I pondered long and hard on my last column. Many of you can easily detect that I'd never make a living as a writer, so I think I'll stick to the rental business - but bear with me for one last time. There is so much going on these days that it would be impossible to get it all into a thousand president's columns.

Without a doubt, this has been the Year of Consolidations - hostile takeovers, friendly takeovers, mergers, acquisitions - the kind of stuff novels are written about! But what does it all mean? Simply, it means we are never going back to where we were. Rental, whether event/party, tools or heavy equipment, is being done differently by a new group of participants. Twenty-five years ago, this industry was almost exclusively a "family" industry - family-owned, family-run and passed down to family members who wanted to stay in the business. The family-business concept will still exist, but the emphasis will be more on "business" than "family" from here on. Large companies, as well as equipment manufacturers, have come into the industry because the numbers looked good and investors were willing to put their money into an industry with such great potential. Good profits can be made by good management, renting good equipment. The small independents can compete effectively by managing better and doing things differently - finding good niches and doing their best at what they do well.

I haven't spoken much about technology in this column, even though I'm a firm believer in using computers for as many rental company operations and procedures as possible. One thing is sure: we will be using them even more and in virtually every corner of our businesses in the future. I have been using voice-recognition software to write most of my e-mails and correspondence; soon we will be writing contracts without touching a keyboard. GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) systems, when combined with mapping programs, are great for tracking delivery vehicles and large equipment. As owners and managers, we have a responsibility to know what advances in technology could be used to our advantage. Granted, not every new bell and whistle is useful or needed, but if we don't know it exists, how can we make sound business decisions about it? And let's not underestimate the power of the Internet. We will be using it for things we never dreamed of, and a knowledge of how it works, and can work for us, is critical.

My point is that a practical understanding of computers and related technologies is as critical to managing a rental company well as understanding advertising or accounting. More skills, and more specific ones, will be required in the future.

I'd like to thank Jim Irish and the great staff of the American Rental Association for their help this year. Without them, I'm just another rental guy.

The most enjoyable part of this job was working with the scores of volunteers. I learned a fantastic amount about the rental business from them. Last year, Jay Lageschulte handed me the reins of an association in great shape. I'd like to feel that I added something to the A.R.A. and the industry during my term, and I wish Frank Wilson the best of luck for his upcoming year.

This industry has come a long way since the A.R.A. began. We will never go back to doing things the old way - forward is the only way to be facing.

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