By: Mark Wofford, PERG Manager, ESTA
Traditional rental equipment companies are essential partners in the production industry, not simply warehouses filled with gear. While productions can source equipment from many places, traditional rental companies provide value through the depth of their inventory, the reliability of their service, and their ability to help productions keep moving safely and efficiently.
Traditional Rental Companies Provide the Following Essential Services
Maintain ready-to-deploy inventories that allow productions to scale quickly and avoid costly downtime caused by incompatible or improperly configured equipment.
Invest significant capital in rapidly evolving technologies and provide access to technical support when something goes wrong on set.
Operate a service department that performs routine safety inspections and confirms equipment is operating properly.
Offer physical prep facilities that allow teams to test, configure, and inspect equipment before it reaches set.
Carry adequate levels of major liability insurance coverage
Why Non-Traditional Equipment Rentals Are Not Equivalent
There are operating costs incurred with every equipment rental. In the non-traditional equipment rental world these costs are being absorbed by traditional rental companies, production companies, or both.
These companies often rely on traditional rental companies when things go wrong to get production up and running.
Essential specialty items often can only be sourced through traditional equipment rental companies.
The Bottom Line
Production companies and traditional rental companies are partners in a shared ecosystem, each playing a vital role in the other’s success. Production companies and non-traditional equipment sources depend on traditional rental companies, yet those companies are now fighting for their existence. If traditional rental infrastructure disappears, rebuilding the experienced staff, inventory, facilities, and service networks will take years.
Mark Wofford is ESTA’s New PERG Manager
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) is excited to welcome Mark Wofford to the team as the new manager of the Production Equipment Rental Group (PERG), ESTA’s film, television, and commercial production arm.
Wofford joins ESTA from the Atlanta area and brings with him 38 years of experience overseeing production operations, financial management, and client management. 20 of those years were spent at Production Consultants & Equipment (PC&E), where he most recently served as President/CEO.
“After spending 20 years at a motion picture rental company, I know firsthand the challenges our members face every day,” Wofford said of his history in the industry. “I’ve been fortunate to have served for many years on the PERG Council in the past as well as a term as the Rental Company Director for ESTA.”
When asked about stepping into his new role, Wofford explained, “I know the good and essential work that these organizations do for our members. I look forward to the opportunity to carry that message forward, make the conversation more inclusive, increase the membership, educate companies about the resources that PERG makes available to members and build on the work done by Harry Box and the folks who have come before us.”
If you have any questions about PERG, want to get involved, or want to get to know ESTA’s new PERG Manager, please reach out at mark.wofford@esta.org.