COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 532412

Construction Machinery and Equipment Rental or Leasing Without Operator

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

15companies1873–1997founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedAtlas Copco AB
1873
FoundedWolseley plc
1887
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFluor Corporation
1924
FoundedThe Connell Company
1926
FoundedAsplundh Tree Expert Co.
1928
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedAshtead Group plc
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedAPi Group, Inc.
1948
FoundedTidewater Inc.
1956
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedAirgas, Inc.
1986
FoundedNational Oilwell, Inc.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedHanover Compressor Company
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedRental Service Corporation
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedNeff Corp.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedNational Equipment Services, Inc.
1996
FoundedUnited Rentals, Inc.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Atlas Copco AB →
Active · founded 1873 · Sweden
Atlas Copco AB is one of the world's leading producers of compressors, mining and construction equipment, power tools,…
Wolseley plc →
Active · founded 1887 · United Kingdom
Wolseley plc has quietly built itself an empire as the world's leading distributor of building materials to…
Fluor Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Mid-1980s:Fluor divests all of its oil properties, some gold operations, and all its offshore drilling facilities.
The Connell Company →
Active · founded 1926
Originally and perhaps best known as a major broker of rice, The Connell Company has grown to become one of the largest…
Asplundh Tree Expert Co. →
Active · founded 1928
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Ashtead Group plc →
Active · founded 1947 · United Kingdom
England's Ashtead Group plc is a leading provider of non-manned equipment rental services with operations primarily in…
APi Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
APi Group, Inc., is a private holding company for about 27 subsidiaries that provide various construction, specialty…
Tidewater Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
Tidewater Inc.
Airgas, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Airgas, Inc.
National Oilwell, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
National Oilwell, Inc.
Hanover Compressor Company →
Active · founded 1990
At first, the price of Hanover's stock dropped merely because of the company's association with Enron, but in February…
Rental Service Corporation →
Active · founded 1992
Rental Service Corporation (RSC) is one of the largest equipment rental firms in the United States.
Neff Corp. →
Active · founded 1995
Neff Corp., a leading U.S.
National Equipment Services, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Based in Evanston, Illinois, National Equipment Services, Inc.
United Rentals, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
United Rentals, Inc.
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