Premier Equipment Solutions expands via acquisitions, life cycle leasing push

Premier Equipment Solutions is growing its Northeast footprint through acquisitions aimed at scaling operations, increasing rental revenue and advancing a life cycle asset management strategy. 

The company acquired John Deere dealer New England Power Equipment and rental house Saybrook Rentals, strengthening its presence in New London County, Conn., and Middlesex County, Mass. — areas where it lacked a physical footprint, according to an April 8 Premier Equipment Solutions (PES) release.  

The deal builds on PES’ October 2025 acquisition of Bobcat of Connecticut, which serves as the foundation of its regional platform. PES is backed by private equity firm Brenton Capital Partners. 

Rather than opening stores, the private equity-backed firm is eyeing established operators with existing infrastructure, customer relationships and skilled labor, Chief Executive Andy Suhy told Equipment Finance News. 

 “The fact that [Bobcat of Connecticut] was a rental house as a big chunk of their business, both their revenue and their earnings made it even better because when we look at our revenue profile, parts service and rental are the highest-margin business, and every dealer will tell you the same thing.” 

Dealer revenue typically skews about 75% toward equipment sales and 25% toward aftermarket services, but PES aims to move closer to a 50-50 mix to improve earnings stability and customer retention, Suhy said. 

Life cycle leasing model drives growth 

PES’ long-term strategy centers on life cycle asset management, which combines leasing, service, rentals and data-driven insights to optimize equipment performance and reduce total cost of ownership, Suhy told EFN. 

“We’re not selling iron anymore; we’re selling solutions, and those solutions are going to be complex.” — Andy Suhy, CEO, Premier Equipment Solutions

“From beginning to end, there’s 50 things in the middle of that life cycle,” he said. “There are so many things that you have to do, and those are the things that our customers need so they can focus on their core business.” 

About 25% of PES’ transactions consist of fair-market-value leases, so the company sees significant opportunity to grow leasing adoption, but Suhy said it requires customer education. 

Fragmented market supports consolidation 

PES views the Northeast compact construction equipment market as highly fragmented, creating opportunities for consolidation and scale, with larger platforms better serving customers operating across multiple geographies, Suhy said. 

“Our customers are demanding more as the appetite for life cycle asset management is growing, and there’s an appetite for partners, so we want to be strategic partners,” he said. “We don’t want to be a transactional vendor, but there’s an appetite for strategic partners to help them take risk out of their business.” 

PES expects to continue pursuing acquisitions as it expands its platform and life cycle leasing capabilities. 

Suhy will participate in a fireside chat at the fourth annual Equipment Finance Connect, a crucial industry event for equipment lenders and dealers, takes place at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston May 18-19. Learn more about the event and register here.