When the ARA Show kicked off in New Orleans on February 19th, Genie kicked off its biggest-ever giveaway: An endurance competition with a Genie GTH 5519 as the grand prize. When the contest ended on February 21st, Jared Hicks, general manager of Bootheel Parts & Equipment in Poplar Bluff, Mo. (at far right, above), had edged out the competition, winning both the telehandler and the new telehandler auger attachment Genie debuted at the show.
To win the contest, and the telehandler, Hicks and his competitors stood on podiums that surrounded the machine during show hours between 12:30 pm Feb. 19 and 12:30 pm Feb. 21. Contestants accumulated time one of two ways: 1) By standing on the podium; and 2) By being the first to answer a trivia question presented to them every 15 minutes. When the contest came to an end, Hicks had accumulated a total of 18 hours, 40 minutes and 40 seconds.
“I knew I had the physical and mental toughness to make it to the end of the competition. From there, it was just a matter of being the fastest to answer trivia questions,” Hicks said. A brand new telehandler is a big prize, and I’m excited to be bringing it home. Telehandlers are incredibly versatile, and this machine and the auger attachment coming with it will be a popular option for our customers not only in Poplar Bluff, but around the tri-state area.”
Bootheel Parts & Equipment (www.bootheelrentals.com) offers more than just large equipment for construction and earth moving. Locally owned for more than 20 years, Bootheel serves large and small contractors, do-it-yourself homeowners, and businesses and individuals hosting parties and events. The Bootheel team prides itself on personal, friendly service that understands every customer has their own specific needs, and then works to meet those needs with the right equipment and products, because money is a terrible thing to waste.
“The machines in our GTH telehandler family are resilient and tough, so we thought it would be fun to create a competition that would allow people to see how physically and mentally tough they could be,” said Keith Hovey, head of global marketing for Genie. “It turns out, in the case of Jared and his competitors, the answer was very tough. I’m still impressed by their commitment and resilience.”
In addition to Hicks, the final competitors were:
· Ian Kleinsasser, North Mountain Equipment Rental (www.northmountainrental.com), from Laporte, Pa., with a time of 18 hours 16 minutes and 41 seconds. North Mountain Equipment Rental is a new, independent, locally owned tool and equipment rental shop located in Laporte, Pa. With an expanding stock that includes boom lifts, skid steers, excavators, trailers and hand tools, North Mountain, which opened its doors in August 2023, provides contractors and homeowners in Sullivan County and surrounding areas a convenient, local, full-service equipment rental option.
· Josh Blankenship, mechanic for ABC Equipment Rental (www.ABCEquipmentRental.com) in Tulsa, Okla, with a time of 17 hours 49 minutes and 36 seconds. Serving Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1952, ABC Equipment Rental recently expanded to a second location and is continuing to grow. Primarily serving contractors, ABC Equipment Rental is growing its fleet of construction equipment while also continuing to serve the needs of homeowners. With equipment ranging from chain saws to pressure washers and generators, to scissor lifts, boom lifts and telehandlers — and everything else in between — ABC Rental has it all.
· Sheila Ann Schmidt, Sportsplex Rentals (www.sportsplexrentals.com) in North Olmsted, Ohio, with a time of 16 hours 30 minutes and 5 seconds. For 24 years, family-owned and operated Sportsplex Rentals has been supplying the Ohio market, and beyond, with quality equipment for parties and events. With a large party and equipment rental inventory, Sportsplex delivers superior customer service and quality equipment for everything from backyard parties to large-scale political, corporate, and professional sports events. More recently, Sportsplex Rentals began expanding their product line to provide equipment rental for homeowners and contractors, always keeping safety in mind.
