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Family owned 1946-2020
Employee-owned since 2020
Tates Rents, initially founded as Safway Scaffolding Company by Paul Tate in 1946, has a rich history spanning three generations. The company, originally based at 16th and Main in Boise, started with a makeshift delivery truck assembled from Ford, Plymouth, and various parts, costing $650 due to post-World War II challenges in acquiring pick-up trucks. In the fifties, additional product lines like ladders, liquefied gas, Ramset, and Porter Cable tools were incorporated.
In 1962, Syd joined his father, leading to the opening of the first branch store on 23rd Street. Syd took over as President in 1969, and in the early eighties, with the assistance of advertising consultant Jim Hawkes, the company rebranded as Tates Rents. The family managed the business until 2020 when it transitioned to employee ownership, marking a proud new chapter for Tates Rents as it continues to thrive and serve the Treasure Valley.
Tates Rents focuses on growing and maintaining our forward-thinking culture through our status as an employee-owned company. Employee ownership allows us to emphasize company events, employee involvement in the community, and more.
“Employee ownership to me means continuing showing that same pride that I did for the Tate family and merging it with our family now. We were hungry for opportunity then, but never lost sight of value and commitment. Now as owners we get to show the Treasure Valley that we love and live in continued value, care and willingness to out-service anyone!!!”
“When the average employee joins the hive and begins to work with the other worker bees toward the end goal. They are left feeling disincentivized. Now that we are employee owners, we are empowered with understanding that the harder we work the greater the reward. Because, nothing but money, is sweeter than honey.”
“I applied just expecting to get a steady paycheck, what I got was additional family members. While it may be tough work at times, it feels like theft when you get to work with people that you love working with.”
Follow the links below for various educational blogs from the National Center for Employee Ownership.
Tates Rents strives to better our community through providing equipment rental solutions perfect for any project.
Stay Hungry
We value action, embrace change, and we are eager to learn and grow. We are confident that our ownership of Tates Rents will lead us to new heights.
Don’t be a Robot
We’re creative, flexible, and willing to work together with our customers to find solutions perfectly fit for their needs.
Extend and Earn Trust
We give the benefit of the doubt, empower each other to make decisions, and ensure that our actions develop trust within our communities and customers.
Take Care of People
We take care of our community, families, customers, and each other. We’ve got your back!
Work Hard, Play Hard
We make Tates Rents a fun place to work, and we love what we do, with just the right balance of work and play.
