ABC Equipment Rental & Sales helps contractors finish every job safely, efficiently, on budget and on time

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Jamie Terpay (left) and Alan Zatik, co-owners of ABC Equipment Rental & Sales, have a combined 60 years of experience. They know which brands stand up to the rigors of the jobsite—and which don’t. (Photography: Benjamin Margalit)

By Mitch Allen

During 2019, the economy has been strong, and local contractors have found themselves with plenty of jobs and robust schedules. Of course, their reward for all their hard work and improved profits will be a big tax bill come April 15.

But right now two local business owners are helping local contractors find the heavy equipment they need—and slash their tax liabilities.

Alan Zatik and Jamie Terpay are the co-owners of ABC Equipment Rental & Sales, which sells and rents almost anything a professional contractor needs, including manlifts, dozers, backhoes, forklifts and skid steers. And they’re helping business owners take advantage of Section 179 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, which allows you to write off equipment purchases up to $1 million in 2019 instead of depreciating the expense over time.(1)

This means huge tax savings immediately on equipment you need right now.

“For example,” Alan says, “if you purchase a rough terrain forklift for $50,000 and put it into service before December 31, 2019, you can deduct the full purchase price on your company’s 2019 taxes. If you had profit of, say, $100,000, you just cut your tax bill in half. The Section 179 election includes certain used equipment, too.”

Limitations under Section 179 may apply. See a qualified tax professional for advice on your specific situation. There is plenty of inventory available right now at both of ABC’s locations—in Brunswick and in Avon.

Not ready to buy? Well, you can rent equipment, too—including skid steers for winter snow plowing—and apply a large portion of your rental payments to an eventual purchase.

By the way, ABC Equipment Rental & Sales does not rent tables, chairs and tents. That would be Alan’s family members over at ABC Rental Center. So if you want to hold a wedding in your backyard, call them; if you want help with a home remodeling project, call Jamie and Alan.

The Contractor’s Best Friend
Although the team at ABC does rent lawn and garden equipment to homeowners, they specialize in helping contractors. And these days, professional contractors have four goals: to do every job safely, efficiently, on budget and on time.

“Contractors want to be profitable, completing each job safely and on schedule,” Alan adds.

“Every job has a deadline. You want to finish in 60-90 days and get out of there. You don’t want people dilly-dallying on the jobsite. You have a deadline. So, put the ladders away and rent two 60-foot manlifts so you can work both sides of the job. You’ll also need a forklift to get the material where it needs to be.”

ABC Equipment Rental & Sales maintains a spotless showroom, which is one reason the company has won an Award of Excellence from American Rental Association, recognizing companies that are improving the industry’s image.

Alan says that manlifts are ABC’s number one rental item, growing tremendously in the past 15-20 years.

“It’s because of safety and efficiency,” he says. “You can do five times the work compared to ladders or scaffolding. Manlifts, mobile platforms and booms are the top assets on the jobsite, especially with today’s labor shortage.”

ABC sells and/or rents top-quality brands, like Kubota, Genie, JLG, Skyjack, Wacker, Solar-Tech, Towmaster, Stihl, Honda, Mustang, Gehl, and more. With over 60 years of combined experience, Alan and Jamie know which brands work—and which don’t. They are especially proud to be a Kubota dealer, offering construction equipment like skid steers, excavators, wheel loaders, RTVs and rubber track loaders.

“We only offer heavy duty equipment,” Alan says. “We don’t carry brands that are less than commercial quality. So even if you’re a homeowner, you know you’re getting commercial quality.”

ABC’s clients include some of the area’s top contractors and municipalities. “City services managers count on us because they know we have the toughest equipment,” Alan says. “That’s important because they use it every day.”

High-quality Maintenance
The staff at ABC has been trained to take incredibly good care of their equipment. In fact, there’s a myth out there that you don’t want to buy used equipment from a rental store because it’s been treated poorly.

However, the opposite is true. “We’re actually the best place to buy used equipment because we properly maintain it,” Alan assures. “We re-grease our equipment with every rental and we change the oil every 250 hours instead of the 500 suggested by the manufacturer. We go above and beyond the standards for our industry.”

That’s not just Alan’s opinion. ABC Equipment Rental & Sales has won an Award of Excellence from American Rental Association, which recognizes companies that are improving the industry’s image. ABC was tapped for the award based on the professionalism of its staff as well as the store’s layout, quality and appearance.

“Let’s face it,” Alan says, “some rental places are virtual junkyards—messy, unorganized, dirty, with ill-maintained equipment. That’s just not us.”

Easy Financing
Because ABC is locally owned and completely independent, they’re flexible, able to change things for the benefit of the client and get them their equipment faster. Plus, their inventory is “live” as soon as it’s put out in rental, which means it’s also for sale. In many cases, a portion of your rental can apply to an eventual purchase, with pre-agreed-upon terms.

In addition, ABC works with local banks to help you get financed and most manufacturers offer their own financing, including Kubota. Right now, you can get 0% interest for 60 months on all Kubota construction equipment, plus rebates up to $7,000.(1)

“People are often surprised by how much financing they can get,” says Alan, who even offers a charge account for regular clients.

Buying now is also smart because 2020 prices may be higher due to the threat of tariffs, interest rate hikes and rising freight costs related to a scarcity of trucks and drivers.

Special Offer
For a limited time, ABC Equipment Rental & Sales is offering a free bucket with a Kubota skid steer or excavator (up to $1,300 value) or get up to $500 in accessories with the purchase of a Kubota RTV Utility Vehicle. Please see store for details regarding the free bucket and/or $500 worth of accessories.

ABC Equipment Rental & Sales has two locations: 29 Pearl Road in Brunswick (corner of Boston & Pearl), 330-220-4545; and at 38525 Chester Road in Avon (corner of Route 90 & Route 611), 440-934-7368. For more information, visit ABCEquipment.com.