Rental Snapshot: Tom Brown Jr. of Rental Solutions and Events

Tom Brown Jr., vice president of operations and sales of Rental Solutions and Events in Sykesville, Md., shares how he got started in the industry, his favorite part of the job and more.

Tom Brown Jr.
Tom Brown Jr.

Rental: How did you first get your start in the rental industry?

Tom Brown Jr.: I got started in the rental industry at a young age when my father Tom Brown Sr., was an area vice president for Rental Tools/United Rentals in Glen Burnie, Md. In the summers, I would work washing windows, emptying trash cans and cleaning equipment.

When I returned home from college, I came back to work for my father, who, at the time, was president of Signature Special Events. During this tenure, I started out as a shop technician, then quickly excelled and became an event technician, traveling and setting up special events. From there, I became branch manager in Sykesville, Md. After Signature Special Events was sold, my father started Rental Solutions and Events/Mobile Kitchen Solutions, where we continued with event and kitchen rentals, but also brought back general construction rentals. 

Rental: Can you give us some insight on your current company?

Brown: Rental Solutions and Events comprises three different divisions. Our general equipment rental provides equipment and services for local homeowners and contractors. We also offer our Power & Air division that works with local and regional customers and event planners providing temporary power, power distribution and portable HVAC. Our largest division–Mobile Kitchen Solutions–provides temporary kitchen and dining facilities, kitchen trailers and individual kitchen equipment/refrigeration for renovations, special events, disaster relief and expanded operations. 

We opened the doors back in 2009, and 12 years later, we have grown from two employees to over a dozen fulltime employees with several subcontractors during the busy season. 

Rental: What have been some of the challenges and successes you’ve had over the years you've been in business?

Brown: Rental Solutions and Events works with many local organizations, schools and sporting teams to provide equipment and donations supporting their causes all the way to working with large event planners on national events like the Kentucky Derby, where we provide equipment. 

We have a large customer base, not just locally, but nationwide, which makes it fun meeting people from all over the United States and being on-site at so many events and businesses. It’s great to be able to support our local community as well as work with high-end clients. Every day seems to bring a new challenge.

Rental: What would you say is your favorite part of the job?

Brown: As with any business, you always have your ups and downs. When we first started Rental Solutions, the demand for equipment that supports the mobile kitchens and special events was greater than our inventory and labor force. We had to quickly partner with other companies, find subcontractors and piece together projects while trying to purchase equipment. We had to weigh the costs of subrenting versus purchasing equipment during the early stages of the business. For our local general rentals, it was the challenge of getting our name out, letting the community know what we have to offer, and showing them they could trust in our services and equipment. 

As with any new company, it takes time to gain the trust of customers and contractors, but our one-on-one, personable service made Rental Solutions a popular, trusted choice for homeowners and contractors. As we continued to build our inventory and customer base, we were able to service larger projects and get to the next level as our branding and name was becoming widely known throughout the industry.

Recently, the new challenges have been trying to find reliable employees to help support the growth of the company. We treat our employees very well, and we have a great core group, but trying to add to our team to help service our clients and equipment has been a tough task. 

In addition to this, just recently, our biggest challenge has been purchasing new equipment. We have been getting responses of equipment being six months to two years out. Then we look at buying used and repairing equipment, but we fall into the same problem with finding parts and the lead times being 10 times longer than usual. 

Rental: Do you have a mentor or someone you look up to in the rental industry? 

Brown: My mentor and the person that I look up to not only in the rental industry, but personally, is Tom Brown Sr. He has successfully been working in the rental industry since he was a teenager and brought me in and guided me to become successful. He has helped me establish my own relationships with clients nationwide and has introduced me to local businesses. 

Over the past several years, he has worked on teaching me the backend of the operations of the business (accounting), what he has done to make things successful and brought me into the decision-making with him. As anyone knows, working with family can be challenging, and we have had our difficulties. In the end, we’ve been able to keep business and personal life separate, and it’s only strengthened our bond.

Rental: OK, fun question! Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun? 

Being in the rental industry, you’re working 24/7. Whether it's equipment that needs to be repaired, an emergency rental need or an event during the weekend, you are always on call and ready to work. However, when I get some free time, I enjoy the outdoors, like fishing, hunting, riding/racing dirt bikes/ATVs and spending time with my family. We all love to do the same things, so it makes it more fun having them along and enjoying the same things I do. 

In the end, you have to make sure you give yourself time to wind down and relax. I always try to make the best of each day, don’t worry about the past and look toward the future! 

 


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