Rocky Rents is the sort of business where Swift Current homeowners, contractors and anyone else planning an outdoor project cross paths. A local DIY-er might stop by the shop at 2090 North Railway St West to rent a pressure washer or circular saw. At the same time, a busy contractor might leave the lot with scaffolding or an excavator.
It’s a place that serves the community with rental equipment of all types and sizes, and with the snow melting and even warmer weather on the horizon, branch manager Verlan Voth knows he and his staff are about to get busy – quickly.
“People are starting to think about getting some outside work done, so we’re seeing our outdoor lifts start to move around,” he says. “Soon we’ll be getting into gardening season, which means people will need yard tillers, lawn mowers, aerators and power rakes. It gets really crazy for about a four-week period.”
Then, in the summer, area busy contractors rely on Rocky Rents to supply them with skid steers, man lifts, tractors, backhoes and other large equipment.
“The construction sector is our primary target, but we also rent out smaller tools for homeowners – anything from fans to pumps to pressure-washers that you’d use around your yard,” Voth explains.
It’s an impressive range of equipment made possible by being part of Rocky Mountain Equipment. Voth now has access to larger implements like full-size excavators and payloaders, and he recently brought in a backhoe as well. But Rocky Rents also has its own story – one that began back in 2007.
At the time, as Voth recalls, a local construction contractor, Roland Falk wanted to see a broader variety of reliable rental equipment in Swift Current. A friend of his, Doug Robertson, launched Robertson Rentals to meet the demand, and before long the business started to grow.
“About two-and-a-half years ago the Robertson group was sold to Rocky Mountain Equipment out of Alberta, so Doug is now enjoying a well-earned retirement,” says Voth. “The transition has been very smooth. The Rocky Mountain group has opened rental outlets in Calgary and Edmonton and are looking to get established there, and then in all likelihood continuing to grow and maybe planting some more stores.”
Hard-working, growing communities like Swift Current are ideal markets for businesses like Rocky Rents, as it means a range of equipment will always be in demand. And as a homeowner or smaller contractor might not have the budget to buy, or even need to buy, a piece of equipment, they can always find it available to rent from Voth and his team.
“Your average customer isn’t going to want to pay $80,000 to buy a skid steer,” says Voth. “But if they need one, we can provide one.”
Rocky Rents’ commitment to its community extends beyond its inventory.
The business has been active in supporting The Center youth initiative over the years, and they’ve also sponsored the Prairie Sky running group. Naturally, they also contribute equipment that helps put on the annual Frontier Days. In the near future, they hope to connect directly with the community through a customer appreciation BBQ as well.
As a piece of advice, Voth recommends that customers be proactive in booking their rental equipment ahead of time.
“It’s no different than going on vacation and booking a car rental or hotel,” he explains. “You can call us and we can book as far ahead as you’d like and make sure the equipment you want is there for you when you need it.”
Rocky Rents will even train customers to properly use a piece of equipment they might not be familiar with. Additionally, Voth points out that if there’s demand for equipment he doesn’t have in stock, he’ll try to bring it in.
“That’s actually a big part of how we’ve grown over the years – just listening to our customers and finding out what types of tools they like to use,” he says. “If we get enough requests, we’ll go get it.”
Rocky Rents can be reached by calling (306) 773-8885. Their equipment inventory can also be viewed online by visiting their website.
