Keeping Queensland’s Industry Moving Family-owned and operated, Smart State Rentals has combined local knowledge, mine-spec expertise and inhouse fleet capability to keep Mackay, the Bowen Basin and some of Australia’s hardest-working industries moving.
retaining something increasingly difficult to replicate at scale – local decision-making and the personal accountability of a family-owned and operated company.
For more than a quarter of a century, Smart State Rentals has been part of the business landscape in Mackay – a city where vehicles are more than a means of getting from A to B. Across Queensland’s resources sector, they are an essential part of keeping people, projects and operations moving.
BUILT BY FAMILY Locals Louis and Maxine Kinsey established Smart State Rentals in Mackay in 2000 and spent the following decades building the business around relationships, hard work and an understanding of what customers in regional Queensland need from their suppliers.
Founded in 2000 by husband-and-wife team Louis and Maxine Kinsey, Smart State Rentals has grown from its local roots into an established fleet provider across the whole of Queensland, specialising in mine-compliant vehicles and flexible rental solutions for mining, engineering, industrial and commercial customers.
Today, the business supplies everything from mine-spec dual-cab utilities and 4WDs to commuter buses, passenger vehicles, vans and trucks, supporting requirements that range from individual vehicles to larger project fleets. Behind the fleet sits a vast amount of local knowledge, an in-house mechanical workshop, specialist mine-spec capability and a team that understands the operational realities of working in one of Australia’s most important resources regions. It is a combination that has enabled Smart State Rentals to build longterm relationships with Australian and multinational businesses whilst
Following Louis’ passing in 2025, the family has remained committed to continuing the business and the legacy he and Maxine created together. Maxine remains at the heart of Smart State Rentals, alongside the next generation of the Kinsey family. Eldest son Damien has worked in the business alongside his parents for
Mining and industrial projects place very different demands on vehicles from conventional road use. Compliance requirements, remote operating environments, high utilisation and the cost of vehicle downtime mean fleet decisions cannot be based on rental price alone. Smart State Rentals has consequently developed its business around providing vehicles that are prepared for the environments in which its customers actually operate.
SMART STATE RENTALS – AT A GLANCE Established: 2000 Based: Mackay, Queensland Ownership: Family-owned and operated Specialisation: Mine-compliant vehicle rental and fleet solutions Fleet: 4WDs, dual-cab and single-cab utilities, passenger vehicles, SUVs, commuter buses, vans and commercial trucks Workshop capability: In-house servicing, maintenance, vehicle modification and roadworthy inspections through Fourways Autocare Customers: Resources, mining, engineering, industrial and commercial businesses, construction and civil projects, government organisations and the wider Mackay community Service options: Short- and long-term rental and flexible commercial fleet solutions
more than a decade and now serves as Chief Commercial Officer, whilst daughter Madonna joined the company two years ago as Chief Operating Officer. Youngest son Duane is also contributing to the company’s next phase, working across areas including digital transformation, systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and business development. The values on which Louis and Maxine built Smart State Rentals remain firmly embedded in the business, whilst the next generation is investing in the systems, technology, people and management capability required to take it forward. For customers, that combination matters. Smart State Rentals offers the accessibility and responsiveness of a locally owned company, backed by the processes and capabilities expected by major corporate and resources-sector clients.
“Mum and Dad built Smart State Rentals on relationships, hard work and genuinely looking after their customers. As the next generation, our responsibility is to protect those values whilst continuing to evolve the business – investing in our people, fleet, technology and systems so we can support our customers and the resources sector for the next 25 years and beyond.” - Madonna Kinsey, Chief Operating Officer, Smart State Rentals BUILT FOR THE RESOURCES SECTOR Operating from Mackay places Smart State Rentals at the gateway to Queensland’s Bowen Basin and at the centre of one of Australia’s most significant mining and mining services communities. It is an environment the company understands well.
Its fleet includes mine-compliant 4WDs and utilities alongside commuter buses, passenger vehicles and other commercial vehicles, allowing the company to support a broad range of operational and project requirements. Just as importantly, its team understands that those requirements can change. Projects mobilise and demobilise. Workforce numbers fluctuate. Contract requirements evolve. Vehicles may be needed for a short assignment, an extended project or as part of a larger fleet solution. Smart State Rentals’ ability to respond to those changing requirements has helped it build enduring relationships with mining companies, contractors, engineering businesses, government organisations and other commercial customers throughout the region. The objective is straightforward: to give customers access to the vehicles they need, configured appropriately for the work they need to perform and supported throughout the hire. MORE THAN A RENTAL COMPANY One of Smart State Rentals’ greatest strengths can be found behind the fleet itself. Through Fourways Autocare, its mechanical workshop, the company has in-house capability to service, maintain and modify vehicles rather than relying solely on external providers. For customers operating in demanding environments, that integration provides an important advantage. Fleet reliability can directly affect productivity. A vehicle unavailable for work is not simply a mechanical inconvenience; on a major project it can affect people, schedules and operations.
FOURWAYS AUTOCARE – IN-HOUSE CAPABILITY Smart State Rentals’ mechanical workshop provides: • Manufacturer logbook servicing • Roadworthy inspections • Mechanical servicing and light vehicle repairs • Vehicle modifications • Mine-spec vehicle preparation and maintenance • Qualified and experienced automotive technicians • Services for both the Smart State Rentals fleet and the general public
Its relationship with Richglen Maintenance Services is an example of that approach. As a Mackay-based provider supporting the mining and resources sector, Richglen operates in an environment where access to appropriate, dependable vehicles is an important part of keeping its people and projects moving. Smart State Rentals is proud to support Richglen as part of the network of local businesses contributing to its operations and continued growth. By bringing rental operations and mechanical expertise together, Smart State Rentals has greater visibility and control over the condition and preparation of it’s fleet, and can plan for and reduce any downtime.. Qualified technicians maintain vehicles across passenger, 2WD, 4WD and mine-spec applications, whilst the workshop’s modification capability enables vehicles to be prepared for specialised industry requirements. Fourways Autocare is also a registered member of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTAQ) and provides services to the wider Mackay community, including manufacturer logbook servicing, roadworthy inspections and light vehicle repairs.
For Smart State Rentals, however, the workshop represents something broader: an integrated approach to fleet management in which the vehicle, its maintenance and the customer relationship sit within the same local business. PARTNERSHIPS THAT KEEP PROJECTS MOVING For Smart State Rentals, the strongest customer relationships have never been purely transactional. The company has built its reputation in a regional business community where suppliers need to understand their customers’ operations, respond when circumstances change and become part of the solution.
The relationship also reflects something broader about the Mackay resources community. Behind every major mining operation sits an extensive ecosystem of specialist contractors, service providers and locally based businesses. Those partnerships create employment, retain expertise within the region and provide the responsiveness required to support projects operating across regional and remote Queensland. Smart State Rentals sees itself as part of that ecosystem – not simply as a company supplying vehicles, but as a fleet partner helping other businesses deliver. ONE FLEET, MANY REQUIREMENTS Whilst mining and commercial fleet
solutions form an important part of Smart State Rentals’ business, the company’s fleet has deliberately remained diverse. Alongside mine-spec vehicles, customers can access passenger cars, SUVs, buses, vans and commercial trucks for short- and long-term hire. That breadth allows Smart State Rentals to support the many different people and businesses that make up the Mackay community – from resources and engineering companies to local businesses, residents and visitors. For customers moving people, there are passenger vehicles, 4WDs and commuter buses. For those moving equipment, furniture or materials, the commercial fleet includes vans and trucks such as the Hino Pantech with tailgate lifter. The principle is the same regardless of the vehicle: make the process straightforward, provide the right solution for the requirement and support the customer locally. LOCAL ROOTS, MODERN BUSINESS 25 years in business provides experience, but Smart State Rentals is equally focused on what comes next. The company is investing in the modernisation of its operations,
introducing new technology and systems across fleet management, finance and administration whilst exploring how emerging tools such as AI can improve efficiency, decisionmaking and customer service. At the same time, the business continues to invest in its people, fleet and internal capability. The aim is not to replace the personal service on which Smart State Rentals was built, but to strengthen it. Technology can make information faster, processes more efficient and fleet management more sophisticated. What it cannot replace is local knowledge, accountability or a team that understands a customer’s business. Smart State Rentals believes the future lies in combining both. That philosophy is shaping the next chapter of the company: retaining the accessibility and relationships of a family business whilst continuing to develop the systems, governance and operational capability of a modern fleet organisation. READY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS Much has changed since Louis and Maxine Kinsey established Smart State Rentals in Mackay in 2000. The resources sector has evolved.
Customer expectations have increased. Technology has transformed the way fleets are managed and businesses operate. Smart State Rentals has evolved with them. What has remained constant is the company’s connection to Mackay, its customers and the family behind it. As the next generation takes a greater role in the business, Smart State Rentals is looking confidently towards its next phase – building on more than 25 years of experience whilst continuing to invest in the fleet, technology, people and partnerships that will shape its future. For the Kinsey family, growth is not simply about putting more vehicles on the road. It is about building a stronger business capable of supporting the companies and communities around it for another generation. Proudly Mackay-based, proudly familyowned and built around the industries that drive regional Queensland, Smart State Rentals remains focused on the purpose that has underpinned the business from the beginning:
Keeping its customers moving.
smartstaterentals.com.au
smartstaterentals.com.au
PRODUCED BY APAC OUTLOOK MAGAZINE