BlueLine Rental, a provider of small to medium-sized construction rental equipment, announced the appointment of Phillip H. Hobson as CEO. Hobson will replace Scott Hall, who recently left the company.
Hobson will join BlueLine Rental from Mobile Mini Inc., a leading provider of portable storage solutions, where he served as executive vice president, operations. Prior to Mobile Mini, Hobson was a senior executive at RSC Holdings Inc. until the business was acquired by United Rentals in 2012. RSC was one of the largest equipment rental providers in North America with revenue of $1.5 billion and more than 400 locations.
“I am excited to join the team and look forward to working with customers, employees and other partners to help BlueLine reach its potential,” said Hobson. “We have a tremendous opportunity to build on the strength and experience of the past while establishing our own identity and propelling the company to even higher levels of achievement.”
BlueLine Rental, previously Volvo Rents, was acquired in January by Platinum Equity. The BlueLine Rental brand identity was launched in February following the transition to new ownership.
“Phil’s experience at RSC is a perfect fit for BlueLine. He is passionate about the rental equipment business and is well respected in the industry. His track record at RSC and throughout his career proves that he knows what it takes to build an industry leader,” said Louis Samson, the partner at Platinum Equity who led the BlueLine Rental acquisition. “We will work with Phil and the management team to help the business grow both organically and through prospective complementary add-on acquisitions.”
Hobson joined RSC in 1998 and spent 14 years at the company in a variety of operational and financial roles, ultimately serving as a member of the company’s executive leadership team reporting to the CEO.
“We have high aspirations for BlueLine and we are confident that Phil is the right executive to help the company maximize its potential,” said Bryan Kelln, partner and president of portfolio operations for Platinum Equity. “He has the vision, leadership ability and industry experience necessary to lead the company into the future. He will help drive efforts to optimize business operations and profitability, while focusing on growth and effectively managing the company’s young fleet.”
BlueLine Rental serves a diverse customer base across multiple industries, including construction, oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, infrastructure, power, and metals and minerals.
In addition to BlueLine Rental’s expanding line of Volvo compact equipment – such as backhoe loaders, compact wheel loaders, compact excavators and compaction equipment – the rental centers carry a comprehensive line of essential equipment and tools for the construction, commercial, industrial and homeowner markets. The company focuses on daily, weekly and monthly rentals.
For more information about BlueLine Rental, visit www.bluelinerental.com or call 888-899-8658.
