California Rental Association

What California Rental Association does

California Rental Association (CRA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1946 that represents the equipment and party rental industry, primarily in California and other western U.S. states. The organization serves rental centers (construction/general tool and party & event), manufacturers, suppliers, and associate members through a vertically-segmented membership model with classifications including Regular (California/Western States), Branch, Member at Large, International, Associate, and Individual. CRA is headquartered in Upland, California (P.O. Box 757) and operates with 11–50 employees, including Katie Marrs as a primary point of contact for events and operations.

CRA's core offerings span membership services, recurring events, and member-facing content infrastructure. Key products include the CRA Membership program; the annual Rental Rally Tradeshow hosted at South Point Casino Hotel in Las Vegas; the 4th Wednesday Rental Workshop (a monthly virtual training series launched via Zoom in February 2021); territory meetings and yard parties across western states; the Annual Golf Tournament and Phil Maxwell Memorial Manly Man Fishing Tournament (both benefitting CRSIF); the CYRP young professionals program; an online Member Directory; the monthly eJournal newsletter; Rental Rally Magazine; and members-only training and cybersecurity resources. The association also administers the California Rental Services Industry Foundation (CRSIF), a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing scholarships and disaster relief, with funds managed by Morgan Stanley under the CRSIF Board of Directors.

CRA's business model is subscription-based membership dues (classified as recurring revenue), supplemented by event registration fees, advertising/media kit revenue (via Naylor), tradeshow sponsorship, and fundraising proceeds directed to CRSIF. The technology stack runs on Naylor Association Management Software, which powers the website, member portal, event registration, eJournal, and Rental Rally Magazine. Distribution is executed through direct membership sales, an online membership application portal, regional territory meetings across western states, and a network of Service Value Providers (Poster Compliance, Robinson Oil Corp, Royal Business Form, EPIC insurance). The organization maintains an active social presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, with public resources on cybersecurity and a podcast series.

Name

California Rental Association

Legal name

California Rental Association

Website

https://calrental.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Rental Association is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1946 that serves equipment and party rental centers, manufacturers, and suppliers across California and western U.S. states through membership dues, events, training, advocacy, and the CRSIF scholarship and disaster relief foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for rental centers, manufacturers, and suppliers in the equipment and party rental industry, with classifications including Regular (California/Western States), Branch Members, Member at Large, International Member, Associate Member, and Individual Member

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California Rental Association is a nonprofit trade association that provides membership-based services to the equipment and party rental industry. Its core offering is annual membership (with classifications including Regular, Branch, Member at Large, International, Associate, and Individual) bundled with networking events, training workshops, industry advocacy, scholarships, and disaster relief support through the affiliated CRSIF foundation.

Product overview

California Rental Association (CRA) is a membership-based trade association for the Equipment and Party Rental Industry, established in 1946. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of products and services centered around member networking, education, and industry advocacy. The core offerings include CRA Membership, annual events (Rental Rally Tradeshow, Annual Golf Tournament, Fishing Tournament), monthly 4th Wednesday Rental Workshop, and Territory Meetings. Supporting infrastructure includes CRSIF (scholarship/disaster relief foundation), CYRP (young professionals program), Member Directory, Podcasts, eJournal and Rental Rally Magazine publications, and members-only Training Resources with recorded workshops and legal/safety materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRA Membership Annual membership for rental centers, manufacturers, and suppliers in the equipment and party rental industry, with classifications including Regular (California/Western States), Branch Members, Member at Large, International Member, Associate Member, and Individual Member. Provides networking, advocacy, training, and access to member benefits.
• Rental Rally Tradeshow Annual trade show held at South Point Casino Hotel in Las Vegas for equipment and party rental industry professionals to network, showcase products, and conduct business.
• 4th Wednesday Rental Workshop Monthly virtual workshop delivered via Zoom providing training and education for members, featuring industry speakers and topics covering marketing, operations, and business growth.
• CRA Annual Golf Tournament Annual fundraising golf tournament benefiting the CRSIF foundation, providing college scholarships to students interested in the rental industry and disaster relief for members. The 11th Annual edition is scheduled for November 13, 2026 at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, CA.
• Phil Maxwell Memorial Manly Man Fishing Tournament Annual fishing tournament fundraiser for CRSIF, held at Lee Vining Creek near Mono Lake, California, featuring stream trout fishing competition with a $250 guaranteed prize fund.
• Territory Meetings & Yard Parties Regional networking meetings held throughout western states for rental centers and associate members within designated territories to address local issues and build community.
• CRSIF (California Rental Services Industry Foundation) 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation administered by CRA providing college scholarships to rental industry students, disaster relief assistance, and rental-related educational projects. Funds managed by Morgan Stanley under oversight of the CRSIF Board of Directors.
• CYRP (California Young Rental Professionals) Program facilitating opportunities for young professionals in the rental industry to strengthen and amplify their success, continuing the growing legacy of the rental industry.
• CRA Member Directory Online searchable directory of CRA members categorized by rental type (construction, general tool, party and event) and vendor categories, with basic, advanced, and U.S. radius search capabilities; publicly accessible for lead generation.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Poster ComplianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerService provider offering compliance-related services to CRA members as part of CRA Service Value Providers program
• Robinson Oil CorpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy supplier offering services to CRA members as part of CRA Service Value Providers program
• Royal Business FormminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness forms provider offering services to CRA members as part of CRA Service Value Providers program
• EPICminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance broker offering equipment rental insurance programs to CRA members as part of CRA Service Value Providers program
• Naylor Association ManagementcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation management software provider powering CRA's website, member portal, event registration, and communications; publisher of CRA eJournal and Rental Rally Magazine
• South Point Casino HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue host for Rental Rally tradeshow events in Las Vegas, NV
• Eagle Glen Golf ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf course venue in Corona, CA hosting CRA's Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser for CRSIF

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Naylor Association Management: Technology and association management vendor powering CRA's website, member portal, publications, and event registration. While a vendor rather than peer, it operates adjacent to trade associations and serves comparable customers in the association management space.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Home Builders: Large national trade association model similar in structure to CRA — membership dues, advocacy, conventions, publications, and affiliated foundation — but serving the broader home building industry rather than rental specifically.
• Associated Builders and Contractors: National trade association for the construction industry that overlaps with CRA's equipment-rental member base. Operates a comparable membership, training, and advocacy model at a larger national scale.

Regional players

• Canadian Rental Association: Canadian trade association serving the equipment and party rental industry. Similar regional trade association model to CRA with comparable member services, events, and industry advocacy for the Canadian market.
• Hire and Rental Industry Association of Australia: Australian trade association for the hire and rental industry. Operates a comparable member-based model to CRA delivering advocacy, training, and networking for equipment rental operators in the Australian market.

Direct peers

• Hire Association Europe: UK-based trade association for the hire and rental industry offering membership, training, and industry representation. Operates a similar model to CRA in a different geography with comparable advocacy and member service programming.
• American Rental Association: The primary US national trade association for the equipment and event rental industry. CRA operates as a complementary regional/state association with overlapping member base and similar advocacy, training, and event programming.
• European Rental Association: Pan-European trade association representing the rental industry. Comparable trade association model to CRA serving equipment and event rental operators across Europe with similar advocacy, statistics, and event functions.
• Associated Equipment Distributors: Trade association serving equipment distributors, manufacturers, and independent dealers with similar membership, advocacy, and convention/trade show models to CRA, though focused on distribution rather than end-user rental.

Emerging players

• International Powered Access Federation: Global not-for-profit focused on the powered access rental industry. Similar membership/trade association model to CRA but narrower vertical focus on aerial work platforms and operator certification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CalRental
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CalRentalAssociation
• Facebookfacebook.com/CalRental
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-rental-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Rental Association