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It started with a Budget truck with Jeff Crotto: Episode 62
102 Plays21 days ago
It's our last interview from The ARA Show 2026! Nate and Kyle sit down with Jeff Crotto, All About Events. Jeff talks about his alter ego and how he started his business, decision-making as a leader, and learning from mistakes as your career progresses. He also talks about how ARA helped him scale his business, the pros and cons of the H2B Visa program, and when to start a second shift.
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Clear Span Tents & Structures, learn more at www.anchorinc.com.
PS, if you want to join ARA and you tell them you heard about it from Nate and Kyle, you'll get 25% off your membership! https://ararental.org/join-ARA/promo/Podcast25
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Under the Vinyl'
00:00:01
Speaker
All right. Welcome back. This is another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast. Nate?
00:00:19
Speaker
right welcome back this is another episode of under the vinyl a rental management media podcast nate Monday at the A-Ray show. And to be honest, an hour ago, I thought it was Tuesday.
00:00:30
Speaker
but it is ah It feels like it's been a long, long week so far. And it's only Monday. It's only Monday. I lost track on Saturday. um Saturday or Sunday. So, yeah. So, we're doing really well. Yeah.
00:00:42
Speaker
But we've got some great guests lined up. We do. And it's been a good good show so far. Obviously, it's only day one, but we're having fun. um But we've got a great guest. So today, we've got Jeff Crotto on. Jeff, are you doing? I'm great. How are you guys? Thanks for having me.
00:00:56
Speaker
Absolutely. Thanks for coming along. I'm glad we could snag you. When you said you had great guests, I assume that means after this episode? Well, we were going to invite Brandon Algren, but. Yeah. But you weren't great guests. Yeah, we wanted great guests. So here we are. Understood. Yeah, absolutely. We're working our way through the flirty group. We'll probably not take Brandon, but we'll see what At this point, he may not come on. out of protest. I mean, this is, yeah, we just keep this thing going. I feel like we have gone through the flirty group now that think about it.
00:01:23
Speaker
Yeah, I think we're pretty close. Yeah. i don't know if that's good or bad thing. We're being biased, but we'll be able to- really just trying to get invited on one of their trips, but- Yeah, tell me about it. As much as we get invited to their suites and everything else, we figure we at least got to have a lawn here, right?
Founding All About Events
00:01:35
Speaker
So Jeff, tell us a little bit about yourself. And, you know, we know that you've fulfilled lots of roles with ARA, but just go back on your business here, the real job and what you really do. Yeah. This episode of Under the Vinyl is brought to you by Anker Tents & Clear Spans, a fifth generation family owned company making tents and clear span structures right here in the USA.
00:01:54
Speaker
Anker isn't just about selling the best products on the market. They share decades of experience and stand beside you as you grow your business. Anker's craftsmanship and engineering give you a peace of mind and will allow you to use the equipment for years to come, season after season.
00:02:07
Speaker
For the next generation of rental owners and installers, Anchor aims to not just be your supplier, but a trusted partner helping guide you into the right products to grow your business. Call to be connected to your sales rep today, 1-800-544-4445, or visit their website
00:02:24
Speaker
Yeah, so so I started All About Events in Jacksonville, Florida in 2010, September 2010. And um I had about five years or so with a with another rental business in Jacksonville.
00:02:38
Speaker
um The family owned, I would say not my family, obviously. um But I just felt like it could be done better. it was done Everything was done through the prism of the company versus for the customer. and My whole background was you know waiting on people, taking care of people that wait on people, training people to do that, that sort of thing. So yeah I just felt it could be done better. so ah I got an argument with the owner one day and that night I went home and I bought the URL we use today and I put together the worst website you've ever seen in your entire life. I didn't own a table. I didn't own a chair, but I put a website together with some tents and tables and chairs on it. and
00:03:16
Speaker
This is Prior to AI. This is Prior to AI. It's Prior to AI. But it was horrible, horrible website. But con it worked Customers started calling and mean, I knew what I was doing when I got the, I could sell when I got the call and stuff. So, but, um so it's, it's, you know started in a 10 by 10 storage
Overcoming Early Challenges
00:03:35
Speaker
unit. So what'd you do for your first inventory?
00:03:38
Speaker
um So I rented from a company in St. Augustine. I rented tables and chairs for a month and I bought a 20 by 20 and I literally had it shipped to FedEx and had them hold it at the terminal. And I rented a budget truck and picked it up and unpacked it at the job site.
00:03:54
Speaker
and and put it up and went to work at the other rental store yeah for the morning. It was on Saturday. And I had to go back, pick it up noon. So when the store closed, i went back and picked the 10 up, put it back in the budget truck, drove it to the storage unit. And on the way to the storage unit, I was literally calculating the diagonal of the cube to figure out if the reds would fit in the 10 by 10 diagonally. And that's literally how I started.
00:04:17
Speaker
And did it fit? Yeah. They did fit. I basically put the tables and chairs in the back and the the reds were the diagonal you know front corner, the back bottom corner. and um And then I had got a call for 20 by 30, so I bought a mid and you know exactly sort of just that's just the way it went. is So did you tell the other rental owner company that you were working at what you were doing? Are you secretly doing this? I didn't. I did it i yeah did it. It's funny because I went by Jeff and I started, answered the phone by, I went by JJ's. My middle initials, Joseph or middle-annister Joseph. So I went by JJ because I always secretly want to recall JJ.
00:04:50
Speaker
So I went by JJ. So I was literally, it's true story. I'd be at the rental counter, phone would ring. you know I'd talk to him, Jeff, you know give yeah and then my phone would ring. Same customer. Same customer. So I would go outside and take it and answer it as JJ. And I would try to you know talk a little slower or whatever to make, so it didn't sound exactly the same.
00:05:06
Speaker
And how long did this go on for? Six more six months. okay And I got to the point, i two jobs back to back on a Thursday and Friday. I just couldn't do anymore. yeah And they never called on? They never caught on. And so I resigned and I did the, ah when I went in and and gave my, you know, turned myself into the owner, he said, you know where you're, you have a plan. And I said, yes, sir.
00:05:27
Speaker
And he said, do you know where you're going. And I, so or he said, you have a plan. It's yes, sir. And he goes, it's secret. And I said, yes, sir. And that was it. I walked out and signed a lease on a a space, a little bit bigger space. And you know, wait, wait, wait. How did that go? How did that, I mean. Eventually he had to have found out. That's what i'm saying. He found out. So what what ended up happening when he found did found It's nothing really. It was a customer that had come to us for something. And then she showed up at my warehouse. And you know we had like an office warehouse, kind of 1,500 square foot place. And she called me was like, is this your space? And I said, well, yeah yes, it is. And you know we weren't there all the time, obviously. yeah And she said, well, you have all the tables and chairs. And I was like, yes, ma'am.
00:06:06
Speaker
And she just didn't believe it. long so Well, she took my quote to them. To your end. And that's how they found out. And it was everything cordial after that? No, they eventually, they've sold in the last 12 months or so, but they hated me to the end. Okay. Which I get. I mean, and it's funny because for a long time, every quote of theirs that came across my desk, we did everything in our power to to get that job. Even if it meant losing money, it just, so how was it was winning. And then we got to the point where five times as big as they were. And it's just, it the competition was over all the time. Yeah. So how old were you then when you branched out and started that on your own?
Influence of Past Experiences
00:06:41
Speaker
37. 37. Okay. So prior to that, you worked for that company the entire time? I worked for them for, so I moved to Jacksonville in 2004 and went to work for them pretty much right away. Okay. And, you know, so from 04 to the fall, and actually I worked for them the spring of 11 before I quit. Okay.
00:06:55
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. And so what product, what company did you buy your first tent from? Temporary Supply, so they bought a lot from Top Tech, and they pole tents from Top Tech, and all their West Coast was from Temporary Supply, because it's easy in Florida. You can get it from Matt and them in a day.
00:07:12
Speaker
So I bought it. That's what I knew, so I started buying West Coast stuff still to this day. It's basically all from Temporary Supply. And then jumping into tabletop stuff after that. Yeah, they were wedding heavy. They had candelabras and stuff that, which we don't do. We've had that topic of conversation, I think, on every podcast this week. Every podcast this week. Yeah. Somebody brings candelabra. Are you guys doing this as a joke? Not enough. Kneeling benches. We used to own a Unity candelabra, but I think that's the one by the wayside. But they were wedding heavy, so it very much mimicked what they did. It's what I knew. So... The inventory went that way early on. We'd never gotten that kind of stuff. Right. But we did the same thing I think everybody does. You know, when somebody called wanted a black dance floor, we bought a black white dance floor. Somebody called and gold rim china, we bought gold rim china. It's the easiest way to grow. Yeah. You can't be afraid. Oh, yeah. No, it's, you mean, you're all in before you even realize you're all in.
00:08:08
Speaker
Oh, yeah, for sure. And that's only way you, you know, you can grow slowly and organically, but it's hard. I mean, if if you want to get, yeah you know, get it going, you, um you just say yes and figure it out. Who did you bring on or how did you bring your first first employee on there and kind of grow it on from that?
00:08:26
Speaker
So my girlfriend at the time, ahsh she had a teenage son. So they were really the first people that, first employees. i um And then you then i eventually hired somebody to help me sell.
00:08:38
Speaker
And um yeah but doing it by QuickBooks at that time and everything. So out of the garage in the back of a budget truck. So I never really did it out of the garage per se, but I mean, but I was washing, I have employees that are still with me that remember me taking all the dishes and linens home and dishes and there chair covers and stuff washing them at home in my kitchen. I used to work, i first one in and last one out every day, and I would go home,
00:09:04
Speaker
I would take a trunk load, at an SUV, I would take a trunk load of dishes and like chair covers and leg skirts and stuff home, and I would literally walk in the house, I would eat dinner, and then I would wash dishes and and run the dish the launch the washing machine until 11 o'clock and night when i went to bed, every single night. And then i would load the clean stuff back in my car. i get back and How often were you wondering if this was all worth it? but Every day. i I never really...
00:09:27
Speaker
I mean, I never really had a moment where I didn't think it was worth it. I certainly had moments if I ever thought it was going to get to an equilibrium where it was going to sustain itself, so to speak, um in terms of you know just putting everything back into it and living like a you know living like a broke man everything else. I i certainly questioned whether the capital part was ever going to catch up, which thankfully it has. yeah and where are you guys at today as far as square footage-wise and then employees' So we're just under 50 employees. um The current facility, you know we had a we had a fire after the show and in 24, so we moved because of that. So we're currently in a building that's 47,000, 47,500 basically. Okay.
00:10:04
Speaker
Yeah. And how's that working for you? It's good. we we We have that space and and we had and have another space just up the street where our laundry is. um That's about 7,000 square feet. So we're trying to consolidate the two. I think we'll get
Journey with the American Rental Association
00:10:17
Speaker
that done this year. um With that, we'll need a little more space in the in the primary space, which is available. So yeah hopefully we can stay where we are. What's your, what's kind your primary events that you're doing? Are you more corporate weddings? What do you... Mostly, what we still do 55% or so as weddings. We're really good at somebody that wants a you know a a tent with tables and chairs and the linen and china and de-assel, the whole thing. that that We're really good at that. We don't we don't do too much power in HVAC. In Florida, it's relatively climate you know or relatively moderate climate throughout the year. yeah um
00:10:51
Speaker
So, you we're just doing the the sort of the full thing is what we're really good at. Okay. I gotcha. And inventory matches matches that, you know, in terms of numbers of patterns in China and shares and all that jazz.
00:11:01
Speaker
Absolutely. So transition here a little bit. You are heavily involved in ARA. Yep. President of ARA. Now you're a board chair at ARA. Yep. Another 30 hours. yeah Yeah. Walk us through that a little bit and how you got to be the president or what made you want to do that and get involved in these in the in the industry in different ways.
00:11:20
Speaker
Sure. So it's funny. I met, um, i I went full time in the business in the spring of 2011 and eleven in that fall I was at an auction in Tampa and I met Brandon Auburn who, you know, now's apologies. by by My best friend probably. And, um, probably, you know, mean who's counting. And, uh, yeah, that is true. But, um,
00:11:44
Speaker
we met and then he, shortly after that, he got on the ARA of Florida board and i had filled out a survey that I was interested or something. And so my name came up on a call and he knew me and then Jim Browning knew of me, our ARA insurance agent. So that's sort of how I got, you know, the opportunity. And on the very first call, they needed a, they called it a recorder, but it was the secretary. And I said, okay. Okay.
00:12:06
Speaker
So literally the first the first call I was an officer essentially you to call it on the on the state board. Yeah, I did that for a while. And then um here in Orlando, Peggy DeFrancisco was becoming president. She asked me to be vice president with her.
00:12:20
Speaker
When i I remember saying to her, like, what I don't know what that is, Peggy. Like, I don't know. You know, I don't know how to do that. And then fast forward 10 years and be president of the whole association. But i i so I say it all the time. I just said yes. When there were opportunities came to me, whether it was to be on, you know, I was able to be on SIG and um you'll be on different committees i was running on show task force couple times and you just just yes yes yes and um you know and then regional director and uh then the executive committee with dan hooks when he was president yeah and uh just just by saying yes and you know i think i'm a very strong advocate for the industry which you know is part of the job duties um and getting involved in general For sure, for sure.
00:13:01
Speaker
um And I think it's it's... You have to be in the right place in life. I mean, right your home life has to be in position where you can be away the amount of time you have to away. It's a commitment. Yours is pretty damn good now that you're married. It is, it is. But you have to... Especially if you're going to...
00:13:17
Speaker
you got to be on the board first. So you got to be a you know regional director or a sick jail, whatever. And then being officers, you base talk about six years. I mean, the business has to be able for you to be away a lot in those times. Your personal life has to be able, you know, kids activities and, you know, health and everything else you have to be in.
00:13:33
Speaker
Age-wise, it has to fit because some people, get to a certain age, you wouldn't want to do it. Some people too young, I think, to do it. So it's important that you're just in the right place to take it. You're to tell me you shouldn't be a president of something at a certain age? Man, the United States should have done that. Anyways, all right, off the rails there. So do you think lessons of ownership has kind of prepared you then for the leadership of that position? And, I mean, you're saying that you've got to say yes, yes, yes, and what I'm hearing is,
00:13:59
Speaker
If you take it all the way back to where you got into this box truck and you got this 10, you said yes. And you've said yes, basically your whole entire life all the way up until this point for still are, you know. And so what did that show you as an owner to help you prepare to be the president or be on the board?
00:14:14
Speaker
Well, I think, you know, all of us in business, and don't have to be the owner even necessarily, but, you know, being management the bit in in a business, you have so many decisions you make in the course the day. And they're difficult decisions, and there's people decisions, things like that. And it's no different when you get into, when you get to be on the board you get to be an officer. It's...
00:14:30
Speaker
It's hard decisions. it's you know you you Whether it's dealing with the CEO and know the CEO's compensation or whether it's you're dealing with the, you know we did the relocation of the association during the year I was president. We're dealing with that.
00:14:42
Speaker
You're dealing with people, asking people to to step off the board and things like that. It's all challenging, but it's no different the way you do you know what you do on a daily basis at home. Yeah, just being a good human yeah at the end of the Yeah, yeah, Do you think there's some early failures or defining moments that kind of kind of shaped your career path anything that you've done?
The Importance of Joining ARA
00:15:02
Speaker
Oh, man, there's so many. I mean, there's there's more than I can count. I mean, I think... um That's a great question. not I can't think of one, to be honest. yes Yeah.
00:15:17
Speaker
Just to learned a lot of lessons along the way. Yeah. My biggest thing, and I say this to our people and our team, is just try not to make the, learn from the mistake and try to write it again. Yeah. That's where he gets to be, you know, crazy. No, I would absolutely agree with that. I think that there's so many, as a lead as a leadership team, if you're not making failures, you're not learning, you're not growing, and you're not teaching others ah to help do that as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. so Even the shows, for example, as as an area officer, you know there's things that we do with the show that you know you want them all to hit, but there's some things that just don't work out the way you hoped they would, yeah and that's just the reality. and you But if you never take any chances, you're never going to miss. To the small companies out there thinking about joining ARA who may listen to this, what advice do you have to kind of get them to buy in? Do it.
00:16:03
Speaker
I mean, it's yeah it doesn't make any sense. I mean, to me, it doesn't make any sense not to do it. and i But I also think if you're not going to get involved, don't do it. Because it that company, that i the family-owned company that I worked for before i came, ah before I went on my own, they...
00:16:21
Speaker
They were ARA members and never did anything. They came to the show in Orlando, maybe, but otherwise did nothing. and didn't going state events. They didn't, mean, they literally did nothing. The magazine came in and went in the trash. They just did nothing with with the membership. And in half the time that they've been around, we're, you know, five, six times as big as they are. And it's directly tied to, mean, my peer group is one, but ARA is is there for sure. I mean, just look at the foundation last night and how much money did they raised. I mean, and everybody that is just jumping on board. And I mean, we're $800,000 last night just alone with everything that went on and the the cool things that we're doing with the Bronco and things like that. were I mean, it's awesome. I think air everybody's jumping on board.
00:17:00
Speaker
Well, you just learn so much from the people around you. I mean, I've, you know, I've been in so many people's stores that, you know, done been opportunities to be in people's stores and learn things from them. My staff has what met members of other teams, organizations that they can go to them and ask them questions, which makes us better. um There's just so much. well There's so much to offer. You can yeah find your best friends by coming to things like this. Oh, I'm sure.
00:17:22
Speaker
And if you don't go, you don't get to meet these people that when who are all having the same problems as you are. Yeah. Everywhere in the country. I talk to Kyle more than I do my own wife during the day sometimes. Yes. Which is probably not good. It's weird if I don't hear from Nate before the end of the day. You know, I got married a year ago. Yeah. And my...
00:17:40
Speaker
My half of the guests was my brother, a lady it's worked for me basically the longest, and then a bunch of rental people. That was who was there for me. It was entirely rental people. I've talked about it several times when I got divorced in 2017, 2018. Got remarried and I was kind of trying to figure out which direction I wanted to go. If I wanted to stay in the industry, get out of the industry. And um got rejuvenated, decided to stay in it. I'm glad I did because the biggest thing for me was just the people.
00:18:05
Speaker
yeah And I couldn't, I didn't feel like I could just up and leave the people, you know, and we come to these shows and and we're able to do these things and see everybody and hang out with everybody, just walking the floor and hanging out. And I mean, that's why you stay out late all the time at the shows. It's just the network. You don't see these people year. Exactly.
00:18:20
Speaker
well even Once or twice a year, really. yeah Even the past presidents, you see them come to the show. I mean, a lot of them don't even have rental businesses anymore, but they come to the show because it's, it's fuck they get to see their people. Well, and that's why it guys like my father or Mike, they don't want to retire fully because this is their life. yeah They want to be able to come see all their friends, their lifelong friends. it's You can't, once you're in it, you cannot get out. Yeah, yeah absolutely. It's in your v blood. and So what do you think then um you learned most from traveling around as president to different um different rental companies? I mean, you've seen all sizes, I'm sure, then from the small guys to the large guys. What what did you kind of learn from visits
00:18:57
Speaker
Well, I think two things. i I think being around equipment people as well, the problems we deal with are this. It seems like it's a totally different thing, but the reality is is that the problems that we face are the same things. It's it's people, it's tariffs, it's it's all the same issues. It's just on you know on different equipment, obviously. um And the same thing goes for as you travel around and see large and small. It's the same.
00:19:21
Speaker
Everybody has the same issues. It's It's the code you know the code people in your county. it's the you know it's you You can't find people it's or you can't retain people, whatever the case is. It's all the you know the cost of equipment, all that stuff. It's all the same issues for all of us. Do you feel like when you went to some of these that you found a difference between like the independent operators and the bigger firms, the bigger PE firms or...
00:19:42
Speaker
Well, certainly as people get bigger, you you see the controls they have in place because they can afford to have those controls. Because when you start, you're flying by the seat of your pants. You're using water barrels or your whatever the case is. yeah And as you get further along, they have more at stake you you take the you know you take the the expense to put those controls in place. you know and that even thing you Whether that's like RFID tags, but but you know using 10 oxes and you know more concrete weights and all those kind of things, and that you just see more controls in the bigger places. Yeah, and more efficiencies with the AI and automation and just sustainabilities and yeah things like that. Yeah.
00:20:21
Speaker
And there's obviously a a law there's a big spectrum there because there's the really small independents. And then there's the behemoths. There's a lot of people in the middle. Like we're way more mechanized than something that's super small, but we're nowhere near as mechanized as, you know, Party Reflections is or Eventsource is or Chattanooga is. Yeah.
00:20:39
Speaker
But it's um but we're way more mechanized than the you the smaller people. Is there something that owners should kind of be preparing for? Do you think what's coming up with everything with technology and things like that, that they should start putting in place now or get ahead of that you feel like it is going to help them?
AI's Impact on Workforce Dynamics
00:20:56
Speaker
Well, i think the um it's to be interesting to see what happens with you know the workforce because you know i don't know how many people are going to lose their jobs because of AI or what AI is going to change. but i But there's the the workforce, I think, is going to change a little bit. And I don't know how how that's going to impact us. yes is that gonna Are those people to want to take the jobs that they're offering? That's going to the biggest question.
00:21:19
Speaker
because and do we want them yeah and these able especially dress all because in theory with ai our office or managerial jobs are going to get easier yeah so we don't need as many of those people so it's really the field staff it's where we need the people well it's like someone who worked in an office for 20 years going to want to come put up tents all day that's going to be the interesting shift i agree with you to see what happens there yeah But then also there's the other side where I feel like AI is just going to make everybody in your business better um for the the things they're able to send out or the quotes they're able to do through it or just, you know, putting emails together and things like that. So I feel like there's two different aspects. Alan Berg's presentation the other day on Saturday, yeah that's what he talked He puts everything through AI every single time just to make it, clean it up or make it shorter, make it longer.
00:22:03
Speaker
um So things like that are just a no-brainer. Well, I heard in one of the sessions, I don't i don't remember whose it was, one of the ones I was in this where talked about AI may not eliminate, um eliminate jobs, but it'll make your, make your jobs easier. And I, that's what I've seen. That's like, it allows me to, you know, instead of spending an hour on something, i can spend five minutes on it or or whatever the case is.
00:22:25
Speaker
But the the other side of that is we're all so busy you know, back to what we talked about before with, you know, the obligations you have at home and stuff, we're all so busy. It's almost like you're just getting it back to sort of a normal work day as opposed to a sanity that we're all doing. I was just down on the showroom floor and I put a quote together in a matter of five minutes by just talking to my phone and was able to email and send it off without going back in and putting it into the system and everything like that. So if I can do my job like that from where I'm at, I'm good. Well, it's funny. We we argue, we don't argue, but the big discussion in our office currently is I want to be able to run the entire business off my cell phone.
00:22:58
Speaker
Yeah. So like, I want to, I keep trying to force Brian like, okay, we need to switch this when you switch this. And he, he like gives me pushback on it. Cause he doesn't get it. He's a, I want to sit in front of the computer, but I, it's 2026. You should be able to access everything at the tip of your fingers. Yeah.
00:23:15
Speaker
So while you're all gallivanting around, having fun, going to dinners, what's everybody, who's at the who's at the office taking care of everything? What do you got leadership team-wise there? So we've you know we've got a manager in all the places you would think. we've I've got a GM that's been with us you know for a couple of years now, and you know operations manager, warehouse manager, ah logistics manager, who manages our load crew. The guys work second shift loading trucks. He manages them as well as the routing.
00:23:42
Speaker
And then obviously, a actually we have a sales manager starting when I get back. So, um you know, everybody's, it's a very good mix. A couple of people have been with us quite a while. Some of the people are newer, so it's a nice mix of, you know, they have the spirit they have the experience, but people have fresh perspective. um And, you know, they do a good job. it's um You have to let them fall and bump their heads in while because that's all we got to learn. i can I can tell you, but it doesn't,
00:24:06
Speaker
you know it doesn't do It doesn't do the trick they need to do it themselves. It's funny, our GM, a few months ago, I came in one day and had this sign on the telephone telephone pole in our parking lot that said, we'll call, had an arrow to the back, yeah like where our customer pickup is.
00:24:21
Speaker
And I didn't say a word. And then we were in our reservation meeting the next week. And he brought up like, oh, you see our sign. I'm like, i saw our sign, but there's one problem. And he goes, ah well, what's what's that? What's the problem? And I said, a customer has no idea what we'll call means.
00:24:35
Speaker
Yeah. And he goes, through and he's like, oh shit. You know? And, uh, I said, the thing is, I said, just ask, I said, it's still your idea. Right. Just tell me, yeah I'll help you. It's still your idea. yeah So luckily we had another sign that in the back that's a customer pickup. So we just switched them. It worked out, but it's just things like that. You have to, he has to make that mistake to learn.
00:24:53
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I feel like that's what like that with anybody. Are you feeling like you're finding a good balance for hiring down Jacksville?
Using the H2B Visa Program for Staffing
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah, we've been very lucky. You know, we made a concerted effort about three years ago to really take better care of the people we had on the team. Bring the way we brought people in and take care of better care of the people on the team. Yeah, just in general. And it's significantly reduced the turnover because I've felt all along that's the easiest solution to a workforce problem. If you just keep the people you have, then you don't want to be out recruiting. Oh, absolutely. So when we have an opening, can generally fill it pretty quick. We were on the H2B program. This is the second year on that program. It's been really good for us.
00:25:30
Speaker
but it you Your one went for you? Year one went well. ah Year two, we're you know most of the way, well, halfway through, I guess. theyll they're here because We run them ah October to July. your H2MU guys, you're you got five of them?
00:25:44
Speaker
Yeah, we had six, got five now. We sent one back. It's been a really good program for us. um the one The biggest hurdle we've had that we didn't really think about or or didn't anticipate was we have not been able to get any of them a driver's license, even though five of the six won't have.
00:26:00
Speaker
Five of the six drove in Guatemala. We've not been able to get a Florida driver's license. So we've had to get them from the house to the office. It's only about five minutes away, so it's not a big deal. But that has been the biggest sort of unforeseen thing I think that we've dealt with. Are you using them for your second shift?
00:26:17
Speaker
So one of them works second shift, but the other ones all work on the okay day shift. it's How long have you been doing second shift?
00:26:25
Speaker
Four or five years. And it's been working well. Yeah. yeah The key is keeping it... We've had a couple times where it's tiered on the edge of falling apart. Yeah. That's... As long as you keep it going. once we We had tried it previously and it sort of fell apart. Yeah.
00:26:37
Speaker
Also, think the big misconception is with the H2A and the H2B is the housing. So you mentioned the house, getting them back... Yeah....forth to the house. Are you facilitating that? Are you helping with that? Yeah. we... So I bought a house um and basically...
00:26:51
Speaker
ah charge them rent weekly for you know that the housing, and utilities, and stuff. We pay one of them to take care of the yard and that sort of thing. um But it's worked out. It's worked out well. It's a loss leader, but you only invest you own the asset at the end of the day. sell and Well, it's equally covered the cost. it's it's That's all I was going ask. So then in the off months when they're gone, ah you having anybody else come in or are you just holding that house? No, we just sweet we had some stuff. We went in and did a little bit of work. Actually, Brian's the that told me that was lot times what you do go in and do have to do some repair work when they're on. That's good idea. Clean up and that sort of thing. So it's ripped out. so And again, there they're here until... ah
00:27:26
Speaker
For us, we sent them back on July 15th, and we brought them back you know just before the end of September. was all do Oh, yeah. That's perfect. Well, just before we close out here, hit you with ah some rapid fire questions. um One thing rental companies are underpricing.
00:27:39
Speaker
Labor. Overrated trend versus underrated trend.
00:27:47
Speaker
I'm going to give you one in the middle. I'm not sure what it is. And that's the black frame tent. And I'm not talking about the garden tent. I'm talking, I just, but for the record, I just bought one. So I'm in the, I'm in the, in the, welcome to the shit, baby.
00:28:00
Speaker
But, um but I just don't know if it's going to last. i you know, I, although I swore farm cables wouldn't last. And here we are. Brian Richardson swore that sales loss wouldn't last. So I mean, Travari's are still floating around him too. So yeah. ah Best ARA show memory.
00:28:15
Speaker
Well, in um in New Orleans in 2024, I proposed to my wife on Monday night, so I'd say that probably has to be the... That was armory, yeah. Hardest leadership lesson?
00:28:27
Speaker
Holy... probably
00:28:33
Speaker
Probably just the failures along the way and, you know, that they that they make you they make you better. And even as little ones, just, ah you know, always picking yourself back up and you sort of don't get the chance. You know, as the leader of the group, you gotta we got to put their face on and keep going and not because otherwise everybody will fold. People looking at you to support them and stuff.
00:28:54
Speaker
Absolutely. And ah advice for a young professional coming into the rental industry? I i have two. Well, a joint area is one. That that doesn't count. um Buy nice or buy twice. That's good one. And um get off a losing horse or maybe.
00:29:11
Speaker
So if you've got an employee, that's a pain. that's It's just not doing it. Get off a losing horse or maybe. have one final question. What advice do you have for everyone out there after your fire to check in their warehouse?
Fire Safety Advice
00:29:25
Speaker
It's extension cords and just, you know I don't think we necessarily did anything wrong. I mean, probably it's an overload, ah but um but just...
00:29:36
Speaker
you know, eliminate as many extension boards as you can, plug things directly in the wall. If you use an extension cord, use it as just an extension cord, not an extension cord to a power strip. amount so because that's That's where the fire started, whether it was something that faulty or other cases, but it was in a was in an office where we, you know, we had plug on on one wall needed the desk on the other wall so they had an extension cord around. Then he had power strip at the end of it. and Then he had a multi-plug on the power strip.
00:30:01
Speaker
And again, it's, you know, many people, when I told them that story, many people said, it's the stuff we all do, and it's yeah true. Yeah. yeah but We had a fire that was, you know, it was devastating. So, yeahp yeah. Yeah.
00:30:12
Speaker
But you're recovering well. Yeah, we've. Yeah. And you're doing great today. It sounds like the business is succeeding and and you're doing just fine. So we appreciate you coming on today. And, yeah, look forward to continuing to watch what you do, whether it's a leader in the ARA side or, you know, just in your business in general, but also a good friend. So yeah thanks for coming on, Jeff. uci Appreciate it. This has been another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast.