Those “excellent” educational sessions kicked off on Friday.
The first speaker was Nathan Kunst, a security manager, who addressed cybersecurity fundamentals.
Scott Irwin, president, Delux Rental, Ypsilanti, Mich., and American Rental Association (ARA) president-elect, followed with a legislative update.
After lunch, Detective Sgt. Jim Dietz and Detective Trooper Specialist Nick Peters with the Michigan State Police Special Investigations Division, who were awarded the ARA Insurance/National Equipment Register Theft Award at The ARA Show™ in Las Vegas last February, talked about theft. They focused on how a rental business can become a victim and how to fight those efforts.
On Saturday, the education continued with author and “Our Nerdy Best Friend” Beth Ziesenis, who offered a research-based look at common productivity problems, along with technology to solve them.
Then attendees took part in a roundtable on theft, offering insights into what has been happening at their operations as well as strategies that have and have not worked.
Kevin Gern, ARA’s vice president of education and risk management, rounded out the education portion with his presentation on electrical safety. He not only covered the basics of what rental operators need to know about electricity but also shared information on real-life electrical accidents and how they can be avoided.
All three took away valuable tips from all the sessions, particularly the theft seminar.
“We are learning how in our small town to stay friendly while also staying safe and smart in regard to who we rent to, how we rent and, if something is stolen, how to retrieve it,” Bishop says. “Theft by conversion is our greatest concern. We have had small tools stolen, but we are lucky in that our larger items have all been returned. This session resonated in helping us find out how to navigate all of this. We have been asking each renter for a driver’s license, but we have not been sticklers about getting it. After hearing this presentation, we will be getting every client’s driver’s license, perhaps even scanning it. That will be the easiest first change we can make.”
For Ashbrook, it was the more in-depth examples of situations that can be seen as red flags that resonated. “Detective Sgt. Dietz talked about a ring of thieves who have hit a lot of stores in our state. They have a
buyer lined up before they even rent equipment from us. He offered more specifics on the red flags that we should know. We have covered red flags with our staff, but not as many specifics. We shared those with our staff as soon as we came home,” she says.
After listening to the presentation, VanderWier determined that he needs to “add more high-quality cameras and set up a monitoring system to help reduce our theft risks,” he says, adding, “We have all our big pieces registered with NER, but we also will be adding GPS on all our units.”
According to Susan Irwin, vice president, Delux Rental, and ARA of Michigan president, attendees got a lot out of all the educational sessions. “The feedback was great. Nathan’s and Kevin’s presentations were both extremely educational and horrifying as they offered real-life situations that we all need to know. They really struck home,” she says.
But the conference wasn’t just education-focused. There was plenty of networking, vendor time and plain old fun beginning with a game night.
“On Friday evening there was a game night. It is quite wonderful. It is an informal icebreaker for rental store attendees and vendors. Everyone stayed until around 9:30 p.m., so we had about two hours of games and talking about different subjects. It was great,” Bishop says.
Having time to connect with vendors was something Ashbrook enjoyed.
“We had the chance to speak with vendors and see what is new in their rental lines. We saw new pieces of equipment and noticed that a lot of manufacturers are moving to electric and battery-operated equipment, so we are preparing and looking ahead,” she says.
“We offered a lot of vendor time,” Irwin says. “The vendors said it was a great year for people to walk up to their booths and have time to discuss their equipment.”
The weekend’s activities wouldn’t have been complete without the induction of outstanding members to the ARA of Michigan Rental Hall of Fame. This year, Gary Vermeulen, with Right-Way Rental, Portage, Mich., and Barb Updegraff, with All Star Rental, Jackson, Mich., were honored.
“Both have been longtime board members who have given so much to our state chapter and deserved this recognition,” Irwin says.
Everyone interviewed said the Winter Conference was a success. “It was wonderful being back together again. People were so happy to see each other. The vendors said they had a great show this year. It was just super to be together in one spot. We had an excellent time,” Irwin says.