A Flair for Equipment Sparks Long-Running Success for Rental Business
Charlie and Catherine O'Hara and daughter Penny O'Sullivan
Thirty-five years ago, Charlie O’Hara combined his background in construction supervision with his love for equipment to start his own family business—ABCO Equipment and Supplies, a full-service rental store and supply house catering to the construction industry in the Toronto area.
Today, still in the original location in the suburb of Weston, business has never been better. That’s despite about a nine-fold increase in the number of competitors serving the industrial and construction market.
“We accomplished what we set out to do,” says Charlie, whose wife, Catherine, has been involved with the store since it started. “We never wanted to be the biggest rental business in town. But we did want to be at least as profitable as anyone else.”
When ABCO Equipment and Supplies first opened its doors, the selection of equipment included mostly hand tools, such as concrete vibrators, demolition tools and wheelbarrows. Over the years, the selection has expanded to include bigger equipment as well. In the early 1980s, for example, the business added Bobcat® skid-steer loaders, starting with a model 743.
Today, the company has a fleet of 42 Bobcat machines. The 751 and S175 loaders are used for jobs ranging from landscaping and construction site clean-up to swimming pool construction. The excavators (models 322, 328, 331, 334 and 341) are just as versatile. “They’re simple to operate and they are the sizes our customers want whether they’re digging trenches or breaking up foundations,” Charlie says.
The O’Haras have been turning operation of the business over to their daughter, Penny O’Sullivan, who is currently serving as president of the Ontario Division of the Rental Assn. of Canada. However, Charlie has no plans to step completely out of the picture.
“What would I do with my time?” he asks. “I enjoy the opportunity the business gives me to meet different people all the time and I have an ear for machines. I can tell right away if a piece of equipment isn’t running right. Fixing it gives me a feeling of accomplishment.”
Looking back, Charlie singles out several factors that have played a key role in the success of ABCO Equipment and Supplies:
• Top-notch equipment “We’ve always offered good equipment.
Customers know that when they rent from us that the equipment works properly. And we keep a substantial inventory to promptly meet demand. We don’t let our shelves get empty.”
• First-rate service “Service is another big thing in the rental business. We have experienced people on the desk who look after the
needs of our customers. They’re not order takers. Instead they listen to a customer and ask questions to make sure the customer gets the right tool or equipment for the job.”
• Loyal employees “I’ve always prided myself on keeping good employees. Half of our 18 employees average about 18 years of service with the company. One has been with us for 34 years. Even though it’s a privately-owned company, we run it as if we were all one big family.”
• Bobcat equipment “We’re able to offer a wide range of attachments, such as augers, hydraulic breakers, grapples and sweepers,
with our Bobcat machines. And the loaders and excavators require much less maintenance than competitive makes. Over the years, we’ve found that the re-sale and trade-in value of our Bobcat equipment is better than other brands. In the long term, our Bobcat machines give us a good return on investment.”