The Shift: From Internal Cost Center to External Profit Generator

Traditionally, construction companies managed equipment for internal use only. Machines moved from job site to job site, with little visibility into utilization or opportunities for broader use.

But as both BAM and Messer explained, the same systems used to manage internal rentals can be extended to external rentals, unlocking a new revenue stream without building a new business from scratch.

Here’s how each company made that shift:

BAM Site Solutions: Scaling Smart with a £70M Rehire Strategy

Jason Reed, Managing Director of BAM Site Solutions, shared how BAM consolidated two internal plant divisions into one centralized team to support all of BAM UK & Ireland’s projects. Their goal? Provide temporary site services efficiently, cost-effectively, and with more strategic control.

BAM now manages over £70 million in annual rental transactions, powered by RentalResult’s platform. They blend internal fleet usage with a tightly controlled group of re-rent vendors. By consolidating down to just a few trusted partners, they’ve:

• Gained visibility into fleet utilization across all projects

• Identified underutilized assets to either reallocate or retire

• Standardized rental invoices, saving time and reducing error

• Created a procurement strategy with volume-based rebates

The result: less leakage, stronger internal utilization, and measurable ROI from previously idle or inefficiently rented equipment.

Messer Construction: Building a Subcontractor Rental Program from the Ground Up

Mike Swilley, Vice President of Building Systems at Messer Construction, offered a candid look into how their rental division has evolved beyond internal use. What began as a support unit for Messer’s craft force has become a $8M external rental program, supplying equipment directly to subcontractors on Messer jobsites.

The initiative started with three goals:

1. Improve job site safety by reducing third-party vendor traffic

2. Control rental costs by locking in long-term project rates

3. Generate revenue from Messer’s owned fleet by renting to trade partners

To support this growth, Messer is launching a subcontractor-facing portal, built into RentalResult. Subcontractors will be able to:

• Browse available equipment

• Submit rental requests

• Initiate off-rents and service calls

• Access invoices and rental history

This self-service model reduces manual workload, increases transparency, and elevates Messer’s internal rental team to the level of a professional third-party provider, without the added complexity of external systems.

Live Collaboration with Turner, McGough, and Mortenson

What made this session stand out was the active engagement from other top general contractors, including Turner Construction, McGough, and Mortenson. These firms chimed in with their own experiences, challenges, and tactical insights.

Topics included:

• Managing large vendor lists and the benefits of consolidation

• Fleet visibility and control across multi-regional operations

• Controlling cost leakage through tighter integration of re-rent and internal equipment

• Quantifying ROI on equipment utilization and strategic procurement

The shared conclusion? Renting idle construction equipment is no longer a fringe strategy, it’s becoming essential for companies looking to increase profitability without expanding headcount or overhead.

Key Takeaways: Making External Rentals Work

For contractors considering a move into external rentals, the session highlighted a few critical best practices:

• Start with your internal fleet and identify idle or underutilized assets

• Use your existing ERP or equipment management system to manage both internal and external rentals

• Limit vendor sprawl: working with a smaller, more strategic group improves pricing and reduces invoice complexity

• Quantify the value: track revenue from external rentals, utilization gains, and procurement rebates

• Enable your subcontractors: create a simple, digital way for trade partners to rent from you directly

Final Thoughts: Idle Equipment Has Value If You Let It

Idle assets are more than just downtime, they’re missed opportunities. As this session proved, contractors who embrace data, systems, and strategic vendor control can turn that downtime into a meaningful source of revenue.

Whether you’re just starting to explore the idea or already testing external rentals, this discussion is packed with insights from companies who are already doing it and doing it at scale.

Watch the full session recording to learn how BAM, Messer, and other industry leaders are using RentalResult to rethink what equipment management can be.