Mary Crosslin

ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTOR

The designated voting representative of all ARA general members and associate members will vote for associate member director.

Mary Crosslin
Alert Rental Software
Colorado Springs, Colo.

Mary Crosslin is co-president and chief operating officer, Alert Rental Software, Colorado Springs, Colo., and has a 50 percent ownership interest in the company. She is responsible for oversight of installation, support, training and software development. She also directs the investigation and integration of third-party products and Alert, and leads design decisions regarding integration, planning and forecasting for new Alert features and developments. She assists in creating the annual budget and revenue forecasts, establishes software development and corporate priorities, participates in strategic growth and marketing plans, and assists with sales and other teams with technical advice when necessary.

Alert Rental Software was launched in 1976 by William “Bill” Veneris, an early pioneer in computerizing rental operations who was named to the Rental Hall of Fame in 2019. He retired in 2006 and sold Alert to his two senior managers, Tom Ross, who became chairman and CEO, and Rob Ross, who became president. The pair subsequently retired and sold the business in 2016 to two senior managers and longtime board members, Crosslin and Kara Longmire, who serves as co-president and CEO. The company exclusively provides rental enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and web services to the equipment and event rental industry, including those in the construction, general tool, party and event, and other specialized industrial rental segments.

Background: “I started my career with Alert in 1998. I first attended The ARA Show™ in 1999 and only missed one since because a client needed me to stay longer for a complex software installation. Prior to working at Alert, I had never walked into a rental store, but I came from a construction-based industry with a project management and sales background, and it was a great fit. I was so incredibly fortunate to have been coached in all things rental by both the founder of our company and my clients. Over the years, they have all taught me a great deal about both rental and business. Everyone in this industry is gracious with their time and knowledge. I have been incredibly lucky to have made some amazing friends and mentors, and in some of these businesses even get to watch the third generation get involved during my time working with them. In 2004, I was offered a position on Alert’s board of directors, and in 2016, my business partner and I offered to do a management buyout — the second in Alert’s 40-plus years. Now, with 23 years in the rental industry, I have been in and behind the counters of hundreds of rental operations, talked to thousands of store employees and, I hope, helped several hundred owners and managers improve their operations, efficiency and profitability. I love what I do.”

Activities and recognition:

• ARA Equipment Rental Shared Interest Group (SIG) member, 2020-2021.
• The ARA Show attendee for 22 years.
• The company has been a sponsor of The ARA Show for more than 40 years.
• ARA of Colorado events attendee as travel allows.
• The company also participates in ARA of Illinois, ARA of Massachusetts, ARA of Connecticut, ARA of New York and ARA of New Jersey local events.
• Habitat for Humanity of Teller County board member, general volunteer, community outreach speaker/booth staffer, selection committee member.
• JDRF Colorado Springs & Mountain West Region Gala Committee member/volunteer; Walk Committee member/volunteer.
• Rocky Mountain Highway Music Collaborative event volunteer.
• ColoradoBiz magazine Top 100 Women Owned Businesses: 2019, 2020, 2021; Top 250 Private-Owned Colorado Companies, 2018-2019; Top 200 Private-Owned Colorado Companies, 2020.

Why do you want to serve as an ARA Associate Member director?

“My vision of what the experience would be like is based on my experience as part of the rental industry, an associate member of ARA, and most recently a member of the ARA Equipment Rental SIG. Friends and clients who have served on the ARA board always raved about how easy the ARA staff makes it for them to serve, and I have found that to be true in my SIG experience. I have always said that our industry is unprecedented in the way our members share their experience and advice — it is truly a community. I would expect that by listening to the objectives of ARA and the needs of its members, it will be clear to me where I might contribute best. I think that being a part of the board would mean being receptive to ideas that could appear at any time or place, being an advocate for ARA policies, and at all times represent the industry in a professional and positive way.”