KM: Tell me about your work prior to joining InTempo.
TT: I’ve spent the past six years working at Rental Inc., which had five locations throughout Florida and Alabama before being acquired by H&E Equipment in April 2018. Rental Inc. specialized in equipment rental and sales, serving commercial and industrial contractors as well as residential contractors and homeowners.
KM: What was your role at Rental Inc.?
I was initially hired as a General Service Manager, overseeing parts and service for the whole company. My role kept progressing and I got more involved in operations, so I was promoted to Director of Operations. In that role, I was involved in making sure communication between departments was seamless for everything from computer systems to policies and procedures. I focused on trying to eliminate inefficiencies wherever possible.
KM: One area that you excelled in is reporting. Tell me how you used reporting at Rental Inc.
TT: One of the biggest changes I made was to enhance communication and improve efficiencies through dashboarding and reporting. As one example, I built a dashboarding system so our service manager could work from anywhere and manage his store remotely off his dashboard. We put oversized TV screens in all of the shops to display the dashboards, so all the information was clear and visually compelling. Plus, with our reporting software, we could access the information on our mobile devices, which was a huge benefit. I ended up building dashboards for many different positions, but the most important ones were for the rental counter and the shop. Before the dashboard was set up, you had the counter person running back and forth to the shop, and the shop running back and forth to the counter. It saved time and helped eliminated mistakes. I condensed the dashboards to give each person, at a glance, all the information they need to make an intelligent decision that is in the best interest of the customer and the company.
KM: What other ways were you able to leverage technology at Rental Inc.?
TT: Another benefit of the dashboarding system I helped create is that it helped us run lean, which was particularly important as an independent company. In the accounting department, we were able to automate about 90% of our month-end close. A larger company might have many people able to help with month-end close, but we didn’t have extra resources. With our rental software, we got it to where you could click a button and the month-end reconciliation was pretty much done instantly. We were also able to utilize the reporting platform to serve as a safety net to avoid errors.
KM: What was your work experience prior to joining Rental Inc.?
TT: I’ve dedicated my life to the heavy equipment industry in various forms. I have experience working in rental and at a dealership, and in bridging the divide between hybrid rental-dealer businesses. Before joining Rental Inc., I worked with United Rentals as a Service Manager. I also worked with Tractor & Equipment, a Komatsu dealer, for about seven years. Before that, I worked in fleet maintenance in the coal fields in Eastern Kentucky, so I was an end-user of a range of equipment. I also had my own service business, so throughout my career, I’ve seen it all.
KM: What are you looking forward to about working at InTempo?
I truly love helping people, and that is what I am looking forward to most. I know firsthand the challenges and opportunities of working at rental businesses, dealerships, and rental-dealer hybrids. At InTempo, I’m excited about using my expertise to help others, especially when it comes to creating efficiencies and helping people do their jobs better. Since I have worked in nearly all departments, I believe I have a unique ability to assess how a system can help all different departments in an organization work seamlessly. At the end of the day, if I can help a customer experience fewer frustrations and go home happier, I’ll know I’ve done my job well.
Questions for Tony? Send him an email or call 850.273.4725.