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Generator-to-go powers up in 3 Florida locations

By LOUIS HAU
Published May 4, 2006

For businesses nervous about being hit by crippling power outages during the upcoming hurricane season, a new West Palm Beach company is offering a solution: towable generators with offseason storage and guaranteed fuel.

Power To Go is an offshoot of Discount Rental & Sales, a West Palm Beach company that sells and rents construction equipment.

Discount Rental did brisk business selling generators during the past two hurricane seasons, said Power To Go vice president Rusty Walker. But fueling the units after a hurricane and storing them during the offseason proved to be a challenge for some customers, he said. That led to the idea of selling towable generators complete with storage, maintenance and fueling packages.

Customers can purchase a generator, park it at a Power To Go storage facility and tow it away to their business before a storm hits. They can bring back their unit to be refueled, a big advantage when local service stations are closed. The least expensive units start at about $16,000.

During the offseason, generator owners can either store their units at a Power To Go location or allow the company to rent their units to other customers. The rental income is split evenly between the owner and Power To Go.

Power To Go opened for business in October and operates at three Discount Rental locations, in West Palm Beach, Orlando and in Tampa at 4506 E Seventh Ave.

The company has signed up about 30 customers so far, including convenience stores, restaurants, assisted-living facilities and attorneys' offices, Walker said.

[Last modified May 4, 2006, 08:56:17]