– February 2018 CRA Ontario Newsletter –
– Presidents Message –
Greetings to all!
When you read this most of you should be gearing up for the ARA Show in New Orleans. The chance to get away from the snow and cold, and enjoy some warm sunshine for a few days… I can’t wait!
As far as the show goes it is promising to be the largest ARA Show in years with over 700 booths exhibiting on the show floor. From the keynote session, featuring the “Property Brothers” to educational seminars and show specials on the show floor, there promises to be something there for all. If that isn’t enough, for those of you that need entertainment, Bourbon Street should take care of those needs!
For me personally, I have come to enjoy this time of the year. I used to stress out in the slower winter months of poor cash flow in our seasonal business. However, after 12 years in business, you get to know the cycle and prepare for it and take a breather to recharge for the next busy season.
It is a good time for training and planning for your staff and business. I finally had some time to review the ARA’s Cost of Doing Business report. If you are not participating in this program, you should be… It is a free report provided by the ARA for all who participate in the program. The ability to see how your business compares to the benchmark numbers of the industry you are in, is invaluable.
Webinars provided by the ARA in the winter months can be a great training tool as well. ARA has a wealth of information and resources if you take the time to tap into all it has to offer!
See you all in New Orleans!
– Lawrence Gingrich, CRA Ontario President.
Call for Nominations
Do you have a passion for the rental industry? Are you looking to make a difference? Do you know someone that does? The CRA Ontario Board of Directors will have three openings this coming spring. Elections will be held during our April members meeting being held at Crown Verity. 2nd Vice President and two Directors at Large positions will be available. Please visit http://www.craontario.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-Election-Notice.pdf for the nomination form.
– January 2018 Member Meeting Highlights –
Our largest Member Meeting in recent history was held at Higgins Event Rentals January 17, 2018. If you are in the event industry and missed our January members meeting at Higgins Event Rentals, you missed a fantastic opportunity for networking with industry professionals and hearing from Paul Tobey, owner of Training Business Pros. Paul gave us an enthusiastic presentation on “What our inside advantage is and why it will affect our 2018”.
John & Dave Higgins along with their energetic staff hosted over 100 people for dinner in their showroom offering tours of their 56,000sqft warehouse while showcasing their plans for world domination (at least in the GTA event market). Assisted by Paul Tobey, Higgins has implemented a company strategy that they shared with their entire organization to gain market share and continue the great service Higgins is known for while ensuring profitability.
Guests toured the 56,000sq warehouse led by owners John Higgins & Dave Higgins along with Director of Sales & Marketing, Andrew Zimbel. Upon their return from the warehouse tour, guests enjoyed a variety of hors d’oeuvres from Aqcua Fine Foods and beverages from Junction Craft Brewery.
After cocktail hour, guests took a seat at the long rows of harvest tables elegantly set up in the Higgins large & modern showroom. Tables were dressed with Higgins green linens and fresh floral from Terrain Florals, displayed in Higgins whimsical teapots and serving pieces. Looking around the room, you would have seen a full collection of chairs, linens, multiple tableware and glassware collections, serving platters, cooking equipment and many unique items.
Acqua Fine Foods prepared a wonderful meal for the guests with desserts afterwards.
If you missed your chance in viewing the Higgins showroom and warehouse – give them a call! Their doors are always open and they welcome any industry friends.
Congratulations to the door prize winners! We look forward to seeing everyone at the Rental Show in a few weeks and then the CRA ON Awards Banquet and Dinner in March.
Interested in hosting a CRA event?
Do you want to host an upcoming CRA event? It is a great way to promote your business and products as well as support your local CRA division. For more information please contact Kim Rixon – 705-641-8732 or kim@muskokapartyrentals.ca.
– CRA Ontario Awards Banquet – Tuesday March 6, 2018 –
Delta Hotels by Marriott
655 Dixon Road, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J3
Don’t miss an evening of Entertainment, Awards, Networking Opportunities and the Tabletop Challenge! Register today and don’t forget your 50/50 tickets.
Thank you for your continued support of the CRA Ontario. Please review the Sponsorship Opportunities on how to make your company stand out!
CRA Ontario Sponsorship Opportunities
!!Attention Rental Operators!!
Compete against your fellow rental operators for the title of “Most Creative Tabletop Design”
We challenge you to come up their most impressive tabletop design and impress your peers at our CRA Ontario Awards Banquet
5’ Round table and 8 banquet chairs will be provided by the hotel. Rental store is responsible for all table linen, chair covers, napkins and all decorations for one 5’ round table
*Tables will be anonymous until all ballots have been tallied*
Sign up today to reserve your tabletop!
$1000 prize donated by National Event Supply & feature in Canadian Rental Service Magazine
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– April 2018 Members’ Meeting –
CRA Ontario Members Meeting will be hosted at Crown Verity in Brantford. Take this opportunity to see this industry leader behind the scenes and mingle with your fellow association members!
Registration form can be found here. Register early and don’t miss out!
– May 2018 Members’ Meeting –
What is CERP?
The Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program, offered exclusively by ARA, is the only rental-specific certification program for those in the party and event rental industry.
This in-depth, self-study program is for individuals who seek a competitive edge and professional credentials. Graduates deliver remarkable results that benefit both their clients and their rental company.
Why do I need it? The CERP program strengthens employee loyalty, creates a safer work environment and delivers:
- A competitive edge by teaching industry best practices for increasing productivity and profitability.
- Professional credentials that demonstrate your knowledge, expertise and commitment to the industry.
- Remarkable results that exceed your clients’ expectations and increase referrals by building essential word-of-mouth.
Did you know that you can write your tents right here in Southern Ontario and you do not have to wait for the Rental Show? Contact a local Proctor today with any questions you may have. Michelle Nicol, CERP (Michelle@Higginseventrentals.com)
Click HERE for more information on becoming CERP certified today!
Young Professionals Network
Young professionals are the future of the equipment rental industry. That’s why we’re excited to invest in our future leaders through the ARA Young Professionals Network (YPN). This free membership benefit is administered by the ARA Foundation.
Why join? Our mission is to help you learn about the industry, advance your career and establish relationships that will not only help you grow personally and professionally but also ensure a vibrant industry for future generations. Benefits include:
- Invitations to exclusive YPN events — including the annual YPN networking reception at The Rental Show and “40 Under 40” networking conferences.
- Access to the online directory, listing all YPN members and their contact information.
- Details on The Rental Show seminars that are geared toward young professionals.
- A free subscription to Rental Management, the award-winning monthly magazine dedicated to the success of your equipment rental business.
US$100,000 in scholarships available – Apply now!
Diane Van Staveren with Stayner Rental in Stayner, Ontario, benefited from the scholarships offered by the ARA Foundation and its affiliate programs that include the Region 10 Dorothy Wellnitz and Doug Mitchell scholarships. She is not alone. For the 2017-2018 school year alone, students from Toronto, Calgary and Grand Pointe received a total of US$9,000 in scholarship funding. Just think how much funding Canadian students can receive for the 2018-2019 school year now that a record $100,0000 in scholarships is available. The only way to find out is to make sure the employees at your rental business or manufacturer/supplier operation know that:
- 54 scholarships are available, ranging from US$750 to US$5,000 each.
- Trade, undergraduate and graduate students can apply.
To help spread the word, display the scholarship poster that accompanies the November issue of Rental Management in your business for all to see. “These scholarships can play a vital role in helping our employees gain the education they need and help our businesses and the entire industry become stronger,” says ARA Foundation Chair Rhonda Pedersen, vice president of Pedersen’s Rentals in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “Assisting students with these scholarships is a main priority of the ARA Foundation’s mission. Thanks to the generous support of those in the industry, the ARA Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the industry — can offer this significant amount of monetary assistance that can go a long way in defraying the high cost of education,” she adds.
Make sure those in your rental operation know about these scholarships and then have them apply at ARAfoundation.com/go/SA.
The March 5 scholarship deadline is almost here, so have your employees apply now
The time to act is now. Employees in your operation who are going to school or plan to go to school in the fall need to apply now for the 54 scholarships, worth a total of US$100,000, that are available from the ARA Foundation and its affiliate programs. The deadline for all applications to be submitted is Monday, March 5.
There are scholarships available for your employees — whether they are going to school to build their technical skills or working toward an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree. These scholarships are for those individuals who want to build their careers in the rental industry.
The scholarships, which range from US$750 to $5,000 each, are a great benefit. Many employees receive more than one scholarship, making the reward even more.
Don’t let this benefit to your employees and your business be missed.
Act now. Learn more and register now at ARAfoundation.com/go/SA.
Wiarton Willie predicts 6 more weeks of winter….what will YOU do with that time?
Employee training is always a good business investment and with more time in the slower months why not take advantage of the tools from ARA/CRA? Log into your account with http://www.ararental.org/ to see all the programs and information available to all members of ARA/CRA.
New to the industry? Have a nagging question you need an answer to but don’t know where to ask?
Log on and go to the Member to Member Forum under Networking. You can search previous topics or ask your own question and get answers from members all across North America.
Winter Webinar Series
Each year, we offer easily accessible training that is relevant to all industry segments through the Winter Webinar Series.
In the 2017-2018 series, our experts share ways to improve seasonal hiring and effectively on-board a new employee, learn how fatigue in the workplace impacts a business and discover important information for an OSHA inspection.
Rental U?
Rental U is an exclusive, members-only resource of rental-specific, as well as general 
business, trainings.
The mix of free and affordable training options will not only help improve overall efficiency and performance, but also boost employee’s confidence and morale.
The Professional Driver Education Program
The ARA Professional Driver Education Program is a rental-specific online certificate program for construction and general tool employees.
Designed with all aspects of the driving and delivery process in mind, this nine-course program features nearly seven hours of instruction on topics from loading and unloading to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations and customer service.
- Improves safety, reduces risk and enhances customer service.
- Establishes consistent work practices.
- Identifies safe, operational best practices.
- Includes checklists and links to pertinent websites.
- Students who complete the program receive a certificate, uniform patch, hard-hat decal and wallet card.
- Students complete the nine courses, quizzes, and a final comprehensive exam.
Event Rental Training Courses
The Event Rental Training Courses (ERTC) are in-depth, self-study programs that focus on job-specific training. The courses offer content similar to the Certified Event 
Rental Professional (CERP) program but are designed for members who seek training in just one specific area.
Students who complete ERTC courses and later decide to enroll in the CERP program are eligible to receive credit for up to two ERTC purchases
CERP?
The Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program, offered exclusively by ARA, is the only rental-specific certification program for those in the party and event rental industry.
This in-depth, self-study program is for individuals who seek a competitive edge and professional credentials. Graduates deliver remarkable results that benefit both their clients and their rental company.
The CERP program strengthens employee loyalty, creates a safer work environment and delivers:
- A competitive edge by teaching industry best practices for increasing productivity and profitability.
- Professional credentials that demonstrate your knowledge, expertise and commitment to the industry.
- Remarkable results that exceed your clients’ expectations and increase referrals by building essential word-of-mouth.
Young Professionals (18-40)
Young professionalsare the future of the equipment rental industry. That’s why ARA invests in our future leaders through the Young Professionals Network (YPN). This free membership benefit is administered by the ARA Foundation.
If you’re between the ages of 18-40 and affiliated with an ARA/CRA-member rental operation but have NOT joined YPN, right now is the time.Why? Sign up to be a YPN member between November 1, 2017 and March 1, 2018 to be automatically entered into a drawing for a free trip to ARA’s 2018 Young Professionals Conference, Nov. 14-16 in Santa Fe, NM. (Free trip includes coach class airfare, hotel accommodations at the conference hotel and event registration.)
