As it is for most rental companies in the northern states, winter is slow for Sussex County Rental Center in Andover, NJ. “We don’t do much with snow removal equipment, but looking ahead I think we should do well this year," said company President Eric Cope, whose father started the general rental/party events business 30 years ago. "At least status quo if not better.”
“We’re not planning on expanding our inventory, but instead, we're just getting rid of the old and buying new,” he said. When asked if tax relief would help, he laughed and said, “Who wouldn’t want a little extra money to operate with?” But taxes are not the biggest impediment to growth, he pointed out. Employees are.
“We have a good, knowledgeable staff, but any thought of expanding our business would be dependent on expanding our workforce, and it’s becoming more difficult to find people who are knowledgeable and want to work in the industry,” Cope.
Sussex County Rental Center, which caters primarily to smaller contractors and homeowners, employs six people. The wait for business to pick up may be almost over as spring is finally here.
