Aerial Rental Company to Serve Entertainment Industry Formed
March 27, 2006 — According to the March 19 edition of Rental Pulse, a newsletter of the American Rental Association, longtime equipment rental industry executive Kevin Rodgers has formed a new company that will focus exclusively on the rental of aerial and reach equipment to the motion picture, television, commercial and video industries. Called 24/7 Studio Equipment, the company is backed by Chicago-based private equity investment firm Prospect Partners. Rodgers will oversee 24/7 Studio Equipment as chief executive officer. Lance Sorenson, part of the ownership team and an entertainment and rental industry veteran of more than 20 years, will serve as its president.
“Studios need equipment at odd hours and they need to know they can rely on around-the-clock service. Our name says it all,” said Sorensen. “We're located minutes from major studios and can quickly respond to rental requests at any time.”
24/7 Studio Equipment is acquiring a brand new 340-unit fleet that includes JLG booms, scissor lifts, vertical personnel lifts and reach forklifts and Caterpillar industrial forklifts along with other miscellaneous equipment such as rough-terrain forklifts, light towers, generators and mules. The equipment offers special features studios want, such as dual fuel, foam-filled tires on larger booms and scissors, non-marking tires on indoor electrical booms and scissors, special safety cribbing cut-out switches and black, non-reflective booms.
According to Rodgers, the company expects to grow its fleet to 475 units, worth a total of $15 million, within a year. Rodgers formerly founded and led National Equipment Services. In 2004, he teamed with Prospect Partners and management to acquire the assets of the Industrial Hoist Services division from NES and form a new company, Industrial Hoist of Brazoria,
