RER 100 Drops 6 Percent

The total volume of theRER 100 dropped 6 percent year over year, according to the May issue of RER magazine, which is scheduled for mailing this week. Total rental-only volume of the 100 listees is $8.86 billion, down from $9.41 billion in last year’s chart, which covers 2001 rental revenue. It is the first decrease since 1998, which noted a 1 percent drop and the first significant increase since the 1991 revenue chart, published in May 1992, where there was a similar 7 percent drop. The 1991 revenue chart marked the bottoming out of the early 90’s recession – the following year was basically flat, followed by increases of 12 and 26 percent respectively.

The top 10 of the RER 100 – which includes United Rentals, Rental Service Corp., Hertz Equipment Rental Corp., Sunbelt Rentals, National Equipment Services, NationsRent, Maxim Crane Works, Home Depot Rentals, H & E Equipment Services and Neff Rentals – totaled $6.46 billion, down 6 percent from last year’s chart when the top 10 totaled $6.89 billion. It marks the first decrease in rental volume for the top 10 since the 1991 chart, which dropped 8 percent from 1990 before beginning an upward trend that peaked during the height of industry consolidation in 1999, when top 10 rental volume jumped 56 percent from the previous year.

For the fifth consecutive year, United Rentals occupies the top spot with nearly $2.2 billion in rental volume.

While not all RER 100 listees declined in revenue, about twice as many decreased as increased.

And in a development that brings back memories of the late 1990s, since the RER 100 issue went to press the week before last, two RER 100 companies -- Holt Caterpillar of Ohio and L.B. Smith Co. -- have been acquired.

The RER 100 is compiled annually by the RER editorial staff and lists reported and estimated rental volumes for 100 of the industry’s largest rental companies.

The complete list will appear in the May issue of RER magazine.