Item 1. Business

United Rentals is the largest equipment rental company in the world, and operates throughout the United States and Canada. The table below presents key information about our business as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. Our business is discussed in more detail below. The data below should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified by reference to, our Management’s Discussion and Analysis and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained

elsewhere in this report.

	December 31,
	2016		2015
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Total revenues (in millions)	$5,762		$5,817
Equipment rental revenue percent of total revenues	86%		85%
Year-over-year (decrease) increase in rental rates	(2.2)%		0.5%
Year-over-year increase in the volume of equipment on rent	3.1%		3.2%
Time utilization	67.9%		67.3%
Key account percent of equipment rental revenue (1)	70%		64%
National account percent of equipment rental revenue	45%		44%
FLEET
Fleet original equipment cost (“OEC”) (in billions)	$8.99		$8.73
Equipment classes	3,200		3,300
Equipment units	440,000		430,000
Fleet age in months	45.2		43.1
Percent of fleet that is current on manufacturer's recommended maintenance	90%		92%
Equipment rental revenue percent by fleet type:
General construction and industrial equipment	43%		43%
Aerial work platforms	32%		32%
General tools and light equipment	8%		10%
Power and HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) equipment	7%		6%
Trench safety equipment	6%		5%
Pumps	4%		4%
LOCATIONS/PERSONNEL
Rental locations	887		897
Approximate number of branches per district	5-10		5-10
Approximate number of districts per region	7-9		6-9
Total employees	12,500		12,700
INDUSTRY
Estimated market share (2)	9.7%		10.1%
Estimated North American equipment rental industry revenue growth	4%		6%
United Rentals equipment rental revenue (decrease) increase	(0.2)%		2.7%
2017 projected North American industry equipment rental revenue growth	3.5%		-
CUSTOMERS/SUPPLIERS
Largest customer percent of total revenues	1%		1%
Top 10 customers percent of total revenues	6%		6%
Largest supplier percent of capital expenditures	22%		21%
Top 10 supplier percent of capital expenditures	62%		66%

(1)

The key account percent of equipment rental revenue reflects the customers designated as key accounts as of December 31, 2016 or 2015. The increase in the key account percent of equipment rental revenue in 2016 primarily reflects additional customers that were designated as key accounts in 2016. If the list of customers designated as key accounts as of December 31, 2016 was applied to 2015, the key account percent of equipment rental revenue for 2015 would have been 69 percent.

(2)	Market share is calculated based on total equipment rental industry revenues as measured by the American Rental Association ("ARA"). In 2015, we reported an estimated market share of 11.7 percent. ARA subsequently increased the total amount of estimated equipment rental industry revenues based on new data from the economic census. The

estimated 2015 market share reported above reflects this increase in the total estimated equipment rental industry revenues.

Strategy

For the past several years, we have executed a strategy focused on improving the profitability of our core equipment rental business through revenue growth, margin expansion and operational efficiencies. In particular, we have focused on customer segmentation, customer service differentiation, rate management, fleet management and operational efficiency.

In 2017, we expect to continue our disciplined focus on increasing our profitability and return on invested capital. In particular, our strategy calls for:

•	A consistently superior standard of service to customers, often provided through a single point of contact;

•

The further optimization of our customer mix and fleet mix, with a dual objective: to enhance our performance in serving our current customer base, and to focus on the accounts and customer types that are best suited to our strategy for profitable growth. We believe these efforts will lead to even better service of our target accounts, primarily large construction and industrial customers, as well as select local contractors. Our fleet team's analyses are aligned with these objectives to identify trends in equipment categories and define action plans that can generate improved returns;

•

A continued focus on “Lean” management techniques, including kaizen processes focused on continuous improvement. As of December 31, 2016, we have trained over 3,100 employees, over 70 percent of our district managers and over 60 percent of our branch managers on the Lean kaizen process. We continue to implement this program across our branch network, with the objectives of: reducing the cycle time associated with renting our equipment to customers; improving invoice accuracy and service quality; reducing the elapsed time for equipment pickup and delivery; and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our repair and maintenance operations. As discussed in note 4 to our consolidated financial statements, in the fourth quarter of 2015, we initiated a restructuring program focused on cost savings throughout the organization partially due to the Lean initiatives not fully generating the anticipated cost savings due to lower than expected rental volume in 2015. We closed this restructuring program in the fourth quarter of 2016. We achieved the anticipated run rate savings from the Lean initiatives in 2016 and expect to continue to generate savings from these initiatives;

•	The implementation of Project XL, which is a set of eight specific work streams focused on driving profitable growth through revenue opportunities and generating incremental profitability through cost savings across our business; and

•

The continued expansion of our trench, power and pump footprint, as well as our tools offering, and the cross-selling of these services throughout our network. We plan to open at least 17 specialty rental branches/tool hubs in 2017 and continue to invest in specialty rental fleet to further position United Rentals as a single source provider of total jobsite solutions through our extensive product and service resources and technology offerings.

Industry Overview and Economic Outlook

United Rentals serves the following three principal end markets for equipment rental in North America: industrial and other non-construction; commercial (or private non-residential) construction; and residential construction, which includes remodeling. In 2016, based on an analysis of our charge account customers’ Standard Industrial Classification (“SIC”) codes:

•	Industrial and other non-construction rentals represented approximately 51 percent of our rental revenue, primarily reflecting rentals to manufacturers, energy companies, chemical companies, paper mills, railroads, shipbuilders, utilities, retailers and infrastructure entities;

•	Commercial construction rentals represented approximately 45 percent of our rental revenue, primarily reflecting rentals related to the construction and remodeling of facilities for office space, lodging, healthcare, entertainment and other commercial purposes; and

•	Residential rentals represented approximately four percent of our rental revenue, primarily reflecting rentals of equipment for the construction and renovation of homes.

We estimate that, in 2016, North American equipment rental industry revenue grew approximately 4 percent year-over-year, with substantially all of the growth in the U.S. In 2016, our full year rental revenue decreased by approximately 0.2 percent year-over-year. Excluding the adverse impact from currency, rental revenue would have increased 0.2 percent year-over-year.

In 2017, based on our analyses of industry forecasts and macroeconomic indicators, we expect that the majority of our end markets will continue to experience solid demand for equipment rental services. Specifically, we expect that North American industry equipment rental revenue will increase approximately 4 percent, with similar growth, on a constant currency basis, expected in both the U.S. and Canada.

Competitive Advantages

We believe that we benefit from the following competitive advantages:

Large and Diverse Rental Fleet. Our large and diverse fleet allows us to serve large customers that require substantial quantities and/or wide varieties of equipment. We believe our ability to serve such customers should allow us to improve our performance and enhance our market leadership position.

We manage our rental fleet, which is the largest and most comprehensive in the industry, utilizing a life-cycle approach that focuses on satisfying customer demand and optimizing utilization levels. As part of this life-cycle approach, we closely monitor repair and maintenance expense and can anticipate, based on our extensive experience with a large and diverse fleet, the optimum time to dispose of an asset.

Significant Purchasing Power. We purchase large amounts of equipment, contractor supplies and other items, which enables us to negotiate favorable pricing, warranty and other terms with our vendors.

National Account Program. Our national account sales force is dedicated to establishing and expanding relationships with large companies, particularly those with a national or multi-regional presence. National accounts are generally defined as customers with potential annual equipment rental spend of at least $500,000 or customers doing business in multiple states. We offer our national account customers the benefits of a consistent level of service across North America, a wide selection of equipment and a single point of contact for all their equipment needs. National accounts are a subset of key accounts, which are our accounts that are managed by a single point of contact. Establishing a single point of contact for our key accounts helps us provide customer service management that is more consistent and satisfactory.

Operating Efficiencies. We benefit from the following operating efficiencies:

•	Equipment Sharing Among Branches. Each branch within a region can access equipment located elsewhere in the region. This fleet sharing increases equipment utilization because equipment that is idle at one branch can be marketed and rented through other branches. Additionally, fleet sharing allows us to be more disciplined with our capital spend.

•

Customer Care Center. We have a Customer Care Center ("CCC") with locations in Tampa, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina that handles all telephone calls to our customer service telephone line, 1-800-UR-RENTS. The CCC handles many of the 1-800-UR-RENTS telephone calls without having to route them to individual branches, and allows us to provide a more uniform quality experience to customers, manage fleet sharing more effectively and free up branch employee time.

•	Consolidation of Common Functions. We reduce costs through the consolidation of functions that are common to our branches, such as accounts payable, payroll, benefits and risk management, information technology and credit and collection.

Information Technology Systems. We have a wide variety of information technology systems, some proprietary and some licensed, that supports our operations. Our information technology infrastructure facilitates our ability to make rapid and informed decisions, respond quickly to changing market conditions and share rental equipment among branches. We have an in-house team of information technology specialists that supports our systems.

Our information technology systems are accessible to management, branch and call center personnel. Leveraging information technology to achieve greater efficiencies and improve customer service is a critical element of our strategy. Each branch is equipped with one or more workstations that are electronically linked to our other locations and to our data center. Rental transactions can be entered at these workstations and processed on a real-time basis.

Our information technology systems:

•

enable branch personnel to (i) determine equipment availability, (ii) access all equipment within a geographic region and arrange for equipment to be delivered from anywhere in the region directly to the customer, (iii) monitor business activity on a real-time basis and (iv) obtain customized reports on a wide range of operating and financial data, including equipment utilization, rental rate trends, maintenance histories and customer transaction histories;

•	permit customers to access their accounts online; and

•	allow management to obtain a wide range of operational and financial data.

We have a fully functional back-up facility designed to enable business continuity for our core rental and financial systems in the event that our main computer facility becomes inoperative. This back-up facility also allows us to perform system upgrades and maintenance without interfering with the normal ongoing operation of our information technology systems.

Strong Brand Recognition. As the largest equipment rental company in the world, we have strong brand recognition, which helps us attract new customers and build customer loyalty.

Geographic and Customer Diversity. We have 887 rental locations in 49 U.S. states and every Canadian province and serve customers that range from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and homeowners. We believe that our geographic and customer diversity provides us with many advantages including:

•	enabling us to better serve National Account customers with multiple locations;

•	helping us achieve favorable resale prices by allowing us to access used equipment resale markets across North America; and

•	reducing our dependence on any particular customer.

Our operations in Canada are subject to the risks normally associated with international operations. These include (i) the need to convert currencies, which could result in a gain or loss depending on fluctuations in exchange rates and (ii) the need to comply with foreign laws and regulations, as well as U.S. laws and regulations applicable to our operations in foreign jurisdictions. For additional financial information regarding our geographic diversity, see note 3 to our consolidated financial statements.

Strong and Motivated Branch Management. Each of our full-service branches has a manager who is supervised by a district manager. We believe that our managers are among the most knowledgeable and experienced in the industry, and we empower them, within budgetary guidelines, to make day-to-day decisions concerning branch matters. Each regional office has a management team that monitors branch, district and regional performance with extensive systems and controls, including performance benchmarks and detailed monthly operating reviews.

Employee Training Programs. We are dedicated to providing training and development opportunities to our employees. In 2016, our employees enhanced their skills through approximately 500,000 hours of training, including safety training, sales and leadership training, equipment-related training from our suppliers and online courses covering a variety of relevant subjects.

Risk Management and Safety Programs. Our risk management department is staffed by experienced professionals directing the procurement of insurance, managing claims made against the Company, and developing loss prevention programs to address workplace safety, driver safety and customer safety. The department’s primary focus is on the protection of our employees and assets, as well as protecting the Company from liability for accidental loss.

Segment Information

We have two reportable segments– i) general rentals and ii) trench, power and pump. Segment financial information is presented in note 3 to our consolidated financial statements.

The general rentals segment includes the rental of construction, aerial and industrial equipment, general tools and light equipment, and related services and activities. The general rentals segment’s customers include construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities and homeowners. The general rentals segment comprises nine geographic regions—Industrial (which serves the geographic Gulf region and has a strong industrial presence), Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific West, South-Central, South, Southeast and Western Canada–and operates throughout the United States and Canada. We periodically review the size and geographic scope of our regions, and have occasionally reorganized the regions to create a more balanced and effective structure.

The trench, power and pump segment includes the rental of specialty construction products and related services. The trench, power and pump segment is comprised of (i) the Trench Safety region, which rents trench safety equipment such as trench shields, aluminum hydraulic shoring systems, slide rails, crossing plates, construction lasers and line testing equipment for underground work, (ii) the Power and HVAC region, which rents power and HVAC equipment such as portable diesel generators, electrical distribution equipment, and temperature control equipment including heating and cooling equipment, and (iii) the Pump Solutions region, which rents pumps primarily used by energy and petrochemical customers. The trench, power and pump segment’s customers include construction companies involved in infrastructure projects, municipalities and industrial companies. This segment operates throughout the United States and in Canada.

Products and Services

Our principal products and services are described below.

Equipment Rental. We offer for rent approximately 3,200 classes of rental equipment on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. The types of equipment that we offer include general construction and industrial equipment; aerial work platforms; trench safety equipment; power and HVAC equipment; pumps; and general tools and light equipment.

Sales of Rental Equipment. We routinely sell used rental equipment and invest in new equipment in order to manage repairs and maintenance costs, as well as the composition and size of our fleet. We also sell used equipment in response to customer demand for the equipment. Consistent with the life-cycle approach we use to manage our fleet, the rate at which we replace used equipment with new equipment depends on a number of factors, including changing general economic conditions, growth opportunities, the market for used equipment, the age of our fleet and the need to adjust fleet composition to meet customer demand.

We utilize many channels to sell used equipment: through our national and export sales forces, which can access many resale markets across our network; at auction; through brokers; and directly to manufacturers. We also sell used equipment through our website, which includes an online database of used equipment available for sale.

Sales of New Equipment. We sell equipment such as aerial lifts, reach forklifts, telehandlers, compressors and generators from many leading equipment manufacturers. The type of new equipment that we sell varies by location.

Contractor Supplies Sales. We sell a variety of contractor supplies including construction consumables, tools, small equipment and safety supplies.

Service and Other Revenues. We offer repair and maintenance services and sell parts for equipment that is owned by our customers.

Customers

Our customer base is highly diversified and ranges from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and homeowners. Our customer base varies by branch and is determined by several factors, including the equipment mix and marketing focus of the particular branch as well as the business composition of the local economy, including construction opportunities with different customers. Our customers include:

•	construction companies that use equipment for constructing and renovating commercial buildings, warehouses, industrial and manufacturing plants, office parks, airports, residential developments and other facilities;

•	industrial companies—such as manufacturers, chemical companies, paper mills, railroads, ship builders and utilities—that use equipment for plant maintenance, upgrades, expansion and construction;

•	municipalities that require equipment for a variety of purposes; and

•	homeowners and other individuals that use equipment for projects that range from simple repairs to major renovations.

Our business is seasonal, with demand for our rental equipment tending to be lower in the winter months.

Sales and Marketing

We market our products and services through multiple channels as described below.

Sales Force. Our sales representatives work in our branches and at our customer care center, and are responsible for calling on existing and potential customers as well as assisting our customers in planning for their equipment needs. We have ongoing programs for training our employees in sales and service skills and on strategies for maximizing the value of each transaction.

National Account Program. Our National Account sales force is dedicated to establishing and expanding relationships with large customers, particularly those with a national or multi-regional presence. Our National Account team closely coordinates its efforts with the local sales force in each area.

E-Rentals. Our customers can check equipment availability and pricing, and reserve equipment online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by accessing our equipment catalog and used equipment listing, which can be found at www.unitedrentals.com. Our customers can also use our UR Control® application to actively manage their rental process and access real-time reports on their business activity with us.

Total Control®. We utilize a proprietary software application, Total Control®, which provides our key customers with a single in-house software application that enables them to monitor and manage all their equipment needs. This software can be integrated into the customers' enterprise resource planning system. Total Control® is a unique customer offering that enables us to develop strong, long-term relationships with our larger customers.

Advertising. We promote our business through local and national advertising in various media, including television, trade publications, yellow pages, the Internet, radio and direct mail. We also regularly participate in industry trade shows and conferences and sponsor a variety of local and national promotional events.

Suppliers

Our strategic approach with respect to our suppliers is to maintain the minimum number of suppliers per category of equipment that can satisfy our anticipated volume and business requirements. This approach is designed to ensure that the terms we negotiate are competitive and that there is sufficient product available to meet anticipated customer demand. We utilize a comprehensive selection process to determine our equipment vendors. We consider product capabilities and industry position, the terms being offered, product liability history, customer acceptance and financial strength. We believe we have sufficient alternative sources of supply available for each of our major equipment categories.

Competition

The North American equipment rental industry is highly fragmented and competitive. As the largest equipment rental company in the industry, we estimate that we have an approximate 9.7 percent market share based on 2016 total equipment rental industry revenues as measured by the ARA. Our estimated market share is based on our total 2016 rental revenue calculated using ARA’s constant currency methodology divided by ARA’s forecasted 2016 industry revenue. Our competitors primarily include small, independent businesses with one or two rental locations; regional competitors that operate in one or more states; public companies or divisions of public companies that operate nationally or internationally; and equipment vendors and dealers who both sell and rent equipment directly to customers. We believe we are well positioned to take advantage of this environment because, as a larger company, we have more resources and certain competitive advantages over our smaller competitors. These advantages include greater purchasing power, the ability to provide customers with a broader range of equipment and services, and greater flexibility to transfer equipment among locations in response to, and in anticipation of, customer demand. The fragmented nature of the industry and our relatively small market share, however, may adversely impact our ability to mitigate rental rate pressure.

Environmental and Safety Regulations

Our operations are subject to numerous laws governing environmental protection and occupational health and safety matters. These laws regulate issues such as wastewater, stormwater, solid and hazardous wastes and materials, and air quality. Our operations generally do not raise significant environmental risks, but we use and store hazardous materials as part of maintaining our rental equipment fleet and the overall operations of our business, dispose of solid and hazardous waste and wastewater from equipment washing, and store and dispense petroleum products from above-ground storage tanks located at certain of our locations. Under environmental and safety laws, we may be liable for, among other things, (i) the costs of investigating and remediating contamination at our sites as well as sites to which we send hazardous wastes for disposal or treatment, regardless of fault, and (ii) fines and penalties for non-compliance. We incur ongoing expenses associated with the performance of appropriate investigation and remediation activities at certain of our locations.

Employees

Approximately 3,900 of our employees are salaried and approximately 8,600 are hourly. Collective bargaining agreements relating to approximately 80 separate locations cover approximately 850 of our employees. We monitor employee satisfaction through ongoing surveys and consider our relationship with our employees to be good.

Available Information

We make our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports, as well as our other SEC filings, available on our website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Our website address is www.unitedrentals.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in this document.