Manufacturing is Our Advantage

In 1990, Michael Porter (world famous Havard Business School professor on strategy) published a theory called Competitive Advantage. Porter said that a company creates a competitive advantage when it develops goods or services that allow it to provide an advantage of differentiation over its competitors, ultimately creating higher levels of value to the consumer. Smart guy, but a little long winded. Here it is in a nutshell: When a company can do something of value for its customers that its competitors can't, that company has an advantage.

O'Neil Tents is a study in competitive advantage for one simple reason: Manufacturing. O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has manufactured our own tent tops, side wall and other custom pieces for over 50 years. Our 2,500+ square foot on site manufacturing facility is complete with welding and sewing machines - this means production is handled in house with short turn around times. All of our space, capability and experience would be meaningless though if we couldn't translate them into benefits for our customers.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an important fundraising event held annually to promote breast cancer awareness and research. Thousands of people participate in the race each year in Columbus, all wearing pink ribbons and shirts as pink is the awareness color for people suffering from breast cancer. Before the event in 2004, we were approached by the Race for the Cure staff on the possibility of having pink tent tops at water and first aid stations to reinforce the theme of awareness. Because of our manufacturing capabilities, pink tents weren't an issue. It's small details like the tent tops that help make events unique.

Our manufacturing was also put to the test this year by the Wendy's Chili Open, an event held at the Columbus Zoo supporting Central Ohio charities. We custom-made a clearspan structure to create an unobstructed seating area that connected local restaurant vendor space to the performance stage. We covered an area that could be comforably heated where guests could enjoy the delicious food and listen to live music. Was it a challenge? You bet. Was it worth it? Absolutely! To see how the tents came together check out this video on youtube.

Manufacturing at O'Neil supports everyday applications as well. Many bars and restaurants have begun using enclosed awning spaces for their patrons to use. We help those establishments meet local code by supplying tear away emergency exits for the enclosures. This creative solution keeps the area walled in for heating but allows quick exit in case of emergency.

Whether its an item for everyday use, or adding elements that will help to make your event special, O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies has the expertise to manufacture exactly what you need. We like to think that the only limit of what we can do is your imagination.

St. Patrick's Day

The snow is finally gone in Columbus, OH and that means one thing: It's time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And celebrate we did! There were events all over town from the parades Downtown and in Dublin, the Irish Family reunion at Veterans Memorial, and several celebrations at bars and restaurants. O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies was there to help the city celebrate in style.

The biggest celebration in town is at Flannagan's in Dublin. O'Neil erected an 18,800 square foot structure to accommodate the thousands of people who came out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We specially manufactured Green panels for the top which added a special flare to the event.

This event really goes to show why clearspan structures are great for events. Flannagans was able to heat the structure, construct a full stage complete with lighting for the band, roll in a couple of beer carts and a food cart and they weren't too tight on space for their guests. They wouldn't have been able to do nearly that much with a tradional pole tent or frame tents.

O'Neil Tents & Party Supplies also had tents up at various other locations through town. We covered patios at O'Shaughnessy's Public House in the Arena District, both Brazenhead locations, Patrick J's, Callahan's and we helped Lounge 62 in Gahanna celebrate its first St. Patrick's day.

These events can sometimes be challenging to set up, each with their own special needs. For example, the Brazenhead location in Grandview required 10 foot tall sides. Another special need was setting up O'Shaughnessy's tent after the downtown work crowd had cleared out at 8 pm. O'Neil is always willing to work with our customers to meet any unusual request they may have as our primary goal is helping them to host the best event possible.

Now that Spring is in the air, our busy season is coming up. We're looking forward to the Weddings, Graduation parties, 4th of July celebrations, fairs, festivals and numerous other special events in central Ohio.

Getting to Know O'Neil Tents

In 1886 several important events occurred: Karl Benz patented the first gas powered automobile; Coca Cola was invented; and the Statue of Liberty was dedicated, ensuing in the first ever ticker tape parade. That same year, in Columbus Ohio, O’Neil Awning and Tent Company was founded. Since 1886, changes have affected all of those events: Almost everyone drives a car; Coca Cola now competes with Pepsi globally; New York’s skyline is now dominated by skyscrapers instead of a lonely Lady Liberty; O’Neil Awning and Tent Company has grown to become a Tent and Party Rental industry leader.

Buckeye Tent Products Circa 1922:

O’Neil Tents and Party Supplies, as the company is known today, is really the combination of two companies: O’Neil Awning and Tent Company and Buckeye Tent Company. Buckeye Tent Company was established in 1909 in Columbus, Ohio. Buckeye was purchased by the Ritchey family in 1960. Three years later, the Ritchey’s acquired O’Neil Awning and Tent Company. For a couple of years in the early 60’s the two companies operated independently of one another until they were merged into the same business under the O’Neil name. After about five years, the Ritchey family decided to specialize in tents and non tent rental items and the awning portion of the business was spun off.

O’Neil now provides a wide range of rental products with tents as their primary focus. In addition to tents, rental products also include tables, chairs, linens, dishware, barware, silverware, staging, dance floor, and dozens of other accessories. All of these elements combined allow customers to meet their rental needs all in one location. O’Neil has developed its manufacturing capabilities over the years and makes their own tent tops and related vinyl products. The demonstrated strength in manufacturing is leveraged to respond quickly to customer needs.

Both rental inventory growth and expanding areas of service to include Cincinnati, Cleveland, Michigan and Kentucky have made O’Neil a leader in tent and party rental.

O’Neil realizes that their customers rely on them to make their events successful, no matter the size. O’Neil is committed to helping its customers make each event the best it can be.