Episode Overview
Running an independent equipment rental business is one of the harder jobs in the trades. You are not just renting machines. You are running a small bank, training a team, and trying to stay ahead of a market that moves fast.
On episode 100 of The Rental Roundtable, Steve Mau and his son Austin Mau of Brainerd General Rental in Minnesota shared what 24 years in the business has taught them. Steve bought the shop in 2002 with no rental background. Austin grew up around the yard, studied engineering, and came back to help run it. Their story shows what it takes to build a strong independent rental business: family trust, a commitment to service, and a willingness to keep learning.
Family Business and Succession in Equipment Rental
Family-run shops are common in rental. In Steve’s peer group of 10 owners, he is the only first-generation operator. Everyone else is second, third, or even fourth generation. That tells you something about the kind of business this is. Rental rewards people who show up, build trust over years, and stay grounded in their community.
But running a business with family is not easy. Roles blur. Work follows you home. Steve and Austin had to work through it on purpose.
Clear Roles and Honest Communication
About four years ago, the Mau’s brought in EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) to help structure the business. That gave them a shared language for accountability. Each person had a defined role. When something felt off, they could point at the structure rather than at each other.
Steve says most family business problems come down to one thing: communication. Expectations that were never spoken out loud. The fix is simple to say and hard to live – address it early, and keep the family side separate from the business side.
“We have to be honest with each other when things don’t feel right. This is what I am seeing. This is what I am feeling. This is what I am hearing.”
Steve Mau, 18:04
Forgiveness, Not Permission
Austin pointed to a turning point in his growth as a leader. During Steve’s time as President of the American Rental Association, Steve was on the road often. Austin and the leadership team had to make calls without him. They learned by trying things, sometimes getting it wrong, and getting better. He calls it “forgiveness, not permission.”
That mindset matters for any rental operator with a growing team. Give your people room to act on smaller decisions. Save the bigger conversations for the bigger calls.
“It was kind of like forgiveness, not permission, and learn by mistakes, if you will.”
Austin Mau, 22:10
Service and Community as a Long-Term Strategy
Brainerd is a town of about 20,000 people that grows to 60,000 in the summer. In a community that size, your reputation is your marketing. Steve has leaned into that. He has served as chair of the local chamber, on his church council, on a community foundation board, and as a past president of the ARA. That looks like a lot of time away from the shop, but Steve sees it differently. Customers want to do business with people they trust, and trust gets built in everyday moments outside the rental counter.
“You will have two roles in this world. You can either be a giver or a taker. There are those people that feel like their mission in this world is to continue to contribute in a positive way. That is the side of the ledger I try and lean on.”
Steve Mau, 27:51
Why This Matters for Independent Rental Operators
National chains can win on scale and price. Independents win on relationships. Steve shared a clear example: a local business owner recently told him, “I feel like we are doing business with Steve’s business, not with Brainerd General Rental.” That kind of bond does not show up in a price comparison. It shows up over decades of being the same person at work as you are in your community. For independents, that is a real competitive advantage that compounds over time.
From Art to Science: The Rise of Data in Rental
When Steve bought the business in 2002, rental was almost all art. You worked as hard as you could and made decisions on instinct. That world is mostly gone. Today there is so much information available that the bigger risk is getting overwhelmed by it.
“When I first started, this business was far more art than it is science. And today, it is far more science than it is art. But there is a little bit of room for both.”
Steve Mau, 39:13
Finding the Right Data, Not All the Data
The operators who come out ahead in the next phase will not be the ones with the most dashboards. They will be the ones who know which one or two numbers actually move the business. Utilization by category. Revenue per location. Maintenance cost per unit. The right number at the right moment.
The same idea applies to AI. Austin admitted he does not use AI tools much yet because there is too much noise. He is not alone. Treat AI like a new hire. Give it a clear job. Train it. Coach it. Measure the results.
Recommended Resource: Rental Roundtable #58 – How AI and Data Are Transforming Equipment Rental
The Shift to Fractional Ownership and Subscription Models
Steve sees a bigger shift in how people think about owning things. His generation bought everything, stored it, and fixed it themselves. The next generation runs the numbers and decides it makes more sense to rent or subscribe.
That is good news for rental. It is also a challenge. Younger customers expect a digital rental experience. They want to see availability online, book from their phone, and get a receipt without calling. If your software cannot support that, you will lose those customers.
“The idea of fractional ownership is now an expectation of our consumers.”
Steve Mau, 36:36
What This Means for Independents
Austin sees the DIY market slowing as more homeowners hire out their work. That could push rental further toward commercial customers.
For independent operators, small to mid-size contractors are still the sweet spot. Those customers want the personal relationship that nationals struggle to deliver. As long as those contractors exist, there is room for independent rental operators to win, as long as they match personal service with a modern customer experience.
Recommended Resource: Rental Roundtable #30 – Efficiency and Growth Strategies for Your Rental Business
Bringing the Next Generation Into Rental
Hiring is one of the toughest problems in the industry. Austin shared how Brainerd General Rental tries to reach younger workers. They go to local home shows. They look for people with a real interest in mechanics. They show up where the next generation is, including on social media.
Even if TikTok or Instagram does not bring in your next customer, it can bring in your next employee. Posting from the yard is one of the easiest ways to show younger workers that rental is a real career path.
Austin himself found his way into the business after attending an ARA show and meeting other next-generation operators his age. Seeing people he could relate to made the family business feel like a real option. The ARA Young Professionals Group plays a similar role for many rising leaders in the industry.
Recommended Resource: Rental Roundtable #67 – The Untapped Power of Video Marketing in Equipment Rental
Career Advice From a Father-Son Rental Team
At the end of every Rental Roundtable, host Kyle Clements asks for the best career advice the guest has received.
Be Present and Keep Learning
Austin’s advice was to stay present, apply yourself, and learn something new every day. Be willing to start at the bottom and work up.
“Learn something new every day. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up. It will pay off faster than I think you think it will.”
Austin Mau, 51:24
Be True to Yourself and Take the High Road
Steve’s advice was to be true to yourself. He also passed on two lessons from the man who sold him the business in 2002:
- Never get into the party business, and
- As a small business owner, pay yourself along the way. Do not bet everything on a big payout at the end.
“Be true to yourself. Don’t try and be somebody that you’re not.”
Steve Mau, 51:38
Final Thoughts
Steve and Austin Mau are doing the quiet work that builds a great independent rental business. Clear roles between family members. Real service to the community. A willingness to move from gut feel to data. An open mind about where the industry is heading.
If you are running an independent rental operation, their story is worth your time. The companies that last are the ones that stay rooted in their values while still moving with the market.
