Parker County Today April 2017 | Page 56

our business: MIKES WESTSIDE RENTAL Mike’s Rental-Everything from Digging to Dancing BY MISTY BROWNING PHOTOS BY STEVEN SCHILLIO M ike’s Westside Rental is a small rental busi- ness that started 10 years ago near Possum Kingdom Lake. Back in May of 2007, Mike and Kathy Patton came up with the idea to open a rental compa- ny on the west side of Possum Kingdom Lake, adequately named Mike’s Westside Rental. Mike had the idea of starting a weekend only tool rental business, because he had the tools to rent and there was always someone coming out at the lake need- ing to rent them. Eventually, the business grew from the weekend only business to a full-time business, equipping everyone in the area from local contrac- tors to weekend lake enthusiasts. In 2009, Mike’s Westside Rental (MWR) moved to its current loca- tion in Graham to better serve the customers in both Graham and in and around Possum Kingdom Lake. In 2014, Bert Thompson bought the business and became president of MWR. Bert, who currently lives in Parker County, had known Mike for years due to Mike and Bert’s father being friends. Bert had been tracking the sales for the Graham store and knew there were people in Parker County who knew about them. The actual “straw that broke the camel’s back” that brought the business to Weatherford is the infamous story of the customer who wanted a karaoke machine. “I had already seen what this county was doing in growth since I live out here, but getting the phone call for the karaoke machine one Saturday morning was what did it for me” Bert explained. Bert said that he got the phone call at 10:30 that morning from a woman in Weatherford who was wanting to rent a karaoke machine. “She asked how much it was and what time we 54 closed. I told her $35 and at noon. She then told me that she was afraid she wouldn’t make it there in time. I figured out she was calling from Weatherford and willing to drive to Graham for a $35 rental machine.” When he asked why, she told him “Honey, I ain’t going to Fort Worth and nobody has one is Weatherford.” He told her that he lived in Weatherford and would bring it to her, free of charge.” And that’s how MWR came to Weatherford. The Weatherford location opened earlier this year, with the official grand opening being recently on March 25. MWR has every kind of equipment to help with your next wedding, party, event, or project. If they don’t have the piece of equipment you need, they can get it for you. If you have a project and you are not sure what equipment you need, they can help you with that. They have daily, weekly, and monthly rates for their equipment, with certain limitations on certain pieces of equipment. They also prorate the fee if you go over a couple hours, instead of an entire day. They are open every day but Sundays, and never will. “I don’t care how bad they want me to be or how many Home Depots they build. Sunday is my day with the Lord and my family, and that’s how it will always be.” For more information, go to http://www.mikesrental.com.