New West Equipment Rentals was one of the only fuel-cleaning businesses in all of Western Canada. Keith Beggs, owner and general manager of New West started the company in Calgary, Alta. When he first immigrated to Canada, Beggs did not anticipate life to be surrounded by oil, diesel and fuel. Nor did he foresee that he would create a fuel-cleaning machine that would cause his business to boom. Beggs fell into the industry unexpectedly because he became a Canadian unexpectedly. Beggs was born in England and spent his whole life there up until 1973 when he was stationed in Calgary with the Brit ..read more

The Canadian Rental Mart, Canada’s trade event for the equipment and event rental industries is coming to Calgary, Sept. 11 – 12. Canadian Rental Service brand manager Navneet Matharu joins Counter Talks to talk about our excitement to bring Canada’s big rental event to the west for the first time in its 40-year history. And to let us know about all the new and old friends who will be joining us there ..read more

United Rentals, Inc., celebrates the 10th anniversary of United Academy the company’s training arm. United Academy is one of the industry’s largest training programs, offering training courses and OSHA certifications to help customers develop a stronger, safer workforce. “Over its ten-year history, United Academy has consistently tailored training programs to evolve with the needs of customers,” said Francois-Xavier Huneault, director, United Academy at United Rentals. “This focus has enabled us to build training services. Our programs align with our customers to deliver high-quality learning ..read more

JLG Industries Inc.,  manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers, has released its new whitepaper 10 Tips for Creating a Safety-Focused Work Culture that can help contractors implement strategies and actions to create a safety-first culture on their job sites. Topics addressed in the paper include storm safety, trip hazards, lone workers, hydration, hearing protection, ergonomics, mental health, heat, PPE and wearables. Despite being around since the Chernobyl disaster in the ’80s, creating a “culture of safety” has become a buzz phrase with safety profe ..read more

Ontario’s Labour Minister, David Piccini, and Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education, Rajan Sawhney, have agreed to work together to address the skilled trades labour shortage in their provinces. This partnership will put Canadian workers first by reducing interprovincial barriers and red tape for credential recognition and encourage the flow of labour between Ontario and Alberta. Ontario is seeking ways to open pathways into the trades for more apprentices and remove barriers for internationally trained workers to fill in-demand labour needs locally. At the same time, Alberta is looking to ..read more

In terms of construction industry priorities, safety is never off the table – and with access management on the verge of a technological quantum leap,  the ‘zero incident’ construction site could become a realistic goal. Canadian construction sites recently demonstrated the extremes in 2023, for example, in Ontario, construction deaths fell to the lowest number in eight years, at 16 deaths, while in B.C. a 35-year high of 54 deaths of workers, due to trauma or exposure were recorded. Incidents on construction sites are an unfortunate reality, despite ever-stricter regulatory environments ..read more

Electrical distributor and rentals, EECOL Electric has acquired Independent Electric Supply Inc. “EECOL’s customer-first focus aligns perfectly with our values. This partnership represents the joining of two companies that have both been servicing the electrical market for over 100 years, bringing together a wealth of industry knowledge and resources to better serve customers,” said Bob Branscombe, president at Independent Electric Supply. Independent Electric Supply has a team of 40 and has been serving the GTA since 1921. “We are thrilled to welcome Independent Electric Supply to the EECOL ..read more

The American Rental Association of Canada held a golf tournament for the first time in Milton, Ont., on June 27. The event was full with 120 golfers, about evenly split between rental stores and suppliers. The venue was Granite Ridge Golf Golf Club. The course was in terrific condition and the weather could not have been more perfect. All sponsorship opportunities were also sold out. Hilti hosted a drive-the-marshmallow contest with a $600 drill. Here’s Brad Anstead (Brandt) taking the winning swing. Gord Ellis and his assistant, Dean Nasato, (Western Global) did an able job of emceeing the ..read more

Melanie Misener has taken over as interim executive director of the Canadian Rental Association following the departure of Nathalie McGregor, who led the organization for 10 years. Here’s your chance to get to know Melanie and hear her plans to get Canada’s rental association back to the thing it does best: bring Canadian store owners together to support each other ..read more

United Rentals, Inc., has announced an online trench safety educational session that takes place on June 19 to support the 2024 Trench Safety Stand Down. The free webinar will equip attendees with the knowledge to ensure safe excavation practices and enhance trench safety. Trench Safety Stand Down, which takes place June 17-21, 2024, is a North American initiative focused on trench and excavation hazards and reinforces the importance of using trench protective systems and protecting workers from trenching hazards. It encourages companies to conduct or participate in safety activities that revi ..read more