Bledsoe Rentals began in 1945 when John Bledsoe and his son Kenny developed propane-powered wallpaper steamers for local contractors. As word spread, demand shifted from ownership to rental, and soon a new business model was born. What began as a small operation focused on a single product quickly expanded into ladders, tools, and equipment rentals, and the Bledsoe Rentals name became known for dependability and service.

In the early 1950s, a young employee named Joel Chambers joined the company and eventually married Kenny’s sister, Devota. With the Bledsoe family’s backing, Joel and Devota opened a new store in Overland Park, Kansas, which would grow to become one of the largest equipment rental businesses in the Midwest. Joel later invited his brother Eugene “Gene” Chambers, then living in Milwaukee, to come work with him, and in 1959, Gene and his wife Lois opened a new Bledsoe Rentals in Raytown, Missouri, by acquiring a local shop called DelMar Rentals.

Gene built his business the hard way, working seven days a week and often relying on family and trusted employees to grow the store from the ground up. By the early 1970s, Gene’s future son-in-law, Tom Fouts, joined the company. Tom  married Gene’s daughter Debbie in 1972 and soon became a driving force behind the company’s expansion. He helped launch new product lines, such as the U-Cart concrete system and Lawn Boy lawn mowers, and brought operational efficiencies that propelled the Raytown store into its next phase of growth.

In 1983, Gene and Tom opened a new state-of-the-art building on Blue Ridge Boulevard, earning industry praise and national recognition. Tom officially took over as Manager in 1985 and purchased the company in 1988, buying out both Gene and Joel after Joel’s health declined. By that time, Tom was operating both the Raytown and Olathe, Kansas, locations.

Tom’s leadership marked a major period of growth and modernization. In 1997, he acquired Lee’s Summit Rental, and by 1999, opened a new flagship store at 1300 NE Douglas in Lee’s Summit, which remains one of the company’s primary locations today. His reputation in the industry continued to grow, and he was eventually elected to serve as President of the American Rental Association (ARA), where he represented rental companies nationwide and helped shape the future of the industry.

In 2011, Tom asked his son, Adam Fouts, to return to the company with the goal of taking over operations so he could begin transitioning toward retirement. Tom planned to stay on for five years to ensure a smooth handoff, but after just two years, he saw that Adam was fully prepared to lead and made the decision to retire in 2013. Adam took on the role of President and led the business through its next chapter of growth.

In October 2022, the ownership officially passed to the third generation when Tom and Debbie sold the corporation to Adam and his wife, Brooke Fouts. With that, Adam became both President and Owner, and Brooke joined as co-owner, continuing the family legacy with renewed energy, strong values, and a forward-thinking vision.

Today, Bledsoe Rentals proudly operates locations in both Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Olathe, Kansas, continuing our multi-generational tradition of serving contractors, homeowners, and businesses across the region with the same integrity, commitment, and community focus we’ve held since the beginning.