Two rental industry leaders have been selected as the newest inductees into the Rental Hall of Fame.
Each year, the Moline-based 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 2026 in Orlando, Florida. That show is set for Feb. 28 through March 4.
The two new inductees are Richard Frechette Sr. and Gary McArdle.
ARA created the Rental Hall of Fame in 2000 to honor those individuals who have changed the trajectory of the equipment and event rental industry. Each year, nominations are accepted to recognize outstanding industry leaders who have made a substantial and lasting impact on the industry’s success and growth at the national and/or international Level.
The ARA is an international trade association for owners of equipment and event rental businesses and the manufacturers and suppliers of construction/industrial, general tool and party/event rental equipment. ARA members, which include more than 11,500 rental businesses and more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers, are located in every U.S. state and more than 44 countries worldwide.
The two new Hall of Fame inductees are Richard Frechette Sr. and Gary McArdle.
Hall of Fame honorees
Richard Frechette Sr., Quality Rental Centers.
Mr. Frechette Sr. entered the rental industry in 1969 when he and his wife, Elaine, opened a Taylor Rental Center franchise in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in the burned-out remains of a former body shop. The family-owned-and-operated business grew to the extent that it was later cited as the largest Taylor Rental in the country.
In 1985, deciding that his business had outgrown the Taylor Rental franchise, Mr. Frechette went independent and rebranded as Quality Rental. Quality Rental remains in operation today with locations in Pawtucket and North Providence, R.I. Now spanning three generations of family ownership, the 53-year member of ARA caters to both the equipment and event rental needs of its community.
Gary McArdle, Rouse Services/RB Global.
After a 1990s career in quality assurance, tax and advisory services, Mr. McArdle shifted to auctions, appraisals and liquidations, where his research led to an understanding of equipment marketing and appraisal data needs. His rental-focused career began in earnest in the early 2000s after meeting Scott Rouse, who had taken over his family’s auction business. Mr. McArdle’s expertise aligned with Rouse’s vision of transforming the company into an information and services provider catering to the rental industry. The pair joined forces under the Rouse Services banner to offer information analysis to rental companies that were growing rapidly through acquisitions.
Over time, Mr. McArdle developed a reputation as an analyst with a keen ability to gather, analyze and interpret sales and rental data, and then present solutions that enabled fleet and rental managers to make informed pricing decisions. His data-driven approach to supporting higher equipment valuations had a positive impact on rental companies’ ability to access capital for growth through asset-based loans.
