Potain cranes from RMS Rentals in Savage, Minnesota, have made a difference in the success of completing two assisted living facilities in Iowa.

“These cranes are a lot faster than traditional cranes, because you do not need a signal person,” says Jeremy Fager, Owner of Fager Framing in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Fager Framing has relied on Potain cranes for more than a year, while completing framing for the 130,000-scquare-foot, four-story Friendship Village assisted living facility in Waterloo, Iowa, and the 95,000-square-foot, three-story Crossing Commons, another assisted living facility in Coralville, Iowa.

“The Potain cranes provide better reach, 360 degrees” Fager says. “You can cover a lot of ground without moving the crane.”

Additionally, rather than using multiple pieces of equipment, this single crane can perform multiple functions, which saves on labor costs, says Steven Klatt, General Manager of RMS Rentals, a division of Road Machinery & Supplies.

“The Potain cranes are good for multifamily housing, because they are more efficient and available at a lower cost than a mobile crane,” Klatt adds.

The operator remotely controls the crane and places loads. That person can be anywhere on the site and can set the rigging and bring up the load where needed.

“Operators play an active role in moving the material,” says Scott Solberg, RMS Rentals Territory Manager and Crane Specialist.

More than simply renting contractors the equipment they want, the team at RMS Rentals discusses the needs and makes recommendations for the crane that would optimally do the job.

“RMS Rentals wants to make sure the solution we offer makes sense for the customer,” Solberg says.

Established in 2000, Fager Framing provides wood framing and carpentry for residential and commercial projects in Eastern Iowa, in a 60-mile radius of Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Waterloo. The company specializes in multifamily, assisted living facilities and other different types of light commercial wood projects. Fager Framing employs 35 people and self-performs all work.

“We prefer large projects,” Fager says. “We’ve been fortunate the last several years. We have stayed busy.”

Potain is a division of Manitowoc. RMS Rentals is the authorized Potain dealer in Minnesota and Iowa. The company sells a variety of new and used equipment and rents for short- and long-term periods. It also offers a rent-to-buy program.

“The equipment we deliver will allow you to get the job done on time,” Klatt says.

Road Machinery & Supplies Co., a distributor of construction and mining equipment founded in 1926, started RMS Rentals to serve as “a one-stop shop for general and specialty construction contractors.” The company offers a comprehensive line-up of equipment from not only Potain, but also from JLG, SkyTrak, Lull, Wacker, Allen Engineering, Multiquip and LeeBoy.

“We are a leader in the rental industry, providing strong service and building relationships,” says Klatt.

Solberg has been with the company for nearly three years, initially in an inside sales position, before Klatt promoted him in May to the build the Iowa territory.

“Scott has done a great job learning the equipment, knows RMS Rentals and how we like to do things,” Klatt says. “He’s a great guy and has a great future ahead.”

Solberg was originally drawn to the company’s telehandlers, all-terrain forklifts and then developed an interest in the entire equipment rental business. He holds a degree in business administration from the University of North Dakota.

“I love this industry, and this equipment is cool stuff,” Solberg says. “I value the team culture at RMS Rentals. I learned early on that it’s not a one-man show. Nothing we do is.”

From the outside territory mangers, supporting the customers, to the inside team, fulfilling the orders, to the service department, keeping all equipment working in good condition, everyone works together to benefit the customer, Solberg says.

“My focus will be to build the territory with the same culture as RMS, which has 94 years of customer focus,” Solberg adds.

The Igo T 85 Potain mobile, self-erecting tower crane has a capacity of 13,280 pounds, with a capacity of 2,756 pounds at the maximum reach of a 148 feet radius. The crane is built into one piece. It has 115-foot maximum tip height. The crane is set up and remains stationary on a pad that meets the ground bearing pressure.

“This crane is versatile,” Solberg reports. “If you set up two on the same site, they are not running into each other by setting one lower than the other.”

The Potain crane can be powered by direct power, 480-volt, three-phase, power at the job site or a 50-kw or 70-kw portable generator. Fager Framing runs its cranes on direct power.

RMS Rentals brings the crane to the job site, and once in place, it takes about five hours to six hours to assemble, faster than a traditional tower crane, which requires a second crane to assemble. The company also will disassemble the crane and provide any service needed at the job site by Potain-trained and certified technicians.

“Our technicians are phenomenal,” Solberg says.

Fager reports scheduling the set up and tear down was easy. He also calls the process “efficient.”

“We are in business for the long haul, and that requires building relationships that generate repeat business” Klatt says. “If equipment breaks down, no one is happy, and it slows down production on the job. RMS Rentals focuses on keeping up time at a maximum, and that reinforces the relationship.”

Fager Framing has been renting RMS Rentals equipment for nearly two years.

“Jeremy has a great company,” Klatt says. “With his entire crews, we have had a great relationship. They will give us a call when they have questions about job opportunities and what equipment may be needed.”

Fager calls RMS Rentals “very responsive. They work hard at customer service. They will do whatever they need to do to keep us moving.”