b'CHAPTER 03THE KENNARD BROTHERS | 21Without much of a plan, Andy landed in Los Angeles, rented a car, and started driving until he came across a Wanamaker Rents store. He popped in to introduce himself and, as luck would have it, discovered that the American Rental Association (ARA) was holding its convention in Fort Worth, Texas the following week. This is how Andy accidentally became the first Australian and international representative to ever attend the convention. That really opened my eyes up as to what was going on, Andy says. He took notes of ideas that he could bring back, modify, and apply to an Aussie market; thus began his propensity for plagiarism. A year after returning home, Andy became an equal partner in his brothers businessa partnership that went on to last twenty-seven years.Over the years, Andy expanded his educational travels beyond hire conventions in the USA to conferences and conventions in the UK, Europe, Japan and southeast Asia to learn about cutting-edge business practices. He would bring back the ideas he liked and test them out at Kennards Hire, sometimes with great success, other times not so much. Andy fostered a culture of innovation at Kennards Hire that has continued to this day, with teams being sent overseas to learn and, as Andy proudly calls it, plagiarise the best ideas.His split from Nev as business partners in 1991, while amicable,was difficult at the time, but ultimately proved to be beneficial to both brothers and their descendants. Kennards Hire prospered under Andys sole ownership and then saw even more success in the 1990s and beyond, once he appointed a board member who he trusted to guide matters of policy and governance.'