Bobcat Machines Pay Big Dividends for Rental Company

Campbellton, New Brunswick is a land of wide-open spaces. “You’re either two minutes from the forest or from water,” says Rino Johnson, long-time resident and owner of LeBlanc Rentals. 

In this quaint Canadian town with 7,000 residents, people put a priority on a few little things that go a long way with the locals:  

• Lending a helping hand.  
• Treating people like family.  
• Following through on what you say you’ll do. 

Those qualities, along with the help of some small-but-mighty Bobcat® machines, helped Rino build the area’s leading construction equipment rental company.  

Compact Excavator Inspires a Career Leap of Faith 

For more than two decades, Rino was running the floor at a local manufacturing company. “I worked with tools, sawmills, oil and gas for the military,” he says. 

He didn’t realize it at the time, but a machine he purchased for personal use would ultimately sow the seeds for his own business. “I bought a Bobcat E35 compact excavator in 2015,” says Rino. The machine’s versatility and durability gained him notoriety around town. But after constantly renting it out to friends and neighbors, a business idea was born. 

“I always wanted to own my own business,” states Rino. “I was either going to do construction or help the guys who are doing construction.” So in 2017, and after 24 years in manufacturing, Rino sold his shares in his employer’s company and purchased LeBlanc Rentals.  

Under Rino’s watch, LeBlanc now employs a hard-working, nimble staff of four: An office administrator, delivery person, technician and Rino himself, who says the business is like a small family. “We give a lot of attention to each customer. We don’t have hidden fees or insurance fees.” As one can imagine, that honest, personal approach goes a long way in a small community, where nearly 80% of his business comes from repeat customers. 

When it comes to equipment, one smart purchase would help him triple his business in just four years. 

Setting a New Standard in Small Spaces 

His first order of business as owner was purchasing a machine that would differentiate LeBlanc from any other rental company in the area. “I was the only one in the area who had the Bobcat E10 excavator.” The machine helped him get into tight spaces his competition couldn’t, like in and around basements, buildings and bridges. 

Rino’s 3 Tips for Starting Your Own Business: 

1.  Go for it. 
2. Understand your customers’ needs. 
3. Do your best to help them and you will succeed. 

One recent excavation project clearly demonstrated his small-scale approach. “There was a job on the Quebec side, about 200 kilometers away,” recalls Rino. “It was the only machine that was small enough to go under the bridge.” Paired with the Bobcat HB280 hydraulic breaker, Rino’s customer was able to complete the massive undertaking in just over two weeks. “Imagine how long that would have taken to do by hand,” says Rino. 

Another compact Bobcat machine has been just as popular with his customers. “Last fall, my dealer brought the Bobcat L28 small articulated loader to the shop so people could see it,” said Rino. “Not more than 15 minutes later, I rented it out for three months.”  

“I’m pretty much the mini-excavator and skid-steer guy,” Rino says proudly. “If I didn’t have Bobcat machines, I wouldn’t have the equipment customers need to do every job. Bobcat helped me grow my business. Since that first day I bought my first machine, sales went up and never stopped.” 

Rino has big plans for his small business, which started in residential backyards but expanded into large municipal projects. “I’d like to open another location in the next two to three years.” Like the wide-open, mountainous terrain he calls home, opportunities abound, especially when it comes to his compact machines. “I’d say Bobcat is the glue for LeBlanc Rental. It holds everything together to keep business growing.”