Spotlight on ITRA
Want to positively impact your bottom line and significantly extend your geographical reach? ITRA membership is for you. Founded in 2002, the International Technology Rental Association has grown to 100 members today and provides industry connections that are known and trusted, along with a member-focused annual conference. ITRA membership “has been unbelievably, ridiculously great” Dan Kallen of Hartford Technology Rental and ITRA Board Chairman, says emphatically. “We’re doing about $1.25 million annually in business from and with member companies.” Kallen notes that the investment in ITRA membership and active membership participation is his company’s single greatest annual marketing investment in terms of dollar for dollar ROI.
Raj Jain of Aria AV, a long-term member of ITRA, agrees. “We’ve been able to earn a lot of business from fellow ITRA members. We have also pitched valuable business to ITRA members. A real trust value comes with the ITRA membership. We know ITRA members will carry out our level of service and take care of our customers.” This helps Jain, like many ITRA members, achieve a geographical advantage that can extend his ability to take care of his customers all over the country, regardless of where his physical offices are located.
“Through working with ITRA member companies, we’ve been able to expand both our product line and our geographic footprint dramatically” states Kallen. “We’re able to say yes to more people and to more business, thanks to the ability to partner with other ITRA members.” Dennis Pugh of MCR Rentals and ITRA President also affirms this, noting “the majority of companies are single location companies like ours. With ITRA, I now have partners in 70-some cities, and most I know personally from their involvement in ITRA. I know them, I’ll send them business, will take care of their customers as if they are my own – and know they will do the same for me.”
ITRA members also benefit from sharing industry challenges and best practices. “Members are really open and share a lot of ideas, from shipping, warehousing, and CRM processes, which we can then adopt as best practices across the industry” states Jain. Adds Kallen, “It’s great to go to meetings with people who know and face the same challenges I face. It’s a win/win.”
ITRA membership is also a lot of fun. Lisa Fossler of Flex Rental Solutions enjoys getting to know the members personally. She shares “I love to help connect people and foster business introductions, and ITRA provides a means for that networking, both internally within the organization and externally beyond the organization.” The friendly and open group has built a lot of trust with each other and the annual conference has become a great place to meet people, talk about the industry, and do business with those you know and trust: people who you can count on to deliver. “Literally everyone in the room is a potential customer, a potential partner,” Kallen agrees.
ITRA members can be found in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and South America, though the organization’s goals are to continue to expand international membership – and thereby the geographic footprint for members. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to work together, and ITRA members help each other keep customers happy. When the customer is happy, we are all happy,” says Pugh.
For more information about membership in ITRA, visit it-ra.org, or contact Dan Kallen, Dennis Pugh, Raj Jain, or Lisa Fossler to learn more.
