Lifelong Rental Industry Participant Jim Grasse Dies
Jim Grasse, a widely known figure who has worked in the rental industry in a variety of capacities, has died. According to his son, John, Grasse died from an aggressive form of dementia. He was 75 years old.
Grasse was a regular participant in rental industry events, most recently as regional sales manager for Broce Brooms, and was regularly seen at the American Rental Association, California Rental Association and other shows. Grasse’s father, Bill Grasse, was a co-founder of RER magazine and contributed a column, RenTopics, for more than 40 years, focusing on technical issues. Bill Grasse, who died in 2008, also played a major role in the expansion of Acme Rents, one of the rental industry’s earliest and fastest-growing consolidating rental companies.
Jim Grasse worked for several different rental companies and manufacturers, and played a leading role in the international growth of Caterpillar’s Cat Rental Stores in the position of Caterpillar global allied products program manager. Jim’s brother Larry, a decades-long veteran of the rental industry, was Western regional sales and new store opening manager for Volvo Rents, among other positions. His brother Ron also served in various capacities in the rental industry, including as CCE sales manager for Wagner Rents. His sister-in-law Vivian Grasse was regional safety manager for United Rentals, among other roles. Jim’s mother Ellie Grasse was also a goodwill ambassador for the rental industry.
Jim Grasse also worked as an executive with Acme Rents, Always Rentals and Volvo Rents. Grasse grew up and lived most of his life in Burbank, Calif.
RER will share more information about Jim’s life, survivors, and funeral or celebration of life as it becomes available.
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.
