Sunbelt Rentals contributes to Restoration Industry Legal Fund

ROCKVILLE, MD — Sunbelt Rentals Inc. contributed $50,000 in matching funds to the Restoration Industry Legal Fund (RLIF) and challenged other vendors at the 2013 Restoration Industry Association (RIA) Industry Summit and Exhibition to contribute, according to a press release.

“Sunbelt Rentals has always been a company that gives back to the communities in which we serve. We are alarmed at the number of frivolous patent infringement suits that have been filed against RIA members and others in the industry by Thermapure. Their actions could cause many small and medium-sized restoration contractors to lose their life savings and even have to close their doors to defend themselves,” said Ken Rothmel, Sunbelt’s director of strategic accounts.

RIA filed suit in Federal Court in the Western District of Washington State against Thermapure and its president, David Hedman, in January 2013 to invalidate six of the seven patents held by Thermapure, the release stated.

According to the release, these patents, and in particular the “812,” have been used by Thermapure to sue RIA members and other restoration industry companies.

“Sunbelt Rentals cannot sit idly by and not help to defend RIA members. We are members of and an integral part of the restoration industry and supporting the industry and these efforts are the right thing to do. We are challenging the other RIA exhibitors at the Leadership Summit to commit what they can to help fund this important cause,” Rothmel added.

Click here to read the release in its entirety, and visit Sunbelt Rentals at SunbeltRentals.com.