IFAI Tent Rental Division Expo

O'Neil will be sending 2 representatives to the IFAI TRD expo in Las Vegas this weekend. We are both extremely excited about the Ballasting Study Results that are going to be presented. This study has been a long time in the making, and has been a hot topic of conversation for most of the rental companies in the IFAI. The study focuses on the best way to ballast structures instead of staking them down.

It's very satisfying knowing that a group we're involved with has safety concerns for event goers in the front of their minds.

More to come from the weekend in Vegas... Stay tuned!

For more info about our company and the products we offer, please visit us on the web at www.oneiltents.com.

The Super Bowl Shuttle

Four 33'x33' heated temporary structures with glass double doors at the Indianapolis Airport. Photo by Indianapolis Airport Authority.

O'Neil Tents and Party Supplies was in Indianapolis last week for the Super Bowl. Although we didn't provide any of the big party or event tents, we helped the city in another way. We worked with the Indianapolis Airport Authority to bolster their existing infrastructure.

Normally, when travelers arrive at the airport they take a shuttle to the car rental depots and are on their way. With the extreme influx in passengers looking to rent cars during the week of the Super Bowl, the Airport had to supplement existing drop off and pick up locations. In addition to needing more, covered space, the Airport also needed temporary structures that were strong enough to stand up to the 40 mph winds that would blow the week of the event.

We erected a couple of 20'x20' heated structures complete with glass entry doors as waiting areas for shuttle pick ups. After the shuttle would pick up passengers, they were then taken to one of four 33'x33' heated structures where they could wait for rental car service (pictured above). These structures allowed the Airport to better handle the increase in traffic as well as providing a safe, warm place to wait.

Out with the old, In with the new.

 We're currently going through a rigorous inventory assessment right now which the result is scrapping a whole pile (see picture) of our tent inventory. From frame tents, canopy tents, and pole tents our rental inventory is getting a major upgrade this winter.

Our manufacturing team starts the process by opening up tops in our facility and assessing their quality. Those deemed to be unfit to rent have all of the reusable hardware removed and the vinyl is scrapped.

Please know that once the vinyl is scrapped, we do not take it to the dump! We donate the used tents to local farmers and others to be used as tarps, covers, etc... We care about the environment we operate in. It's awesome to be able to help out those in our community and the environment at the same time!

When we go through old inventory, we look at rental trends and see if the tents are worth replacing or not. For example, 15 years ago, a customer would ask for 60' wide tents and we would automatically set up a pole tent. Anymore, tents of great size must be engineered. We won't be replacing too many of those pole tents as O'Neil has been on the front lines of clear span structures and engineered pole tents.

It is important to keep our inventory as fresh and new as possible in order to remain relevant in the tent rental market. As discussed in a previous post, our manufacturing capabilities give us a competitive advantage. We can replace our inventory cheaper than our competition and we pass those savings directly to you, our customers.

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!

New Clear Span Inventory

We are happy to announce that we have added the ability to create hex ends to our 10 meter wide structures. These ends add to the design element of clear span structures.

Rather than the flat gable end that we our currently offering our customers, the hex end can create interest as an entrance (as used in this application).

We can custom fabricate the roof panels to be standard white or any other color or stripe that you desire. When you want something out of the ordinary, or when you want to dress up an entry way, think of a hex end.

Please reference the CAD drawing below that illustrates the difference in our product offering:

'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
!

Getting Ready for Winter

It's that time of year when the weather is taking a permanent turn towards the cold. In full disclosure, as I am typing this, we're having a 70 degree day in the middle of November. We call days like today "bonus days" as they are an extra chance to sneak in one more round of golf before it gets too cold. Without fail though, every year it is going to get cold and windy.

We've worked on some pretty interesting projects for customers in preparation for the cold weather to arrive. In the end, each of the projects I am going to discuss have one goal: block as much of the winter weather as possible.

One common Winter project we work on year in and year out is to help local bars and restaurants enclose patios. Enclosures can be custom fabrications or we can use tents to cover patios. This year, we fabricated 14' tall, clear wall panels for Milestone 229 on the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus. The clear wall enable the restaurant to offer more capacity to service diners in an environment closed off from the harsh winter elements. For customers who have open patio space, like Coaches off of Bethel Road, a tent or clear span structure may be the answer.

Another industry bracing for Winter is the construction industry. We recently fabricated several 2,000 sq. ft. panels that will temporarily close the sides of buildings as work is completed. Our covers will serve as  a wind break on the higher floors of the new building, allowing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing to be installed without the harassment of brisk winds. Outside of enclosure covers, some construction companies are going the route of putting clear span structures over their entire job site to fully protect their workers from wind, snow, and cold (as our structures can be heated).

Another use for our products is newer to us this year. The new application is temporary storage facilities. Whether its a shipping company needing more space to work out of over the Holiday season, or a large scale manufacturer protecting finished goods, our clear span structures have been employed with much more frequency this fall into the Winter.