2024 Rental Hall of Fame inductees announced

Each year, the American Rental Association (ARA) honors individuals for outstanding service to the association and the rental industry. This year’s inductees into the Rental Hall of Fame, the industry’s highest honor, will be recognized at The ARA Show 2025 in Las Vegas. 

The rental leaders to be inducted are: Bick Jones, Peter Lancken and David Wilcox II. Here’s a look at this year’s winners: 

• Bick Jones, Total Tent Solutions, Houston, Texas. Mr. Jones entered the event rental industry in 1986 after building a successful career in banking. As he and his partner at the time, Emily Maduro, were looking for a small business to purchase, their broker showed them an event rental business. After doing some research, they discovered ARA and its resources detailing the beginnings of event rentals. Their newfound knowledge led the pair to purchase Cannonball Party Rental in Dallas in February 1986. 

During his rental career, Jones served on numerous ARA committees, task forces and panels. He received the ARA Rental E-Web Award for party in 2004, and he has been a speaker and panelist at The ARA Show numerous times. After retiring in May 2022, Mr. Jones has lent his experience on a part-time basis to his son, with whom he bought Total Tent Solutions, in Houston, in 2020.

• Peter Lancken AM, Kennards Hire, Seven Hills, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Mr. Lancken’s rental career began in 1978 with GKN, an Australian scaffolding company. He later moved to the U.S. to set up and grow a rental business for GKN in southern California. Over a four-year period under his management, Mr. Lancken created a $50 million business that grew to a network of 38 branches.

In recognition of his service, Mr. Lancken received the ARA Meritorious Service Award in 2007 and the ARA Distinguished Service Award in 2014 — the first person outside of the U.S. to receive the distinction. In 2020, he received the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to the equipment hire and rental industry community. After stepping down as CEO of Kennards Hire in 2009, Mr. Lancken joined the Kennards Hire board and held the role of chairman from 2012-2017. He remains a non-executive director of the Kennards Group.

• David Wilcox II, General Rental Center, Frankfort, Kentucky. Mr. Wilcox became involved in the equipment rental industry in 1977 when he started General Rental Center with his father, David Wilcox Sr. He also was a charter member of the ARA of Kentucky who attended the chapter’s first meeting, served on its board of directors and remains involved through the present day.

Mr. Wilcox served as ARA Region Five director from 1996-1999 and served on several ARA committees and task forces at the national level. He was elected ARA vice president in 1999, moved up the ranks to serve as the association’s 41st president in 2002 and chaired the board

in 2003. In recognition of his service, Mr. Wilcox received the ARA Region Five Person of the Year Award in 1990 and the ARA Distinguished Service Award in 2005.