Celebrating 17 Years of CanLift — and Honouring Daryl Cortese’s Retirement

The London operation remains an important part of that growth story. From the early days of Daryl Cortese and one mechanic, the branch has become a stronger and more established part of CanLift’s business, with continued opportunity ahead for customers and employees across Southwestern Ontario.

This year, CanLift is also introducing a new Employee of the Month program to recognize team members who make a positive impact through hard work, teamwork, reliability, leadership, customer focus, and overall contribution to the company.

That growth has always been driven by people, and this year’s anniversary gave us the opportunity to recognize someone who has played a major role in CanLift’s story: Daryl Cortese.

Honouring Daryl Cortese

Daryl has officially retired from CanLift after 15 years with the company and 38 years in the equipment rental industry.

Before joining CanLift, Daryl built a long career in the rental world, beginning at Ontario Sky Reach in London, Ontario, and later continuing his career with United Rentals. In March 2012, he joined CanLift with a major task ahead of him: help open and grow the company’s London-area branch.

At that time, the branch was about as lean as it gets. It opened with Daryl and one mechanic, with Daryl carrying both sales and management responsibilities as the business began to take shape. The early years came with challenges, but Daryl brought more than 20 years of rental industry experience, a strong customer base, and the credibility needed to help grow CanLift’s presence in the London market.

Today, the London branch has grown significantly from those early days. What started with two people has grown into a team of 12 employees, with continued opportunity ahead.

For Daryl, the growth of the London branch was never just about equipment or numbers. It was about people. He built lasting relationships with customers across Southwestern Ontario, including many who became friends, and earned that trust through honesty, consistency, and a practical understanding of what customers needed from a supplier.

Daryl described his customer-first mindset best in his own words: “My customer success has come from being honest — placing myself on their side of the desk, and understanding who writes our paycheque.”

That approach helped shape the way CanLift served customers in the London market and reflected the support of the wider CanLift team behind him.

Daryl has always been quick to credit the wider CanLift team for making that success possible, from drivers and technicians to office staff, sales representatives, and leadership. His impact was felt not only in sales, but in the way he helped establish CanLift’s presence in Southwestern Ontario and shape the culture of the London branch.

A Big Personality and a Lot of Good Stories

Anyone who knows Daryl knows that a proper retirement tribute cannot be too formal.

Over the years, he collected plenty of memorable CanLift moments, from Buffalo Bills tailgates with employees and customers to a Habs game in Montreal, along with a few travel stories probably best told in person. He brought humour, personality, and a lot of good stories to CanLift, which is part of why he will be missed by so many people across the team.

Looking back on his time at CanLift, Daryl summed it up simply: “As I retire, I enjoy seeing a true success story at CanLift and feel awesome that I was a part of it. These past 15 years have been the most rewarding of my career.”

He also spoke with gratitude about the latitude he was given to grow the London operation and the friendships he built with Marko, Johnny, Ryan, Terry Mostaard, customers, and employees along the way.

He has been part of CanLift’s story since the company was still young. As employee #8, he saw the business grow through major investments in equipment, people, facilities, and new opportunities. He watched CanLift continue to move forward while staying grounded in the values that make it different: family, respect, loyalty, and a genuine commitment to people.

Now, as he begins retirement, Daryl is looking forward to quieter days, more time sailing, time with his wife Michelle, and enjoying life as a new grandfather.

On behalf of everyone at CanLift, thank you, Daryl.

Thank you for your loyalty, leadership, humour, dedication to the London branch, and the role you played in helping CanLift become the company it is today. We are grateful for everything you contributed over the years, and we wish you happiness, relaxation, good weather on the water, and many great moments with your family.

What 17 Years Says About CanLift’s Future

As CanLift celebrates 17 years in business, Daryl’s story is a reminder of what has helped the company grow: experienced people, strong customer relationships, continued investment, and a team willing to keep building.

To our employees, thank you for the hard work, commitment, and teamwork that move CanLift forward every day. To our customers and partners, thank you for continuing to trust us with your equipment rental, sales, service, and training needs.

Here’s to 17 years of CanLift — and to the people who made it possible.

Happy anniversary, CanLift. And congratulations, Daryl.