From Empty Lot to Full Operation: Building a Competitive Rental Business from Scratch

Challenge:
A regional Heavy Equipment dealership needed a fully operational rental division… fast. What they had was an empty building, a handful of machines, no systems, no staff, and zero market presence. The goal: establish a competitive rental provider capable of going head-to-head with national players.

What I Did:
I was brought in to build the entire operation from zero. The facility had power and plumbing and that was it. I oversaw everything from initial layout and infrastructure planning to pricing strategy, vendor onboarding, logistics flow, rental systems, fleet expansion, and service procedures.

I hired and trained the launch team, implemented safety and dispatch workflows, created all documentation from scratch, and established vendor partnerships and operational protocols. Marketing, operations, dispatch, field service — every piece of the puzzle ran through me.

Behind the Scenes:
With a rare mix of autonomy and trust, I was essentially handed a blank check to make it happen — and I did. In just three months, the facility went from a raw shell to a fully functional rental business. I remained for another three months to support the transition and ensure stability — but there were no teething issues. The infrastructure held.

Results:

• Transformed an empty facility into a fully operational rental business

• Built and implemented all systems: dispatch, logistics, pricing, field service, and internal documentation

• Hired, trained, and transitioned the founding team

• Gained external recognition from CAT corporate for speed and quality of execution

• Created a turnkey model that continued to perform beyond my tenure

Tags:
#GroundUpBuild #RentalOperations #CATDealership #FleetInfrastructure #TurnkeyExecution #FieldService #LeadershipUnderPressure