Brighton, Colo. — Greg Harrington and David Blood-Smyth, former management personnel for Rental Service Corp., have opened their own rental company, Contractors Equipment Center, in Brighton, Colo., a northern suburb of Denver. The new company, which will put its first piece of equipment on rent Feb. 4, is backed financially by Dave Lanoha, former owner of Center Rentals, which Lanoha sold to RSC in the late 1990s.

“We are a full-service rental company,” Harrington told RER. “We're offering aerial equipment, earthmoving equipment including mini-excavators, backhoes and loaders up to 2½ yards, air compressors, light towers and general contractor equipment.”

Harrington worked for RSC for 18 years, spending much of that time in management as a regional vice president. He most recently worked for Rain for Rent as vice president of sales. Blood-Smyth served as retail and used equipment manager for RSC and also worked as a fleet manager of NationsRent.

Harrington said he was optimistic the new company can carve out a share of the Denver rental market. “We don't expect to be the biggest, but we believe we have something to offer,” he said. “A lot of people are worried about the economy but we feel we can do very well.”

Harrington said he'd often hoped to someday open his own rental business. “I think anybody in management in a rental company would want to do this, but it's a question of finances,” he said. “The capital requirements are huge, but we have strong financial backing.”

The company is just getting established, installing a computer system and taking delivery of equipment. CEC has four employees now, but Harrington said he expects to have about 10 people on staff in the near future.