Opifex-Synergy makes big move in western US

Florida-based Opifex-Synergy has acquired ECCO Equipment Co from Hitachi Construction Machinery Co, giving it rental operations in the Western US states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. The price has not been disclosed.

ECCO has 11 rental locations, including two each in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco and one in Las Vegas. It also has branches in Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho.

Opifex-Synergy said the deal means it is operating in nine of the 11 largest US equipment rental markets and 18 of the top 30 and nearly doubles its total addressable market. The new locations add to Opifex-Synergy’s existing sites in Texas and the Southeast.

An Hitachi excavator owned by ECCO Equipment. (Image: ECCO Equipment)

ECCO was created by a Californian contractor and began to operate as a stand-alone rental business in the sixties and seventies. It became part of Woody Weld’s Acme rental business in 2018, in part with support from Hitachi CM, which then had a 33% ownership stake in Acme.

Hitachi and Acme subsequently parted company, with Hitachi taking full ownership of ECCO. In its financial report for the year to March Hitachi included a €40 million charge relating to the proposed sale of ECCO.

‘Strong foundation in the west’

Jay Vaughn III, CEO of Opifex-Synergy, said; “ECCO gives us a strong foundation in the West, with great people and loyal customers in some of the most active construction markets in the country.

“From here, we intend to invest behind this team with new fleet, upgraded branches, and additional locations. We’re knocking on the door of being a top five rental company in America, and we expect to be there by the end of 2027.

“Our playbook works, and we’re bringing it to the West.”

The company said it will integrate ECCO into its national platform and rebrand under the Opifex-Synergy name following a transition period.

The ECCO deal follows the 2024 merger of Synergy Equipment and Opifex Enterprises. In September 2025, Opifex-Synergy also acquired Equipment Finders in Nashville.

Opifex-Synergy’s investors include Avance Investment Management, Mas Group and BlackRock.