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Initially, Cresco rented out generators, 4x4 utili- ty carts, and light towers to the local utility while they were getting established. Once the cleanup phase began in late February 2019, the equipment mix changed. “We couldn’t handle every one of the hundred cleanup crews who all needed 325 exca- vators, small track loaders and water trucks,” says Rains. “There wasn’t enough equipment in this part of the country to take care of all their needs. So every rental company around, from Cresco and Peterson to United Rentals and Sunbelt, was up there supplementing contractors’ fleets with rentals.”
Cresco was tasked with getting three dozen Cat 259 track loaders with grapple buckets and smooth buckets ready to go within ten days—a pretty tall order for a small satellite store. Cresco’s
Cresco’s Oroville store pulled in equipment from all across the state to support the fire fight and cleanup efforts.
(L-R) Deruk Pasut/Peterson with Pacific States’ Dave Vandegriff
Redding branch sent down ten 325F excavators to help complete the rental package. “We didn’t have a lot of time, and my truck could only haul two units at a time, so Cresco trucks started coming in, from Gilroy to Redding,” says Rains. “We even had a truckload of 259s come down from Peterson in Oregon. Everybody just started hauling equip- ment in here. The entire Cresco team came togeth- er to help out. That’s what happens when we have a disaster like this.”
THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIP
The cleanup contract was awarded shortly after the New Year in 2019 to SPSG—a joint venture between Sukut Construction, Pacific States En- vironmental, and Goodfellow Bros. of California (formerly Top Grade). “Dave Vandegriff [Pacific States] wanted pricing on what they were going to need,” explains Pat Puccinelli, who runs Cresco’s Central Ordering group. “They ended up choosing Cat 259 rubber track loaders with cab enclosures, for protection against flying ash and debris and summer heat.”
Cresco had the first rental machines on the ground in Paradise. In fact, 95 percent of the equipment on the Camp Fire was rental equipment.“We sup- plied the first round of gear because we could,” says Puccinelli. “Because we met the specs FEMA required. And because we’ve built long-term rela- tionships with these contractors.”
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