Elite Construction Equipment was founded in 2005 with a clear vision: to streamline the building process by providing site-wide building solutions. For twenty years and guided by its five core values – Excellence, Loyalty, Integrity, Teamwork and Enthusiasm – it has done just that. “We specialise in aerial lifts, material handling, and job site support solutions for all of construction,” says Joe Szabo, part-owner and General Manager of Elite. “Over the years we’ve built a reputation of excellence, reliability and personal service. Unlike the large nationals of the world, we focus on long term relationships, quick response times, and a higher standard of care. Our fleet has grown and we plan on continuing this upward trajectory.”
Elite did not start with ideas of grandeur about being the biggest rental equipment company in the game. The plan, both then and now, was quality over quantity. “We launched in 2005 with just a handful of units and a vision to compete through service, not just size,” Joe says. “We knew we were never going to be the biggest, but we were always going to make the best of what we’ve got and provide the best service we can. That’s the goal.”
“We knew we were never going to be the biggest, but we were always going to make the best of what we’ve got and provide the best service we can. That’s the goal.”
From modest beginnings came steady growth and the introduction of new site solutions. By working alongside contractors and crews on the ground, Elite were able to identify gaps and opportunities in job site needs, and then expand its offerings to fill those gaps. “In 2010 we expanded our material handling and Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) to include scissor lifts, boom lifts and forklifts,” Joe says. General rentals like dirt equipment, generators, and light towers soon became part of the package too, as well as scaffolding, power tools, and safety and security systems. True to its mission, Elite quickly became a trusted support for its customer base who longed for greater efficiencies out in the field. “We expanded our fleet serving the larger General Contractor clients across Southern California like C.W Driver, RD Olson, and the subcontractors that work for them.” This success continued in the years that followed, with significant fleet expansion and some milestones worth celebrating. “In 2022 and 2023 we surpassed our previous threshold, adding rent partnerships to strengthen our customer reach,” Joe says.
This continued fleet expansion over the years has allowed Elite to establish itself as a one-stop solution to job site needs, which often means offering services beyond what your average equipment and rental company does. “We have expanded to offer a one stop solution to job site needs, meaning the trailers, toilets, trash, fence, everything you can think of. We’ve consolidated that buying power and we use it to our advantage to go to these vendors and say, give me the best pricing you can, I’ll give you all the business. We have to stay within market rates as we support these companies, but we’re providing a service where the Superintendent doesn’t have to make a deal on trailers and another deal on toilets, another on this and another on that. They just make one phone call and then forget about it. They can build their buildings, do what they were hired to do, and let us take care of the minutiae of the small stuff.”
Doing what it set out to two decades ago, Elite is now a full-service site solution company, dedicated at its core to providing the solutions that its customers need. Sometimes, to truly offer the best service to its customers and live up to its one-stop-shop claim, that means thinking outside the box. “Recently we’ve done something a little outside of our norm,” Joe says. “We put an on-site rental yard at a project in Palm Springs called College of the Desert. We actually staffed an on-site yard. We’ve moved a bunch of equipment there and we continually move equipment to the site before it’s needed, so we have on site already what the job needs by coordinating with the subcontractors and the Superintendent of the job site. As soon as we know the scheduling of the job, we can be there with the right equipment at the right time. And it’s already on site, so there’s no delivery fees, nothing. It’s just already there. That’s definitely a highlight. We’re very excited about that.” Another example of this innovate approach to job-site solutions is the recent addition of Elite’s Decals and Print Shop. “A few years ago we noticed that we were spending an exorbitant amount of money every month on buying our own decals. As the equipment comes in, the decals are damaged, so we rip them off and we put new ones on. We were spending a lot of money, so we started a print business, a decal shop within our facility here. Now we have over 2000 square feet of print shop with four printers, a flatbed, and we can do signage for job sites and a multitude of other things including safety decals for all of our equipment, plus branding decals. That business has grown way outside of just what we needed it for. We’re printing branding and safety decals for multiple other rental companies. We also do custom wraps, giveaway items, engraving, all that kind of stuff. You want a Yeti cup with a logo engraved on it? We can do that here now.”
Elite has made its mark on the construction industry by providing site solutions that work, building strong relationships that last, and making the most of its resources. Looking forward, Joe is clear on what the future of the company looks like. Growth is definitely on the agenda, but not the kind that is rushed and reckless, the kind that is measured and sustainable. “The future of the company is long term growth,” he says. “We have a plan to double our fleet size in the next ten years.” For Elite, despite changes to the wider rental market, its business as usual as they work towards this goal. “In the current day, we’re playing a key role in the market shift after Sunbelt Rentals acquired the local independents and consolidated some of the regional players. This shift positions Elite to capture top sales talent and new clients, expanding our customer base. Their vision is a little broader than ours, a little more focused. We just stay within our zone here and make the best of what we’ve got in front of us without looking too far ahead.” In an ever-evolving industry shaped by socioeconomic shifts, it’s a clever strategy to focus on the work at hand rather than attempting to predict an unpredictable market. And it’s a strategy that rings true to Elite’s commitment to quality over quantity, and a high standard of care.
The root of Elite’s past success is in its clever and continued expansion of fleet, but most of all its in its core values. By continuing to provide excellence in service, remaining loyal to its people, operating with integrity, championing teamwork, and doing it all with a sense of enthusiasm, Elite’s future will be one of success, growth, and longevity in the construction equipment and services space. “We’re very family oriented,” Joe says of the company culture at Elite. “Most of my employees have been with me for over ten years. I’ve got people that started with me eighteen and nineteen years ago that are still here. That’s the key to our success – building long-term relationships with our employees.” As Elite’s fleet grows and evolves in tandem with market shifts and new site demands, its twenty-year-strong values remain intact. “Keeping it small and keeping it real,” Joe says. That’s the way forward.
