When you think of spring two things come to mind, weddings
and home improvement projects, “We’ve been in the tool and equipment rental
business for 30 years and recently we’ve supplemented that with a repair and
maintenance department that can troubleshoot and overhaul your machinery and
equipment,” says Paul Nottingham, President of Action Rental and Sales on
Eastman Road. “One third of our
customers are do-it-yourselfers, one third are contractors and what most people
don’t know, one third of our customers are planning weddings, parties or other
special events.”
In 1995, Nottingham added a tent and party rental division to his company and has augmented that with costumes and inflatables. And that’s where Paul’s wife Debbie
comes in.
Married for 36 years, the couple now works side by side and
love every minute of it. “My
daughters don’t know how we do it, but it’s awesome,” says Debbie, “we’re
helping people with some of the most important days of their lives and we enjoy
being a part of it.”
She advises to do your homework, have a basic idea of what
you want and plan early. “Sooner
you can reserve the better,” she said.
“We do company parties, school functions, and large events like the
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the week long Fun Fest celebration. We do events at the Meadowview Marriott, The Virginian Golf Club, the Millennium Centre and at
venues across the Tri-Cities, Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and North
Carolina, so the more advanced notice you give us, the more likely we are to
have everything you need. If not,
we try very hard to locate it for you,” she added.
Debbie and her staff can ease the pressure and stress of planning
your perfect event by providing step by step preparation and by working as a
team with wedding planners, caterers and florists. “What are most important to me are the thank-yous we get,”
Debbie said with a smile.
Both Debbie and Paul agree it’s their people that set them
apart from other rental companies. “Whether we’re delivering party items or
renting backhoes, my employees are knowledgably, helpful and care about our
customers,” Paul noted. “By common
law there are three things we have to do: warn, instruct and inspect. We warn customers of the potential
hazards of the item they are renting, we teach them how to use it properly and
we inspect it to ensure it is in proper working order and safe. “The attributes I want to see in my
staff as well as myself are integrity, honesty and knowing we’ve done our best to help people do their best.
We pride ourselves on making sure our equipment is reliable, if it isn’t
we remedy the situation immediately,” adding, “renting is the smart way to get things done, why buy
something you are only going use to few times, you don’t have to worry about
the capital outlay, storing it, repairing or maintaining it.”
Located at 1861 N. Eastman Road Action Rental and Sales is a
one stop shop for all your equipment or party rental needs, providing quality,
value and service to the Tri-Cities since 1982. Their hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday.
Check out their extensive inventory at: actionrentalkpt.com,
actionpartyrentalkpt.com, tentking.com or call them at 423-246-5181.
Story courtesy of Cindy Harmon featured in Sunday Stories with Kingsport Times News.