Business · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about heavy equipment and equipment rental, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerafter World War I
Equipment rental as an organized business emerged in Britain in the years following World War I.
Source: Wikipedia, Equipment rental (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout $55.7 billion
The U.S. equipment rental market grew about 5% that year alone, continuing a long growth streak.
Source: American Rental Association data (via Wikipedia) (2019) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 11.2%
Komatsu is the clear number two behind Caterpillar in the global heavy-equipment industry.
Source: Industry sales rankings (via Wikipedia-cited data) (2025) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout $91.5 billion
That figure covered rental association members across the US, Canada, Europe, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia, Equipment rental (2015) en.wikipedia.org