Reno's Growth Trajectory Boosts Rental Demand
Fueled by construction of Tesla Motors' “gigafactory,” Reno, Nev., is seeing an amazing construction resurgence with manufacturing sites, data centers, and distribution warehouses popping up in city and surrounding areas. The Reno branch of H&E Equipment Services (H&E) has been in the thick of it.
Though Apple, PetSmart and Wal-Mart set the pace for the construction boom, “when Reno won the bid to be the site for Tesla’s 5,000,000 square foot gigafactory . . . it was a game changer,” says Tony Lucero, H&E Reno territory sales representative.
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| Wal-Mart, PetSmart distribution centers, Apple data center and now Tesla's gigafactory battery plant, where these crews are working, has Reno experiencing an unprecedented construction boom. |
H&E, which operates across several states and offers a variety of brands of equipment for rent, has seen strong demand for scissor lifts. Many of the new structures being erected feature ceilings with peaks at 48 feet, a fit for their Genie GS-4390 scissor lift. Crews from almost every trade use the lift and “like the extended working area of the deck, the non-marking tires — a prerequisite on many of these jobs — and the availability of AC power to the platform,” Lucero says.
Listed as a rough-terrain machine, the Genie scissor lift also works well on paved surfaces. With 49 ft of working height, it’s a good fit for the high ceilings in the tilt-wall structures being built. With both platforms extended, the deck offers more than 21 ft of length, says Lucero, “adding both work area and payload capacity.”
Lucero says Genie products play a key role in meeting growth demands. “The Genie team has been outstanding . . . huge proponents of training, often sending their techs to help our techs when new machines are introduced.’
Maintaining a supply line with Genie, and with H&E’s ability to move equipment to where it’s needed, the company has been able to handle the logistical demands of keeping its customers equipped. H&E also prides itself in its capability to meet service needs. With nine technicians on staff in the Reno facility, “we are able to respond quickly to get a customer up and running. We even work on customer-owned machines. While the volume of work going on now is impressive, projects are being bid tight and the margins are relatively slim. Everyone understands that down time is lost time and a drain on the bottom line — I feel we do a better job than anyone else at providing the best product and the support of a first-class service team,” Lucero says, adding that it’s an important competitive advantage for them.
H&E currently has about 70 locations nationwide but Lucero says still they go to great lengths to personalize their business and place customer satisfaction over all else.
“If we have a customer come to us asking for something we don’t supply, we’ll help them find it,” he says. “Then the customer, we truly feel, will remember our effort and eventually become an H&E customer. Our company mission is to be the safest and most responsive, solutions-oriented provider of rentals, sales, parts and service in the equipment industry. We accomplish this by focusing on quality, rapid response, and appreciation for those we serve. By surrounding ourselves with the best people, aligning ourselves with the best equipment manufacturers, and providing the best tools for the job, we know there is no one better poised to meet the changes happening here in Reno. It’s an exciting time for sure.”
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