Episode Overview
Dan Morris, General Manager of Kennebec Equipment Rental, shares his 25-year rise from shop help to running six locations and preparing for ownership. He talks about succession planning, the edge independents have over nationals, and how saying yes, learning everything, and getting involved with the ARA can shape a long career in rental.
Timestamps:
- 01:26 – How a “temporary” job out of high school turned into a 25-year career in rental
- 02:20 – Starting as shop help with no experience and learning everything hands-on
- 22:56 – Negotiating a performance-based contract that paved the way to ownership
- 23:45 – Proving you don’t need upfront capital to become an owner in rental
- 24:59 – Why succession planning beat selling to a national, and what it meant for employees
- 29:52 – Retaining employees through benefits, culture, and experience—not just wages
- 31:10 – Why culture starts at the top and how leaders can earn loyalty
- 38:32 – Testing self-service kiosks and other tech to serve customers 24/7
- 41:37 – How independents compete with nationals through service, flexibility, and speed
- 46:10 – Career advice: you’ll learn more in the trenches than behind a desk
