Membership Services

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Mike Maltby

We have a number of services to meet your needs and help you expand your business. Click a service listed below for more details…

Annual Convention: Held in conjunction with ARA’s The Rental Show each Spring, the CRA/ARA Annual Convention offers seminar programs of interest to rental operators, rental businesses and suppliers to the rental industry. Attending the annual convention affords you an opportunity to network with your rental peers, develop friendships, discuss common problems and work toward common sense solutions.

Communication Services: The CRA national office in Winnipeg is staffed by two full-time employees of the Association. The office is a central point of contact from which information useful to rental operators can be gathered, disseminated and communicated to members. The office regularly updates and monitors the online membership directory, Buyers Guide, and other services of the association.

With your paid membership in the CRA Ontario you’ll receive a monthly subscription to Canadian Rental Service magazine, as well as CRA Ontario’s newsletters.  Because your membership in CRA Ontario also includes a membership in the ARA you will receive a monthly subscription to the ARA’s premier rental trade magazine Rental Management. RM is the definitive publication of the rental industry and is distributed to rental dealers worldwide. In addition, you’ll receive the on-line newsletter Rental Pulse keeping you informed instantly about changes in the rental industry that may affect you. Last but not least, you’ll receive the monthly newsletter ARA Advantage which keeps you abreast of news from the Association. Other publications include Who’s Who in the Rental Industry, the annual ARA Membership Directory, as well as the Management Sourcebook and Buying Guide.

Bilingual Services: The CRA provides services in both official languages. The CRA maintains a branch office in the province of Quebec where all regular and associate member services are available in French. The CRA is committed to communicating with our members in the language of their choosing. Membership applications are available in both official languages. Please call or e-mail the CRA office for further details.

Advocacy: The CRA is well positioned to advocate on behalf of rental dealers and has been called upon to provide professional opinions to legislators on the effects of proposed legislation on the Canadian rental industry. Further, the CRA has historically lobbied the federal government on issues deemed to have a negative impact on rental operators. CRA advocacy is closely aligned with the legislative efforts of our sister organization – the American Rental Association.

Regional Chapters: The CRA operates regional chapters in each of the following: Atlantic Region (including Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta (including Nunavut, the Northwest and Yukon Territories) and British Columbia. Please contact the CRA office for the location of a regional chapter in your area or to find out about upcoming local meetings and events. Each region has representation on the National Board of Directors of the Canadian Rental Association.

Educational Services: The CRA maintains a comprehensive lending library of videos, books and teaching aids to assist you in your rental business. In addition, there are materials available to assist you to improve employee training and retention, growing your rental business, improve customer satisfaction, marketing your rental store, succession planning and so much more. These materials are made available to you free of charge with paid membership in the Association and all they require of you is to pay the return postage. These materials are often beyond the financial resources of independent rental operators. Please contact the CRA national office for a complete list of available materials.

In addition, membership in the CRA qualifies you for membership in the American Rental Association. The ARA offers an even wider selection of seminars held in conjunction with the Rental Show including Events and Tents, the Best of Tool Tech training, RenTech hands on training, Construction University and the Certified Event Rental Professional (C.E.R.P.) program is a member-exclusive that sets a standard of professionalism.. In addition, the ARA offers access to the state of the art ARARentalU. ARARentalU is an on-line educational assistant offering courses in all areas of rental operation from sales, to best practices.

Regional Trade Shows: Did you know that rental operators buy 35% of all equipment sold in this country? The CRA has been running rental trade shows across the Canada since 1983. Tap into the vast market of selling to rental dealers by becoming an CRA Associate Member and by exhibiting at an upcoming CRA Trade Show. If you are in the business of rental, you can talk to rental dealers, see the latest in equipment up close and in person, take advantage of show only specials, network with friends and get the jump on your competition. Ask the CRA national office to find out how you can join us or click on the Trade Show link for complete a complete list of shows.

RentalHQ.com: Attract rental customers with a complimentary Web listing on RentalHQ.com, the world’s largest, most comprehensive rental store locator. You also can have your own free Web site, hosted by RentalHQ.com – a great way to advertise and highlight your branch stores.

Networking Opportunities: Network with other rental professionals. Make connections to learn and gain new ideas from other rental businesses like yours. As an CRA member, you benefit from dual membership in the America Rental Association. Remember, volunteerism is at the heart of an association – plus it’s your chance to make a difference!

The Rental Show: Save on inventory, attend exclusive rental-specific education, network with other rental professionals and more all at member-preferred registration pricing at The Rental Show. Travel to the US on pre-tax dollars and attend the world’s largest rental trade show that offers educational opportunities with Events & Tents, Construction U and rental-specific educational seminars. It’s an event you can’t afford to miss.

Business Resources: Simplify day-to-day operations and manage your business more effectively with resources such as the Credit Report Service, the Compensation and Benefit Report and Cost of Doing Business Report. All help you manage the financial side of your operation more productively.

Ready to Rent Tags: The CRA in cooperation with the ARA provides you with a variety of ready to rent tags to help you see at a glance that your equipment is in a ready to rent condition. The CRA has three and four part tags that allow you to track the condition of equipment from the return, through service to being ready to rent. Ask about our new weather proof tags. Contact the CRA national office for further details.

Credit Report Service: Find out if your customers are credit worthy quickly and easily through the CRA/ARA Credit Report Service. This service takes the guesswork out of the equation and provides you an accurate and easy-to-understand credit report in a matter of hours, many times within 15 minutes.

Scholarship Program: Available to owners, their employees and the immediate families of both; the CRA Scholarship Program awards scholarships to deserving undergraduates pursuing a course of study pertinent to the Rental Industry. The deadline for applications is May 1st of each year. The CRA Scholarships are available to CRA members in good standing and their qualifying families, employees or employee families.

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