Rental Land

Mark Kasten, owner of Rental Land in Cape Girardeau, says being a business owner is in his genes -- quite literally. His father, Gene, was one of several businessmen who got together in the early 1960s to research the possibility of opening a rental business in Cape Girardeau.

"It was a new concept," says Kasten. The men opened Rental Land in 1966 to rent out tools, mostly to contractors. Later, they reserved a corner of the store for special events rentals, and eventually, that became a division of its own.

"Things change constantly," says Kasten. "We have to keep up with new equipment and design trends. We started off with a few candelabras and tablecloths, and it took off like crazy."

The tools and special events divisions are now housed in separate buildings on Independence Street.

"When a property next door comes up for sale, you buy it," says Kasten.

Many people are surprised by the type and amount of items they can rent out, he says. While sewer equipment, concrete saws and concrete hammers are the most popular rentals, the business may rent out hundreds of tablecloths in one weekend or whatever items happen to be trending on Pinterest.

"There's never a dull day," says Kasten. "There are very few things we can't rent."

He attributes the business' longtime success to a solid beginning.

"The original men who started it had a vision and a plan and they were willing to work hard," he says. "They had a good banker, probably, and very understanding spouses. We had a good foundation."