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ENLARGE
JIM LONG
Tim Allen of Tim Allen Equipment said he started the locally-owned company in 2002 and recently launched a new division called Roseburg Rental at the same location, 1721 S.E. Stephens St. Allen noted that two equipment rental businesses had closed their Roseburg branches. This left a need for power equipment rented occasionally by local contractors and homeowners.
Both enterprises apply principles of energy conservation for their own businesses and for customers. Here are some examples:
The staff discovered ways to reduce their energy costs. An early custom was to bring the forklift indoors each night, which resulted in heat loss from the shop and unnecessary wear, tear and fuel consumption; the staff now secures the forklift outdoors. During a remodel in 2008, lighting was upgraded with more efficient fluorescent tubes. A heat pump that pulls heat from the air was installed with a gas backup; an automatic thermostat on seven-day control was placed in the shop. For industrial purposes, staff members use a phosphate-free detergent with an oil-eating enzyme.
For customers, Roseburg Rental provides choices of well-maintained, industrial-grade equipment — from small excavation equipment to home remodeling tools. One portable space heater combines radiant and forced air technologies and saves one-third the fuel consumed by other, torpedo-style space heaters. Fuel options include diesel, kerosene and propane.
Another piece of equipment that offers cost-saving adaptability is the new Toro Dingo. It is track-mounted and accommodates a number of attachments: auger, bucket, forklift, horizontal borer, leveler, stump grinder, 6-inch by 36-inch trencher, and a 180-pound jackhammer demolition tool. A photograph of the Toro Dingo is featured at www.roseburgrental.net.
Yet another example is the Sioux steam cleaner and generator. It is oil-fired and produces steam up to 320 degrees. The equipment can be adjusted so the steam, without herbicides, kills invasive grass in a vineyard.
Beyond these examples of adaptable equipment, the staff follows another principle: To right-size the equipment, that is, to match the power of the equipment to the job, big enough to do the job and protect the equipment but not use more energy than needed. Choosing the right paint sprayer illustrates this decision.
A third guiding principle is mobility. As needed for some equipment, shop mechanics go to the job site for service and repairs. And a fourth principle is to prioritize jobs based on cost to the customer. For example, a builder on a contractual deadline rates higher right now than another customer who can use that equipment “sometime in the next few weeks.”
Allen regularly attends trade shows, such as the annual Cleaning Equipment Trade Association exhibit, to keep up to date on changes in equipment and service strategies. Staff participates in short courses to find out about manufacturers' enhancements and service requirements. Training further prepares staff to advise customers, for example, about the newer requirement to use E-10 (10 percent ethanol-gasoline mix) that may call for adding a stabilizer to the fuel blend.
Save energy, Tim Allen, said by choosing high-quality, adaptable equipment in the first place, servicing it regularly on site or in the shop, and prioritizing otherwise competing jobs on a cost-to-customer basis. And stay tuned to management trends, he said, through programs offered by trade associations and, locally, by Umpqua Community College's Small Business Development Center.
Information: Tim Allen Equipment and Roseburg Rental at 541-492-RENT (7368), by e-mail at tim@timallenequipment.com or online at www.roseburgrental.net or www.timallenequipment.com, where Tim Allen's snappy, bimonthly newsletters can be read. And, no, Roseburg's Tim Allen is not the one on TV!
“Energy Spotlight” is a monthly feature in The News-Review, highlighting what local businesses and organization do to save on energy costs.
The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition, a group that promotes energy efficiency, is canvassing local business owners and organizational leaders about practices that reduce energy costs.
To nominate your firm for an Energy Spotlight, contact Jim Long at jblong@dcwisp.net. To learn more about the coalition, call Stuart Liebowitz at 541-672-9819.
Both enterprises apply principles of energy conservation for their own businesses and for customers. Here are some examples:
The staff discovered ways to reduce their energy costs. An early custom was to bring the forklift indoors each night, which resulted in heat loss from the shop and unnecessary wear, tear and fuel consumption; the staff now secures the forklift outdoors. During a remodel in 2008, lighting was upgraded with more efficient fluorescent tubes. A heat pump that pulls heat from the air was installed with a gas backup; an automatic thermostat on seven-day control was placed in the shop. For industrial purposes, staff members use a phosphate-free detergent with an oil-eating enzyme.
For customers, Roseburg Rental provides choices of well-maintained, industrial-grade equipment — from small excavation equipment to home remodeling tools. One portable space heater combines radiant and forced air technologies and saves one-third the fuel consumed by other, torpedo-style space heaters. Fuel options include diesel, kerosene and propane.
Another piece of equipment that offers cost-saving adaptability is the new Toro Dingo. It is track-mounted and accommodates a number of attachments: auger, bucket, forklift, horizontal borer, leveler, stump grinder, 6-inch by 36-inch trencher, and a 180-pound jackhammer demolition tool. A photograph of the Toro Dingo is featured at www.roseburgrental.net.
Yet another example is the Sioux steam cleaner and generator. It is oil-fired and produces steam up to 320 degrees. The equipment can be adjusted so the steam, without herbicides, kills invasive grass in a vineyard.
Beyond these examples of adaptable equipment, the staff follows another principle: To right-size the equipment, that is, to match the power of the equipment to the job, big enough to do the job and protect the equipment but not use more energy than needed. Choosing the right paint sprayer illustrates this decision.
A third guiding principle is mobility. As needed for some equipment, shop mechanics go to the job site for service and repairs. And a fourth principle is to prioritize jobs based on cost to the customer. For example, a builder on a contractual deadline rates higher right now than another customer who can use that equipment “sometime in the next few weeks.”
Allen regularly attends trade shows, such as the annual Cleaning Equipment Trade Association exhibit, to keep up to date on changes in equipment and service strategies. Staff participates in short courses to find out about manufacturers' enhancements and service requirements. Training further prepares staff to advise customers, for example, about the newer requirement to use E-10 (10 percent ethanol-gasoline mix) that may call for adding a stabilizer to the fuel blend.
Save energy, Tim Allen, said by choosing high-quality, adaptable equipment in the first place, servicing it regularly on site or in the shop, and prioritizing otherwise competing jobs on a cost-to-customer basis. And stay tuned to management trends, he said, through programs offered by trade associations and, locally, by Umpqua Community College's Small Business Development Center.
Information: Tim Allen Equipment and Roseburg Rental at 541-492-RENT (7368), by e-mail at tim@timallenequipment.com or online at www.roseburgrental.net or www.timallenequipment.com, where Tim Allen's snappy, bimonthly newsletters can be read. And, no, Roseburg's Tim Allen is not the one on TV!
“Energy Spotlight” is a monthly feature in The News-Review, highlighting what local businesses and organization do to save on energy costs.
The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition, a group that promotes energy efficiency, is canvassing local business owners and organizational leaders about practices that reduce energy costs.
To nominate your firm for an Energy Spotlight, contact Jim Long at jblong@dcwisp.net. To learn more about the coalition, call Stuart Liebowitz at 541-672-9819.
