Company History

1961 - PRESENT

H&E Equipment Services is founded in Louisiana’s capital city of Baton Rouge in 1961. More than 60 years later, it operates as one of the largest equipment rental companies in the nation with locations across the U.S.

1985-1991

Head & Engquist merges with and later purchases Grove crane distributor South Texas Equipment. New branches open in Shreveport and Lake Charles, LA, and Beaumont, TX.

1995-1997

In 1995, Tom Engquist’s son, John, purchases the company from his father and takes on the role of CEO and Director. Head & Engquist then experiences a large growth period, opening branches in Alexandria, LA; Fort Smith, Little Rock, and Springdale, AR; San Antonio, TX; Jackson, MS; and Memphis, TN. It also expands the business with the addition of an aerial lift division in southern Texas and Gonzales, LA.

1998

Head & Engquist acquires Dallas-based distributor Martin Equipment and gains access to the Manitowoc Crane line. This strategic move also grants expansion into North, East, and West Texas. That same year, it also acquires Houston-based Coastal Crane, a leading Manitowoc dealer, opening up new markets in southern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

2007

H&E acquires the assets of J.W. Burress Inc., headquartered in Roanoke, VA, with 12 locations in the mid-Atlantic region, bringing the total number of H&E branches nationwide to 69.

2009

H&E takes advantage of changing market conditions, investing in new branch openings and relocations, marking the beginning of an extensive and continuous growth period for the company.

2012

H&E opens the doors to its newly constructed corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge, LA. Executive Vice President Brad Barber is appointed to President and Chief Operating Officer.

2015

New branches open in Charleston, SC; Freeport and Katy, TX; Jacksonville, FL; San Jose, CA; and New Orleans, LA. This marks the largest growth year in company history to date. Two existing branches, Oklahoma City, OK, and San Antonio, TX, relocate to newly constructed facilities. Other renovation and improvement projects are completed in branches throughout the nation.

2017

H&E opens new locations in Beaumont, TX; Durham, NC; Fort Collins, CO; and Lynnwood, WA; and the company relocates its Tampa, FL, and Sacramento, CA, branches. As part of the accelerated growth plan, H&E restructures its leadership and promotes John Engquist from Senior Regional Vice President to Executive Vice President to oversee operations companywide.

2018

Growing to serve Colorado, H&E acquires Contractors Equipment Center (CEC), significantly expanding its presence in the Colorado market. Soon after, H&E also acquires Rental Inc, gaining five new locations to fill the gap and provide solid coverage in South Alabama, West Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.

In addition to two acquisitions, H&E opens a new location in Aledo, TX, and relocates four facilities to larger and more convenient locations.

2019

With over 20 years of leadership and contribution to the company, Brad Barber is appointed Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director. Mr. Barber succeeds previous Chief Executive Officer John M. Engquist, who is appointed to Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors to lead strategic planning and oversee mergers and acquisitions.

H&E completes the acquisition of We-Rent-It (WRI), a nonresidential construction-focused equipment rental company in Texas, expanding its presence and increasing service to the central portion of the state.

Two branches relocate to expanded facilities, and new locations open in North Phoenix, AZ, and Prineville, OR, bringing the total number of states that H&E operates in to 23.

2020

A realignment of crane operations takes place with the reorganization of the business into crane hubs. New crane branches begin operation in Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Norfolk, VA; Phoenix, AZ, and Winston-Salem, NC.

New full-service, general equipment branches are constructed in Birmingham, AL; North Raleigh, NC; Los Angeles, CA; and McKinney, TX. The branch in Arden, NC, relocates to a new facility, and the Georgetown, TX, branch occupies a new facility in Temple and is renamed.

H&E enters the Specialty rental business by adding a trench safety product line, providing hi-tensile steel boxes for trenching and shoring.

2022

The company increases its footprint in existing states by opening new facilities: Fairburn, GA; El Dorado, AR; West San Antonio, TX; Indio, CA; and Hollywood, Lakeland, Ocala, and Palm Bay, FL, with the largest growth for the year in the state of Florida. Branch openings in New Castle, DE, and Philadelphia, PA, begin business operations in two new states.

H&E Equipment Services becomes the fourth largest publicly traded equipment rental company in the U.S. Stability is at an all-time high, supported by quarterly stock dividends being paid without interruption since 2006 when H&E announced its Initial Public Offering.

Despite supply chain disruptions, the largest fleet investment ever is made, with capital expenditures totaling over $507 million in original equipment cost, concluding the year with a record fleet OEC of $2.4 billion. The investment provides the equipment needed to support an aggressive growth initiative.

The acquisition of One Source Equipment Rentals on October 1 adds 10 branches in the Midwest and Southeast, placing operations in three additional new states — Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky — and into eight new markets. Branches now number 120 across 29 states.

In December, the sale of the Komatsu earthmoving distributorship in the state of Louisiana to Waukesha Pearce Industries effectively completes the transformation of the company to a pure-play rental business.

Between warm starts, greenfields, and acquisitions, the company experiences a nearly 25% growth in the total number of facilities over two years, and 2022 becomes the largest growth year in the company’s 60-year history.

2023

The growth strategy for 2023 remains focused on significant investment in the rental fleet and continued expansion of the branch network.

New branches establish greater density in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest regions, providing increased exposure to new projects. H&E adds the state of Kansas to its footprint and opens 14 new branches, including four additional locations in Texas and three in North Carolina. New locations include Mobile, AL; Pueblo, CO; Daytona Beach, FL; Wichita, KS; Monroe and Port Allen, LA; Columbia, MO; Kings Mountain, Statesville, and Wilmington, NC; and Cleburne, Conroe, Houston South, and Texarkana, TX. The company relocates and renames the Winston-Salem branch to Greensboro NC, and it also relocates the Pompano Beach, FL, and Atlanta, GA, branches to updated facilities.

On November 1, H&E announces the completion of its acquisition of Giffin Equipment, a California-based provider of nonresidential construction and industrial equipment. The acquisition includes three branch locations in the cities of Ventura, Goleta, and Santa Maria and a fleet size, as measured by OEC, of approximately $13.4 million.

The year concludes with the largest strategic expansion to date, impressive revenue growth, and steady margin appreciation, contributing to yet another year of record financial performance. Strategic accomplishments in 2023 include a record gross fleet investment totaling $737 million, exceeding the revised target range for the year. Original equipment cost (OEC) totals approximately $2.8 billion, or 18.3% greater than the fleet OEC at the conclusion of 2022, and the average fleet age remains among the youngest in the industry.

2024

January 2, the company completes the acquisition of the business of Precision Rentals, improving H&E’s branch density in the Phoenix and Denver metropolitan areas and adding a young and attractive mix of equipment totaling approximately $70 million OEC.

H&E announces the acquisition of Montana-based Lewistown Rental and three of its affiliated companies on May 1, adding four branches in northern and central Montana and a comprehensive mix of equipment with an OEC of approximately $28.5 million, while increasing its presence in Big Sky Country to six locations.

Serving the rental industry as a whole and the communities where it operates, H&E takes a lead in addressing the mental health crisis and creates an online toolkit to share resources that educate, empower, and enable those in need. In collaboration with the nation’s leading mental health advocates and experts, it launches community-awareness.com and shares a module developed by the H&E Learning department.

H&E opens a record 16 branches in 2024. Idaho, Iowa, and Ohio are added to the list of states the company operates in, and Texas gains six additional branches. New facilities include Decatur, AL; Jonesboro, AR; Bradenton, FL; Cedar Rapids and Idaho Falls, IA; Frederick, MD; Kansas City South and Springfield, MO; Columbus, OH; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Amarillo, Dallas South, Denton, Lufkin, San Angelo, and Victoria, TX. The company relocates its St. Louis branch, which sits across the state line and serves both Illinois and Missouri.

The Specialty Division ramps up and announces 13 Specialty branches, three in standalone facilities and the others sharing occupancy with existing gen rent branches. The list of Specialty branches includes Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Charleston, SC; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Kenner, LA; Lake Charles, LA; Nashville, TN; Palm Bay, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh, NC; and Schertz, TX.

The company’s branch network numbers 156 locations across 31 states. With both new locations and branches added through acquisition, the branch count is up more than 14% in 2024 and approximately 54% since the close of 2021. Both measures represent dominant accomplishments in the industry.

The long-term strategic commitment to expanding the company’s market presence provides greater scale and advantageously positions H&E for future opportunities and improved financial performance.

2025

Continuing with its aggressive expansion plan, H&E opens three branches in the first two weeks of 2025: Pensacola, FL, the company’s 15th facility in the Sunshine State; St. Louis West, it’s fifth branch in Missouri; and Villa Rica, GA, the fifth location serving the Atlanta metro area and seventh in the Peach State. Plans are to open between 12 and 16 new locations during the year.