The last 10 years or so have been a struggle for “little guys,” said Norman Causey, owner of Atlanta-based Rent All Plaza. Anything the Trump administration can do to help would be great, he added, and that includes lowering the tax burden and reducing regulations.
Causey has been in the rental business since 1974 and has owned his general rental store for 11 years. He also has a second location next door, a party and events store. “It's really been a struggle for small independent rental stores here since the summer Olympics in 1996 when the large national companies came into the market,” he emphasized. “It’s almost impossible to compete with them and the box stores on price. All one can do is provide better service and take good care of the customer.”
The downturn in ’08 ramped up the struggle, forcing Causey, in his words, “to throttle back.” Things are looking up though, he noted, and some extra funds via a tax break or more sales would help the store update equipment. “Over the last several years, we’ve been repairing instead of replacing equipment. If the new administration will do what it promises, hopefully we can start replacing some units and even add some inventory.”
This owner calls his store an "old-school rental business,” one that relishes taking care of its local customers, mostly smaller contractors and homeowners. “Operating a store like this requires people to be a ‘jack of all trades,’ to have a wide knowledge of equipment and how to use it," he noted.
Causey said one reason he became involved in the industry is that he enjoys the challenge of helping customers deal with a wide range of issues. With business finally picking up, he’s looking forward to helping even more of them.
