St. Rose business in top 3 for fastest growth

Equipment rental firm grew by 221 percent in last 3 years

When Kurt Degueyter started Bottom Line Equipment in 2005 just after Hurricane Katrina, he didn’t realize that he was on the fast-track to success.

Now his St. Rose construction equipment rental business has been named the No. 3 fastest growing company by City Business of New Orleans and No. 1,313 fastest growing company in the nation by Inc. Magazine, a leading publication for entrepreneurs and business owners for more than 30 years. Bottom Line Equipment grew by 221 percent over the last three years, adding 18 employees and taking its revenue from $5.5 million in 2007 to $17.8 million last year.

Degueyter said that chance brought him to St. Charles Parish to start his business.

“I came in a week after Katrina struck and basically saw three or four different locations that I liked, but the one we ended up acquiring were the only people I could get ahold of,” he said. “Post-Katrina it was hard to communicate with people.”

While he was originally going to buy and sell used equipment, the hurricane presented him with a new idea.

“I saw the opportunity…initially we brought in equipment to support the clean-up,” he said. “Then I saw the next wave of opportunity would be in demolition, so we started growing our rental equipment that was specific to demolition.”

Over the last year, Degueyter said his company has been fully engaged with the Corps of Engineers, pipeline contractors, and builders of highways, streets and schools.

“We’ve got a good group of professionals that go out and get it done,” he said.

While the hurricane caused some businesses to plummet in the area, the equipment rental industry bloomed.

“In South Louisiana with all the hurricane recovery work since Katrina, we’ve been insulated from the hard economic times in the construction field,” he said. “I’m living the dream – I’m very grateful that I was in the right place at the right time.”

Degueyter said that he is also grateful that he has had the opportunity to help an area that means a lot to him personally.

“I’m from Louisiana – I’ve got family in and around New Orleans and in St. Charles Parish,” Degueyter said. “I like the fact that we were able to come in here after the storm and be a part of the solution, providing tools for clean-up and rebuilding, and now being a part of building the hurricane protection system.

“I’m glad we’ve been able to be a part of that and enjoy some success out of it, too.”

Now that his business is growing at a sonic pace, Degueyter said he does not plan on slowing down.

“We’ve got a five-acre site and we’re in the process now of working with an architect in St. Charles Parish who has designed a 28,000-square-foot facility that we’re going to build on this site,” he said. “So we’re going to invest even heavier in St. Charles Parish. We hope to put that out to bid later this year and to start construction in early 2012.”

 

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