Ryan Marston has been in the rental business 24 years and rental manager for WD Matthews in Auburn, ME, the last six of those years. It's currently "the busiest I’ve seen since I’ve been rental manager here,” said Marston. “Rentals started picking up in April and May [last year] like it always does, but it never slowed down this year. In fact, business is still going strong.”
He noted the company, located an hour north of Portland, has more than 600 items in its rental fleet, primarily aerial lifts, booms, forklifts, and telehandlers, and at times the inventory was virtually depleted. “Roofing, siding, you name it,” added Marston, “that’s what customers use the equipment for.”
The store’s rental business is divided 80/20, larger contractors/homeowners. “There’s construction everywhere, including developments for homes along with retail and other commercial building,” said Marston.
When asked what’s driving the business, he emphasized the local economy has been strong and his customers are optimistic about next year, too “I generally don’t like to talk politics,” said the rental manager, “but you have to think the current administration’s policies have also made an impact.”
