# United Rentals

**Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/united-rentals  
**Vertical:** Infrastructure  
**Subcategory:** General  
**Tier:** Leader  
**Website:** unitedrentals.com  
**Last Updated:** 2026-04-14

## Summary

Stamford CT world's largest equipment rental (NYSE: URI) at $15.3B 2024 record revenue with 1,625 locations and $20.6B fleet OEC; Q4 2024 record +10% dividend increase competing with Sunbelt for construction/industrial rental market.

## Company Overview

United Rentals is a Stamford, Connecticut-based equipment rental company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: URI) as an S&P 500 component — operating as the world's largest equipment rental company with approximately 16% of the North American market, a fleet of 4,800+ classes of equipment valued at $20.59 billion in original equipment cost, and 1,625 locations across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In fiscal 2024, United Rentals generated $15.3 billion in revenue (record) with 22,397 employees, and Q4 2024 revenue of $4.095 billion (record), with the Board approving a 10% quarterly dividend increase. The specialty rental segment (trench safety, power & HVAC, pump solutions) generates $4+ billion annually as the fastest-growing segment. CEO Matthew Flannery has led the company since 2019. United Rentals was founded in 1997 by Brad Jacobs through an acquisition-led consolidation strategy, completing ~275 acquisitions including RSC Holdings ($4.2B, 2012), BlueLine Rental ($2.1B, 2018), and Ahern Rentals ($2.0B, 2022).

United Rentals' equipment rental model addresses the capital efficiency problem for construction, industrial, and infrastructure companies that need heavy equipment intermittently: a construction firm building a $50 million commercial development needs aerial work platforms, excavators, compressors, and generators for 12 months — but purchasing this equipment requires $2-5 million in capital that is idle between projects, requires maintenance staff, and faces depreciation. Renting from United Rentals (same-day equipment delivery to jobsite from the nearest of 1,625 locations, maintenance included, equipment returned when the project phase ends) converts capital expenditure to variable operating expense that scales with project activity. The specialty rental segment (trench shoring for underground utilities, temporary power generation for planned outages and events, pump solutions for water management) addresses the high-value niche applications where equipment availability, regulatory compliance knowledge, and turnkey installation service command premium rates over commodity equipment rental.

In 2025, United Rentals competes in the equipment rental, construction equipment, and specialty rental market with Sunbelt Rentals (private, Ashtead Group NYSE: AHT, $6B+ revenue), H&E Equipment Services (NASDAQ: HEES, $1.4B revenue), and BlueLine Rental (now URI division) for construction, industrial, and infrastructure project equipment rental contracts and national account relationships. The $15.3 billion record revenue reflects the multi-year construction supercycle driven by infrastructure bill spending (IIJA, IRA manufacturing incentives, CHIPS Act semiconductor fab construction) that continues to drive equipment demand. The 35% emissions intensity reduction target (2030) and 20% electric/hybrid fleet progress position URI for the construction industry's electrification transition. The 2025 strategy focuses on growing specialty rental as a percentage of total revenue (where margins are 10-15 points higher than general rental), expanding digital fleet management tools for national account customers, and pursuing selective acquisitions in specialty rental categories.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What does United Rentals do?
United Rentals is the world's largest equipment rental company providing construction and industrial equipment including trucks, aerial work platforms, earthmovers, compressors, power generation, HVAC, trench safety, and specialty equipment. The company operates 1,625 locations globally (1,504 in North America) serving construction, industrial, infrastructure, and events markets.

### Who are United Rentals' customers?
United Rentals serves construction contractors, industrial facilities, infrastructure developers, utilities, municipalities, event organizers, and homeowners. Customers range from large national contractors to small local businesses across residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure construction sectors.

### When was United Rentals founded?
United Rentals was founded in September 1997 by Bradley Jacobs and his management team from United Waste Systems. The company went public just three months later in December 1997 on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol URI.

### Where is United Rentals based?
United Rentals is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company operates 1,625 locations including 1,504 in North America, 38 in Europe, 23 in Australia, and 19 in New Zealand.

### What is United Rentals' revenue?
United Rentals generated annual revenue of $15.3 billion as of December 31, 2024. The company reported record Q4 2024 total revenue of $4.095 billion including rental revenue of $3.422 billion, with net income of $689 million at 16.8% margin.

### What makes United Rentals different from competitors?
United Rentals' scale as the world's largest equipment rental company (16% North American market share), comprehensive fleet of 4,800 equipment classes valued at $20.59 billion, integrated network of 1,625 locations, and national account programs provide unique competitive advantages. The company's specialty rental capabilities (30% YoY growth) and sustainability leadership (27.3% emissions reduction, 20% electric/hybrid fleet) further differentiate it.

### Who are United Rentals' main competitors?
Major competitors include Sunbelt Rentals (Ashtead Group), Herc Rentals, and numerous regional equipment rental companies. However, United Rentals' scale and geographic coverage significantly exceed competitors in the North American market.

### How many locations does United Rentals have?
United Rentals operates 1,625 locations globally including 1,504 in North America, 38 in Europe, 23 in Australia, and 19 in New Zealand. This integrated network enables seamless equipment access across geographies.

### Is United Rentals hiring?
Yes, United Rentals employs 22,397 people and regularly recruits equipment mechanics, sales representatives, operations staff, and management positions. The company was recognized with the 2024 HIRE Vets Medallion Platinum Award and 2025 Military Friendly Employer Gold recognition. Career opportunities available at unitedrentals.com/careers.

### What is United Rentals' sustainability strategy?
United Rentals has an aspirational goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 35% by 2030 compared to 2018 baseline, achieving 27.3% reduction as of 2024. Electric or hybrid units represent approximately 20% of the rental fleet. The company published a white paper 'Roadmap to Low-Emission and Zero-Emission Jobsites' providing practical steps for customers to reduce emissions.

### What is United Rentals' fastest-growing segment?
Specialty rentals is United Rentals' fastest-growing segment with 30% year-over-year growth in Q4 2024, accounting for $4 billion of the company's $13 billion total revenues for full year. This includes trench safety, power & HVAC, pump solutions, and access equipment.

### What are United Rentals' growth plans for 2025?
United Rentals expects 2025 total revenue of $15.6-16.1 billion with continued focus on specialty rental growth, fleet optimization, sustainability initiatives (95% of North American operations completing lighting retrofits by 2025), and potential strategic acquisitions to expand capabilities and market coverage.

## Tags

b2b, enterprise, global, infrastructure, manufacturing, public, cloud-native, saas

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*Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*