RSC Equipment Contributes to 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – RSC Equipment Rental dealers are accustomed to getting unexpected telephone calls from people needing equipment and tools. After all, that’s what they’re in the business to do. But earlier this month, the RSC store in Kansas City, Mo., received an especially exciting request: The staff was invited to join the crew of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” (EMHE) in a major local building project.

By now, most Americans are familiar with the concept behind the Emmy-nominated ABC television series hosted by team leader Ty Pennington. Each week, a different deserving family is selected for a dramatic home makeover. The job may involve a large addition or remodeling, or – as we as the case in Kansas City – demolition of the existing house and complete, from-the-ground-up construction of a new home, all within a week.

In Kansas City, RSC was involved at the project’s earliest stages after being approached by Kevin Green, president of Kevin Green Homes in Parkville, Mo. Green was the project’s general manager and a loyal RSC customer. “We were already part of their team on an everyday basis, so it made perfect sense that we would be involved with them in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,: said Larry Reeves, district manager for RCS.

HONORING A HERO. EMHE chose Kansas City because of Stephen Johnson, a true local hero. Last year, Johnson was one of six Kansas City firefighters who risked their livevs in a barrage of gunfire to save a paramedic who had been shot in the chest when responding to a fire emergency. Mary Seymour, the wounded paramedic, nominated Johnson for EMHE after she realized she could have died at the scene if Johnson hadn’t rescued her. Seymour also discovered that Johnson was a single father of five, two of whom he adopted when their mother died.

Johnson’s blended family squeezed into a modest 1,200-square foot ranch home, where all three of the boys slept in the basement. Their living room wasn’t big enough for all of them to sit down at the same time. To help support his family and keep them together, Johnson works nights to supplement his firefighter’s income.

RALLYING SUPPORT. When word reached the Kansas City construction community that EMHE had selected the Johnson home, it generated an avalanche of responses from local businesses, corporations and individuals offering to contribute.

“The support from the community has been overwhelming,” Green said. “Everything from the nails to the grass to every drop of sweat has been donated.”

One of the major contributors was RSC Equipment Rental, which provided numerous pieces of machinery, utility vehicles, tools, containers, lights, generators, heaters and more – even 300 hardhats for the on-site work crews. “We became problem-solvers for everyone in the makeover,” Reeves said. “At the very first meeting Kevin Green’s team said they might have a problem getting to a particular part of the home, btu we said we could supply them with a special scissor lift to access that part of the house. From there one, we were their on-site problem-solver, before and during construction.”

RSC mechanics were kept on-call 24-hours-a-day for the duration of the project and a company representative was on-site throughout the building process. The staff at RSC’s Kansas City store and regional office also went to great distances, literally, to provide the exact equipment needed by the crews. Some pieces of RSC machinery had to be specially shipped in from Arkansas and Kansas.

COMPLETED IN A WEEK. A major home-building project like this would typically take about four months, but thanks to incredible coordination and cooperation, the new house was successfully finished on schedule in just seven days.

“It was wonderful to see everyone working together, pumped up and motivated,” Reeves said. “Everyone was in high spirits, helping each other and having a good attitude.”

“The community really pulled together,” agreed Dan Doak, an outside sales representative at RSC’s Kansas City store. “There were even about 100 firefighters on site, in uniform, helping with demolition. It was a great experience.”

When the project was complete, neighbors and other supporters from across the state and region came out by the thousands to watch the Johnson family be officially welcomed to their beautiful new home – roughly four times the size of the one it replaced.

“I wanted to be a part of this because I’ve worked on a few Habitat for Humanity houses and I really enjoyed it,” said Steven Fahrenkrug, a mechanic at one of RSC’s Kansas City locations. “I enjoy getting involved in projects like this. It’s all about giving something back.”

After the Johnsons were given their new home, they also learned that their old mortgage was paid off and college scholarships were established for the children. Contriutions and other offers continue to pour in.

Not counting donated labor, RSC’s expenses to the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project were about $19,000. “I would dontate equipment and time for an event of this caliber any day,” Doak said. “I’m proud to be a part of an organization that would allow us to participate in such a worthy cause.”

The series episode featuring the Johnson’s home makeover is schedule to air at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ABC, Sunday, May 15.