Spotlight on a Native-Owned Business: JL Equipment Leasing & Rental

Based out of Phoenix, Arizona, JL Equipment Leasing & Rental is a Native-owned small business that specializes in transportation and logistics for equipment ranging from refrigerated trucks to sanitation stations to transporting Christmas trees. A member of the Choctaw Nation, Denae Lossing is the owner of JL and started the business in 2018 after spending the first part of her career in the finance industry. While the transportation industry faced challenges during COVID-19, JL Equipment was able to weather the storm in large part due to its government contracting businessand is now experiencing an uptick of private sector work. The pandemic also required JL to go fully remote and a shift to an emphasis on digital sales vs. in-person.

We sat down with Denae Lossing to learn more about JL Equipment Leasing & Rental. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Tell us about yourself and your business?

My name is Denae Lossing and I’m the owner of JL Equipment Leasing & Rental. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and am an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and first-generation college graduate. I am married, with two daughters ages 10 and 3. Life keeps me busy and I enjoy living an active lifestyle. After spending the first part of my career in the finance industry, I opened JL Equipment Leasing & Rental in 2018. We are a small business in Phoenix, AZ with fewer than 10 employees. Our business focuses on transportation and logistics for both government and private sector equipment contracts. We do transportation and logistics for heavy equipment, pallet loads, steel and even Christmas Trees. Our equipment contracts include Reefer Trucks, Busses, Sanitation Stations and other Specialty Equipment.

2. How has your business been affected by COVID-19?

During the Covid-19 pandemic parts of the Transportation industry have slowed down. Shipping yards and manufacturers closed for quite some time which had an impact on the transportation and logistics part of our business. Luckily, work has been pretty consistent with government contracts and is starting to pick back up with private sector transportation opportunities..

3. How has your business model changed during the pandemic?

All of our employees are currently remote. The pandemic did change our engagement model for contracts and required us to put more emphasis on digital sales vs in-person. Even government contracts have shifted to more of a remote model for meetings with the exception of equipment delivery, which of course still requires in-person activities. 

4. What advice would you give to small business owners about starting and growing a business?

I would tell them to have defined roles for the members of your startup. It’s very important that all members feel vested and understand their contributions and how they are helping to make the business successful.

I would tell Native entrepreneurs to get involved with programs and support systems designed to help launch Native startups. For example, the Small Business Administration and other programs were very helpful when I was first starting out. They helped to provide point of contacts for funding opportunities, certifications, mentoring and networking opportunities. The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development has also been very supportive and helpful in identifying opportunities for learning and networking across business sectors. 

5. Anything else you want to add?

I would just like to say thank you for highlighting my business. It is great to see the continued focus on small businesses and I look forward to reading more of these highlights moving forward. If anyone wants to discuss future opportunities, we would love to hear from you. You can learn more about JL Equipment Leasing & Rental and find contact information on our website: jlequipmentandleasing.com