What the heck is a derecho anyways?

"According to the National Weather Service, a derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms. Generally, derechos are convection-induced and take on a bow echo form of squall line, forming in an area of wind divergence in the upper levels of the troposphere, within a region of low-level warm air advection and rich low-level moisture. They travel quickly in the direction of movement of their associated storms, similar to an outflow boundary (gust front), except that the wind is sustained and increases in strength behind the front, generally exceeding hurricane-force. A warm-weather phenomenon, derechos occur mostly in summer, especially during June and July in the Northern Hemisphere, within areas of moderately strong instability and moderately strong vertical wind shear. They may occur at any time of the year and occur as frequently at night as during the daylight hours."

In other words, derecho's are fast moving bands of thunderstorms in the Midwest that can create hurricane force winds. On June 29th, a derecho came through town, clocked at 83 mph. The storm was so fast moving that it left little warning or preparation time. We had several projects set up and we had several projects go down because of that storm. While the toll was rough for a tent company in terms of loss, over a hundred thousand people lost power due to the storm, some for over a week.

We have not seen storm related damage like that since Hurricane Ike blew through the Midwest before it finally fizzled out. All told, a couple of dozen tents were lost due to the winds. More amazing to us were the tents that didn't fall down. There was no rhyme or reason as to why they were left standing. A structure engineered to with stand 80 mph winds got yanked 15' into the air and tossed about 75' through and past a chain link fence, but a 20x20 frame tent with no engineering or wind load design was o.k. in an open field. It's mind boggling.

In the end, no one was injured by our tents or structures and that's the most important thing to consider. It was an awesome reminder of just how powerful mother nature can be. Some times there is nothing that you can do but sit back and pick up the pieces when its all over.

What derecho damage looks like in person (photo by NBC4i.com):


What a derecho looks like on the radar (photo from the National Weather Service):

Web Site Updates

We've recently updated the layout and functionality of our website to make it more user friendly for our current and prospective customers. 

A look at the newly revamped website!

O'Neil is proud to be the rental destination for tents, canopy tents, tables, chairs, etc... in Columbus, OH. We just wanted to make our customer's online experience as stream- lined as possible. 

Our team made it so all of the content on our www.oneiltents.com homepage is visible when the page loads. This means if you're looking for tent, table or chair rentals you can more easily navigate to your destination.

In addition to making the page easier to navigate, we've added menu's for our sale items. This allows us a unique place to offer the market great deals on our used inventory.

Speaking of deals, we're giving our customers a chance to opt-in to our mailer. We will send email campaigns to those interested in event equipment rentals offering sales and discounts, as well as keeping folks up to date with industry trends.

Take a minute to go over to our site and let us know what you think about the recent changes made in the comments section. We're thrilled to hear feedback!

'Tis the Season

Columbus Commons opened this past Spring with the mission to bring more green space and a family friendly environment to the downtown landscape. They have thus far delivered on this plan quite successfully.

Before the park opened, there were many people who complained that this type of green space should not be built in a down economy. People were worried that the city and corporate investors were wasting their money.

After a full season of events and people flocking to the space for recreation, I would think that the people who were complaining before can see the merit in putting a green space like this in the heart of downtown. From food truck festivals to flag football, the Commons has hosted a wide variety of events. We are proud to have worked with the Commons on several of their events this past year. We are also happy to take part in the Holiday Fair this weekend.

We erected a 66x82 clear span structure on the Grand Lawn complete with heat, 2 double door units and lighting. Usually, this size of a structure isn't much of a challenge to our experienced installation crew but this project was not without its own challenges. Because the park rests on top of the old City Center parking garage, we cannot drive stakes into the lawn to secure the structure. Our solution was to bring in 60,000 pounds of concrete ballasts to ensure that the safety of our structure was not compromised (If you check my post a few weeks back on the Indiana State Fair tragedy, you'll understand why safety is our primary concern.)

There is something exciting about a project that challenges your professional abilities. Challenging projects test your logistical planning skills, the creativity of your installation professionals, and your ability to change your game plan on the fly. If every project we did was the exact same this industry would get boring after a while. Its because of these unique challenges that I think you have so many Tent and Event Rental professionals and families who stay in the business for generations like our family has.

The Holidays a season for gift giving and being with your family. The Columbus Commons has given the Central Ohio community a gift in this park that can be enjoyed year round.

Happy Holidays from O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies
!

Off to the Races!

This past weekend, Churchill Downs hosted one of the oldest and most repected thoroughbred horse races in the world, the Kentucky Derby. People from all around the world flock to Louisville, Kentucky to witness the "fastest 2 minutes in sports". For those of us who couldn't make the trip to Churchill downs, there were several opportunities to view the races elsewhere. However, if you wanted to view the race in style, you were at Beulah Park in Grove City, Ohio.


Beulah Park is Ohio's first thoroughbred racing track, built in 1923. It was also the first track in Ohio to offer simulcast wagering on the Kentucky Derby. Each year Beulah Park hosts a derby party as a celebration for the end of their racing season. O'Neil Tents erects a 25 meter wide by 35 meter long clearspan structure right next to the track as a hospitality area for VIP's. O'Neil provides a tent for the buffet line attached to the main structure as well as the tables and chairs for patrons.

To make the experience one to remember, Beulah Park puts its VIP's right next to the track. Being 20 feet away from a thoroughbred horse as it races past you to the finish is an experience like any other. Rain or shine, Beulah wanted their patrons to be a part of that thrilling moment. O'Neil used clear wall for the side panels to keep everyone on top of the action. Luckily, the weather held off during the races and Beulah was able to unfasten the panels, creating open area between the structure and the track.

Whether their bets were winners or losers, everyone at Beulah park was treated to a one of a kind day of fun. Check out some more of our pictures from the day on our Facebook fan page by clicking here: Derby Pictures

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.