The recession may have been a mild one for the U.S. economy as a whole, but certain parts of the construction industry have taken a beating. Equipment makers are consolidating, rental firms are reorganizing or conserving cash and some contractors think that now might be the best time to get good equipment deals. There seems to be more than enough to go around.
With about 75% of the firm's costs "fixed or semi-fixed...we get creamed in a recession," says Brad Jacobs, chairman of Greenwich, Conn.-based United Rentals Inc., the nation's largest rental shop, with about 471 outlets. But the bright side is that it can ramp up quickly after a recession just by increasing rental equipment utilization, he adds.