CRA’s Rental Rally Continues to Perform Well in Las Vegas

The California Rental Association’s annual Rental Rally continued to grow with 346 exhibitors’ booths sold and rental attendees of about 400 from approximately 140 rental companies.

Michael Roth

Feb. 4, 2018

2 min read

Steve Orrick of Meridian Utility Equipment Sales shows a variety of items at the Rental Rally.

The California Rental Association’s annual Rental Rally continued to grow with 346 exhibitors’ booths sold and rental attendees of about 400 from approximately 140 rental companies. Rental visitors came from 19 states, from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii.

The trade show and seminars were held at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The pre-show cocktail party was well-attended and the awards party/dinner at Top Golf was almost sold out, as attendees ate, drank, danced, networked and drove golf balls into the Las Vegas night.

The Bud Loeber Friendship Award was given to Sylvia Woodward of the Woodward Group, Glendora, Calif., wife of popular manufacturers’ rep the late Jim Woodward. The annual James Gartland Award, named for the founder of RER was presented to Doug Strom, a manufacturers’ rep who has served the rental industry for 50 years. Strom started his career in 1967 as a sales rep for Jay P. Casteel Co., and later founded Strom Equipment Sales with his sons Pete and John. He later left his sons in charge of Strom Equipment Sales and now represents Rhino Sales. Strom served on the planning committee for the 2016 and 2017 CRA Annual Golf Tournament.

“He is at every tradeshow and territory meeting, always with a smile,” said CRA executive director Dale Blackwell about the likable Strom.

About the Author

Michael Roth

Editor

Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.