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CHATTING WITH ...
Current, past and future leaders in the equipment rental industry
Published on July 20, 2020
Austin Caskey
Austin Caskey is a Product Line Manager at Sunbelt Rentals. Austin is third generation rental, where he originally worked at his Father and Grandfather's business, Naples Rent-All. After working at the likes of Volvo Rents, and eventually Blueline Rental, Austin now leads a team of people that help to manage the life cycle of a group of Sunbelt's rental equipment.
Image: Austin Caskey from Sunbelt Rentals
How and when did you get into the equipment rental industry?
I actually grew up in the industry and I’m a third generation ‘rental guy’! My father and grandfather started Naples Rent-All in the 1960’s down in Naples, Florida and then helped as the area grew from a sleepy fishing village into a ritzy domestic vacation and retirement destination. I helped out at the family store prior to it being sold to Nations Rent in 2000 and then got involved with some larger corporate rental companies during and after college.
What type of roles and responsibilities have you taken on over your career?
Starting from my family’s store, it was pretty easy to transition into the operations side of things and I performed a variety of inside and outside roles throughout the organization. While with Volvo Rents, I was willing to relocate anywhere in the country to have the opportunity to run my own store, and so I ended up moving to Wisconsin to run a location and then a few locations. Desiring to be closer to family and learn a different set of skills, I moved down to Charlotte, NC to take on Fleet Management and Purchasing roles with Sunbelt Rentals in 2014. I’m currently a Product Line Manager and help lead a group of folks who manage every part of the life cycle of a group of Sunbelt’s rental equipment.
Who played a big influence in your career, and would you consider being a mentor for someone in the next generation?
The reason I came to Sunbelt Rentals was because of the (now) Vice President of Fleet & Product Support, Brad Coverdale. He’s one of the smartest and hardest working people I’ve ever met (and there’s a lot of those in our industry!). While he may not always admit it, he himself has effected some pretty large changes within our industry, and I’ve been very blessed to be able to learn from him. At Sunbelt, we have been attracting some talent from the younger generations, and I’ve been able to do some teaching as of late, and I hope to get to share and mentor for a long time to come! I hope to be able to teach and help others better themselves just as Brad did for me.
How has the equipment rental industry changed over the years?
It’s an interesting industry, because the basic concept of rental hasn’t changed much, but the way in which we do it and communicate has evolved. When I started, we still did a lot of things by hand and on pen and paper. The effect of technology on the industry has changed communication and a lot of processes within the industry. Technologies that I once never thought could be a part of our industry have been adopted pretty quickly, especially with all of the things that have happened in 2020.
What one piece of advice do you think would have helped you early in your career?
Very early on a number of smart folks told me to be very aware of how I carry myself and what I do and say to others because it is a very small industry. Being a respectful and a good person seems to be much more important in this industry than some other ones I’m familiar with because of how intimate the community it is. You tend to see the same people over and over again, and you never know when your vendor could become your customer, your coworker become your boss, etc. In rental, you never seem to outrun your own reputation!
How do you define success and what was a defining moment or event in your career?
Success to me is pretty simple and it has to do with satisfaction and achievement. We all work hard to provide for ourselves and our families, but not everyone is satisfied with what they do. I count myself blessed if I get to have a little fun while making a difference not just for our customers, but for anybody who’s ever worked for or with me. One of the most gratifying moments in my career was leading a team who reached our initial goals of turning around profit at a failing branch and got rewarded for it. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping someone else grow themselves and reach their own goals. Working to align other’s desires and then pushing to achieve them is something that has helped me in my professional career many times, both expectedly and unexpectedly.
How can people connect with you?
My email is Austin.Caskey@SunbeltRentals.com and I’m always accessible!
