The ARA of New Hampshire invited rental members and vendors to connect at the Vendor Night & Education event at Grappone Conference Center in Concord, N.H., on Feb. 23.
“Having this event in my backyard and in the center of the state is great,” says Mark Dartnell, owner, Taylor True Value Rental, Concord, N.H. “It was a great time to learn and network with fellow owners — that has been missed for two years.”
Attendees of the event had the opportunity to take in some solid professional education, starting with a representative from the New Hampshire Department of Safety, who provided a motor carrier rules update detailing new regulations from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT).
“The DOT presentation was very informative. In the trucking world, there are always different opinions on what’s correct and what is not. Having DOT there in person to clarify these things is huge: No more guessing or hoping we’re correct,” says Anthony DeFlorio, owner, DeFlorio Enterprises, Loudon, N.H., and an ARA of New Hampshire board member.
Then, a presentation from professional speaker Lee Ann Piano titled “Handling ‘Hard-to-Handle’ People” delivered techniques for getting adversaries to cooperate.
“I loved learning about Lee Ann’s take on the four different personalities that we have in our businesses. It was just an eye-opener and explained the reasons why we have issues, sometimes with fellow employees,” Dartnell says.
Piano’s presentation also resonated with Elizabeth Lurvey, office manager, Mainely Events, Biddeford, Maine, who serves as ARA of Maine president but attended to gain insights toward potentially hosting a similar event in her own state.
“Lee Ann’s presentation on different personalities was so insightful. I loved that she also provided ways to better engage and interact with people who have a different personality than yours to become a more effective and efficient communicator,” Lurvey says.
Perhaps most of all, members enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with and bounce ideas off their peers.
“I wanted to attend this event mostly to network with the other rental store operators,” DeFlorio says. “Learning is always my No. 1 goal, and these events are the epicenter for education in our industry. Whether it be the presentations or quick conversations in passing, there is always learning to be had.”
“In years past, we would have this event as an informal evening at Bobcat of New Hampshire,” Dartnell says. “It was nice to include training and a tabletop in a non-shop venue. It was really professional, there was a great dinner and it was well-attended.”
Lurvey also pointed out the benefits of coming to the event as an out-of-stater. “I enjoyed being able to connect with members in another state. I have quickly learned how meaningful connections with others in and out of your state can be in the rental industry,” she says.