Our Proud Heritage

American Dream
Come True

In 1999, Billy Martinez rented out his very first piece of equipment. He didn’t have a business loan, or a big shop. He had a backyard, and a few small tools he owned himself. As he came to be known for fair deals and fair prices, more and more people wanted Martinez’ equipment, and Martinez began to see a future for himself in equipment rental. He passionately hunted down the best prices and attended equipment auctions to grow his available selection. Soon, he turned his small backyard hobby into an American dream come true…a large retail location in his hometown of Naples, Florida, known as The Equipment Source.

A Shared Vision

Meanwhile, in Florida, another entrepreneurial spirit, Joe Barrett, decided to transition his decades of experience in the excavator business with his father into a start-up of his own, Barrett’s Equipment. In his own words, he was “tired of the big dealerships sticking it to us every chance they got.” He wanted to treat customers how he wanted to be treated. So he opened up an equipment repair shop that became a dealership, and it paid off.

Barrett shared a dream with a couple guys in Iowa, although he didn’t know it at the time. Roger Vorhies and Gus Schaus worked hard and wanted to do right by their customers. By renting aerial lifts, they could help fellow contractors grow without the overhead and long-term financial impact of buying equipment. It was a win-win situation that grew into one of the fastest growing aerial equipment companies in the region.

All of these companies and more have now joined The Equipment Source family, a family proud to call these men their founders. Bootstrappers, do-it-yourselfers, fixers, and go-getters. These businessmen, and others like them, form the backbone of our team, a team that still lives by their example. Our men and women believe in hard work, in businesses helping businesses, and in building something better.