Northside Tool Rental Chief Executive Josh Nickell will discuss how financing, technology and utilization trends are fueling the equipment rental industry at Equipment Finance Connect 2026 on Tuesday, May 19, at 3:35 p.m. CT.  

Equipment Finance Connect 2026 takes place May 18-19 at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston. It is the only event that brings together dealers, lenders and technology providers to discuss the equipment finance industry.  

View the full event agenda here.  

Nickell, who has been in his CEO role at Atlanta-based Northside Tool Rental since 2024, will join the panel discussion “Rental Revolution: How Financing, Fleets & Technology are Redefining Equipment Utilization.”  

His fellow panelists include:

• Heidi Brooks, U.S. sales manager of commercial finance at DLL; and
• Ritzon Fernandez, senior vice president of sales at Equify Financial. 

 Discussion topics for the session will include:

• Rental utilization trends as more dealers and lenders enter the industry;
• Financing strategies to support fleet growth;
• Technologies that enhance fleet management;
• Disposition strategies for rental equipment. 

Prior to his current role, Nickell served as executive vice president of equipment at the American Rental Association. He previously was CEO of Atlanta-based Nickell Rentals and director of global expansion and operations at Point of Rental Software. 

The fourth annual Equipment Finance Connect, a crucial industry event for equipment lenders and dealers, takes place at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston on May 18-19. Learn more about the event and register here.