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Growth mode with Ian Goff: Episode 69
108 Plays26 days ago
What happens when you find a niche and go all in? Ian Goff, Goff Tents & Events, takes us behind the scenes on how he built and grew his Kentucky business, his approach to acquisitions and balancing the demands of business and family.
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Clear Span Tents & Structures, learn more at www.anchorinc.com.
PS, if you want to join ARA and you tell them you heard about it from Nate and Kyle, you'll get 25% off your membership! https://ararental.org/join-ARA/promo/Podcast25
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Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:18
Speaker
You ready for this? Are you ready? I'm ready. Don't mess it up. All right. Welcome back to another episode of Under the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast. Kyle, was I good enough for you?
00:00:28
Speaker
Yes. Thank God you're getting it right. I'm so sick of you messing it up every week. i mean lauren Lauren sends me text messages saying, can you please get an Nate in line? Kyle, I'm basically your virtual assistant, so i don't know what hell you're talking about. Without me, you'd be lost. Assistant, therapist, friend, what else? Emotional support. Yeah, what else you want to add to the
Guest Introduction: Ian Goff
00:00:48
Speaker
list?
00:00:48
Speaker
um nothing else really i'm tired of you but anyways um got a good guest lined up today somebody that i've known for quite some time uh consider a good friend in the industry um has made quite um some acquisitions lately on some different companies and things uh so we'll get into that as well um but yeah we got ian goff from golf tents ian how you doing buddy good man that but how are you guys doing Good. and But I would love to, I didn't know if I'd enter you as golf tents, if I enter you as, you know, the other companies, you got a little bit of everything going on these days.
00:01:24
Speaker
Just that guy, you know, I had to do something different. So everybody would quit referring to me as the King of the baby ox. So King the baby ox. I like it. I haven't heard that, but that's pretty damn good. Actually. have seven of them now. So, so you are, you make up about what Kyle has gotten big ones in.
00:01:42
Speaker
Hey, and I know if I have to sell my 225, I'm calling Ian Goff right away. Let's go. I'll have him the truck before I even call him. Well, I've had actually like that. You've been my business model when I've talked about the two series or whatever, and just on how it goes up and down lift gator, the different variations on how you can use it and
Historical Background and Family Business
00:02:01
Speaker
everything else. And we can jump into that a little bit, but in first tell us how the hell you got here. Um, I know you got a good story. Like everybody else that's got stuck in this industry, right?
00:02:14
Speaker
Yeah, you know, so ah my dad was a professional musician and somewhere along the line realized that he wasn't going to be a rock star. My mom was a school teacher, so they had to figure out what they could do. So they bought up a party rental company, right?
00:02:27
Speaker
Makes perfect sense. So that was in 1985. um And a lot of it was party goods, costumes, you know, paper goods, like the things that were really going on in the 80s. Had a few tables, chairs and tents.
00:02:42
Speaker
And that was, we were off and running. So I grew up in the, in the back of a rental store, like a lot of guys, um, pile of dirty linens was my babysitter. And, uh, when I was big enough stand on a milk crate, I ran the dishwasher.
00:02:55
Speaker
So I've kind always been in it. Um, you know, left for a little while after school, thought I was going to be a mechanic. I thought that that was a really good life path. And dad called me one day and the guy who was managing the store was leaving to go somewhere else. He's like, you know, somebody wants to do this. I was like, well, yeah I'll do it.
00:03:11
Speaker
And so. January 1st, 2004, I walked in the door and he hasn't fired me in a way that I've left yet. So I'm still there. Well, you have been fired. Multiple times. Oh, me too. It's all right. Yeah. I just want to make sure that's common. If you're not getting fired by your dad, you're not doing it right. but That's good. luck Because they always know you guys going to make your way back, right? It's like lost puppies, man.
00:03:35
Speaker
I mean, it's if you got to go home with him at that point, you know, you got to go back the next day. checks understand that. And Bob, what is Bob's current role? know he still was coming in and out of the office. Is he still in and out there?
00:03:48
Speaker
You know, he... Walked out the door to go on vacation in 2019 and never walked back in to the office. um but But he loves it. I mean, he's always on our dispatch and and he's in the sales meetings. He does our site surveys. You know if it's near a golf course or a good restaurant, he's there.
00:04:07
Speaker
Right. Actively involved when when we do the acquisitions. he He loves to come out to go see the space, to go talk to the people. I mean, he he is rental. It's in his blood. He's been doing it for over 40 years. And, you know, you get that smell of vinyl in your nose. It just never goes away.
00:04:24
Speaker
See, we hear these stories constantly. Yeah, we hear these stories constantly. And it's like, I think to myself, is that going to be me? I don't know. You know, and I want to like the older I get, I'm like, I want to retire at some point.
Passion for the Industry
00:04:40
Speaker
But also, I don't think I can.
00:04:41
Speaker
I think I would lose my mind because of how much we're under stress and under pressure. And every once in a while, we like it some time away. But do we ever fully shut off? No, I think we thrive on it.
00:04:54
Speaker
It's sickening. It's like a drug, man. It's like a shot of heroin and you in it's it's vinyl in the vinyl form. yeah you know If you're not around it, you make a problem. So I've got a, my oldest son is 15 and a huge permanent 15. So part of that is he drives me one day a week just from the store. not just, so he gets his hours logged in. So we were up in Northern Kentucky.
00:05:15
Speaker
And I was like, hey, get off at this exit. And he's like, what are you doing? There was a baseball stadium over there. He's like, what are you doing? I was like, they got a tent over there. I want to go look at it. And he goes, you made us drive like 10 minutes out of the way to go look at a tent. And it was a 10 by 20, by the way.
00:05:31
Speaker
But I just wanted to see who had the tent there. I had to know. yeah Yeah. No, I get it. I mean, we do the same thing and I talk with Mike about it when he does it on vacation too. But I think the last time we were in Denver, we were walking through and my wife's like, where are you going? I was like, I got to see this tent.
00:05:45
Speaker
i just to know who's put it up or who makes it. I just want to know. This episode of Under the Vinyl is brought to you by Anchor Tents and Clear Spans, manufactured in the USA and built for the rental industry. Looking to save time and labor on installs?
00:05:56
Speaker
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Sponsorship and Industry Connections
00:06:06
Speaker
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00:06:10
Speaker
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00:07:02
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I think that the first real meeting was was at an ARA meeting by the the bar. I think that's where you and I met, too, was at an ARA meeting by the bar.
00:07:14
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. and And then we became a ah singing group. and We did. We sang karaoke together. We did. Oh, yeah. Well, help people in Ian's been much more than just a work friend of me. When I went through my divorce, he was there for me and And, ah you know, it went a long way as well. And so we've had many late nights outside of work together in Lexington bars, either watching Ian play music because fun fact, Ian is a sideshow rock star after work um or just ah or just hanging out in general.
Brand Evolution and Strategic Rebranding
00:07:46
Speaker
But Ian, tell me a little bit about currently, I know you got, um, golf tents is the main, the main brand, right? Makes up the main brand. Golf tents has always been just tents, not really all tables and chairs and things like that. And then, or has it kind of evolved? Yeah.
00:08:04
Speaker
Tents, tables, chairs was always at the core. You know when dad started it, it was fairs, festivals, large corporate events, you know, things in 80 wides and 60 wides and thousands of chairs, stage, things like that. Not so much of the the pretty stuff.
00:08:23
Speaker
The dance floor, the low ends. That came later on when I got there. We actually did... he started a company in 2004 called Encore Events. And that was going to be the offshoot of what was, it was Southeast Tents then. And the plan was that Encore was going to do the weddings and these high end corporate events and have the, the dance floors and shivaris and all that stuff.
00:08:48
Speaker
And so that's where that started. And that took off and was going great. And then 2008 hit. And of course all that corporate money just went out the door. Um, and so I, you know, we were talking like what we're going to do. And I said, do you know, we have these tents, we have the tables, the chairs, the China, we have all this stuff.
00:09:06
Speaker
Why don't we just rebrand over on this side and really just focus on becoming a player in that market, which really wasn't what we were doing. That's what Bryant's was doing. That's what Purden's was doing. I mean, we, we had our own piece over here to the side, but.
00:09:23
Speaker
We kind of moved into that lane around 2008 and really started that name change. It was from Southeast Tents to Goff Southeast Tents. And by 2010, we kind of dropped the Southeast and gone full on just with the Goff Tents, Goff Tents and Events.
00:09:37
Speaker
Because you guys were traveling primarily doing big, big pole tents and things like that
Growth and Niche Development
00:09:45
Speaker
of that nature at that point? Pole tents did structure. I mean, we were we were doing structure after the Atlanta Olympics. Dad worked out a deal with Rotor. And so he he was traveling basically if it was 25 meter or below, he was doing that around because it was they didn't even want to deal with anything like that. um And then just through storms and things, a lot of it got taken out and destroyed. And there wasn't that structure here. So he was getting paid.
00:10:11
Speaker
full price for what he had paid 10 cents on the dollar for when he bought it after the Olympics. And instead of investing back into structure, which would have been great. He's been on, you know, winning commercial real estate.
00:10:23
Speaker
So. Okay. That makes sense. I didn't say this would have stayed in, in the the structure, but you know, Well, yeah, I know. I mean, you guys have made a good niche. that We were just talking about that the other day. It's just the niche, like your business, finding finding your niche and and staying in that and finding it. Yeah, you can grow it and everything else, but, you know, probably took it back to you getting involved to get back to the structure because you guys are in structure now, right? And so, I mean, staying in your lane and what you guys did for so long was so successful, um you know, to get you back today to now back into the structure game. And You guys also do did and still do manufacturing, correct?
00:11:03
Speaker
Correct. And so what do you whaty are you guys manufacturing for others are you guys just manufacturing for yourselves? we do it's It's primarily a for ourselves. I mean, being able to feed the beast to keep it going. We do a lot of repair work for other people. We do a lot of work on pool covers, custom patio enclosures. So as far as the making of the tents, that's probably the smallest piece of what we do in the manufacturing department. Okay.
00:11:28
Speaker
But it's it's great just, you know, customer calls like, hey, we want X, Y, Z. Yeah, and no problem. We can make that. How many staff members do you have on the manufacturing side? We just run three full time.
00:11:39
Speaker
But then in the winter, when we're really doing stuff for us, we got a lot of tenant guys in there so we can flex that up to whatever we need for the project. And if there's a demand, you know, we need something for a big build or, you know, the track job needed a bunch of sidewalls, things like that, we can have guys come in and help do that. So it's nice. There's about four or five other guys on our install crew who have worked in manufacturing. So having that experience helps.
00:12:04
Speaker
ye Manufacturing is hard
Operational Challenges and Daily Management
00:12:06
Speaker
to find, especially if you're trying to find a good sewer and things like that. It seems like it's a non-existent person these days compared to how it used to be, right? Yeah. Old 10 guys...
00:12:18
Speaker
ten guys are the best sewers. They've just been doing, you know, they've had to fix so many repairs out on site and things. I mean, Junior, who's been with us since the 80s, I mean, he could barely walk around do anything, but he could sit at that sewing machine and sew all day, so.
00:12:33
Speaker
Well, it's also... And it's okay. It could sound bad in this way, but it's not like you're putting them in pasture, but you know, you take guys that want to get off the road and looking for something that's more in house that maybe don't, can't do office or don't want to do office, but they want to be something more inside the, inside the building as they get older. I mean, it's a good alternative to be able to actually give, you know?
00:12:54
Speaker
It's a great solution for old tent guys. I mean, the yeah body only goes so many miles and and it's so much further now with the 10 ox. And, you know, I mean, you could go out and drive a thousand stakes by yourself and and maybe get a blister on your thumb. I mean, the days of of swinging whackers or sledgehammers, yeah.
00:13:15
Speaker
It's just, it's not part of the game anymore. So what are your typical crews say you're running right now? How many guys are you running on a crew? And then you're typically sending an ox with every job or how are you guys running?
00:13:25
Speaker
Yeah, we're pretty much sending an ox. So we run Out of the golf location, we're probably running eight to nine crews a day. Those will run two to six. It just depends on the scale of it. You know guys who are just running dish, table chair, things like that, that might be less. They might be flexed up with ah with a larger tent crew. So that that varies. The tri-state location, we're generally running three a day. Same thing, two two to four up there. So just by the day.
00:13:55
Speaker
Okay. And so now that you've said it, let's talk a little bit about some of the acquisitions now that
Acquisition Strategy and Business Expansion
00:14:00
Speaker
you've made. you know You've grown golf tents so much, um you know and you've slowly – I feel like every time I turn the corner, you've acquired something different. Yeah. Whether it be baseball, linens, or in the tent world. um But tell us a little bit, one, um you know how those have come about and what is your decision to to make those acquisitions? you know I think some people look at it in different ways you know with with the acquiring of the
00:14:28
Speaker
the proximity area. um You know, maybe it's not too, it's not so far away. So you're still in your same area, but you're acquiring these businesses. But I think there's obviously an upside to it. So what was your decision in in acquiring these businesses and and tell us a little bit about what the businesses were?
00:14:44
Speaker
yeah So I've never sought out any of the acquisitions. It's always been an owner that's come to me. So it's it started with the Purden family. They were another company in town where we were doing the tent table chairs, all that stuff. I mean, they were they had the in-house linen and we were subbing everything. Or if we owned it, they were actually processing for me. And then the dish, you know, we weren't in that space. So we were basically subbing it through them.
00:15:11
Speaker
um And during COVID, I went over there one day, took a load of linens and and Paul and Sam were in there. And he's like, hey, we think we want to get out. Are you interested in buying the business? And we worked through the numbers and we're able make a deal.
00:15:24
Speaker
And that worked out great because they seller financed it to me. Oh, wow. That's awesome. So, yeah, I mean, they they were great to work with. We stayed in that location and and worked that brand for five years. and i think It just wasn't going to work to stay in that space. That side of town wasn't going in the direction that it was going to be what we needed. And and so we knew some consolidation was going to happen. So we just consolidated that into the Goff building at the beginning of this year. so Okay.
00:15:52
Speaker
So that was in 2020. So we started operating that ourselves in August of 20. So so you you you bought that during COVID? Yes. Okay. Tell me a little bit about that.
00:16:04
Speaker
You were on the right side of COVID in August. Yeah. we had a good idea of what was going to happen, I think. Not in Kentucky. Really? you know Yeah. they they weren it Kentucky was one of the toughest ones. It was it was tough.
00:16:15
Speaker
Because that's when I quit and I moved to Tennessee. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I can remember driving 45 minutes away to bid a $300 job that we didn't get and getting $80,000 in cancellations. I mean, it was it was tough times. so Yeah. um Yeah, but, you know, Goff being a tent-heavy company, as those things started happening, we were getting a lot of that business. And then, you know, the Persons weren't doing that. And I think Sam and Katie, who were who were the third generation, that just wasn't where their heart was. They wanted to go do other things. Mm-hmm.
00:16:50
Speaker
You know, that it was a good good deal um for us to be able to come in in and have the in-house linen processing to have the dish. to have ah and There was some human capital involved that helped us transition and learn about that stuff. So that that was really key for us.
00:17:06
Speaker
And Goff probably really supported then that acquisition through the COVID to be able to get you, I mean, for great great purchase at the right time, but it was able to support everything to get you to where you're going to be making more money and where you're very successful now with it, right?
00:17:21
Speaker
Right. And that's always been the key is... Acquiring a piece that supports what we do just differently. So where Goff is, you know, at that time, end user, fair, festival, corporate, big tent, things like that. Pertens were venue, planner, yeah caterer, you know, so it was a different customer base.
00:17:48
Speaker
So, you know, when they were making those calls around town, they're probably making three phone calls. we're getting two of them, you know, hoping we were converting on that. So that, that was always our mindset when we went that direction.
00:18:02
Speaker
Which makes sense. So then what was the idea behind adding the linen company? Cause then you purchased a linen company, right? Mr. Linen. Right. So, So, that Mr. Lennon was you just, it's more industrial laundry. So we're doing healthcare care facilities. We're doing hotels. um We're doing a lot of restaurants. So the napkins and linens that you see at restaurants, but we do a lot of country clubs and venues and things like that as well. So that, you know our mindset was we were going to take special event linen processing to the industrial side, which I think is has worked out really well. But the owner,
00:18:36
Speaker
Richie Miracle, good just a great guy. He had previously done some linen processing for us. i mean We started working together. There was a company that had a fire, so there was a lot of work available. We were doing a lot of it. He was doing a lot of it We were working together on that. and He just came to me and said, you know, i my wife's getting close to retiring.
00:18:55
Speaker
I'm tired of running around with my pants on fire if you're interested. you know And we didn't. So we took that on, and he was running, I think, one big iron and one little small one. I think we have seven irons in there, nine washers. We run about 45 people a day, seven days a week on there. So two shifts.
00:19:15
Speaker
Now, are you picking up additional work now by, you're getting it, because you're in the hotels now doing their laundry? That's what question was, yeah. Venues, restaurants, things like that. Yeah, it just, one hand is feeding the other because we're there, you know, Rupp Arena.
00:19:29
Speaker
Yeah, I had a meeting with the director of operations the other day and he's like, Can we consolidate the billing, you know, because it looks like we're doing this linen with you, but then we've got your same guys in here and you're doing pipe and drape and tables and chairs and all this. a It's just giving us in the different markets that we're going to in the different venues, that opportunity to touch different people along the way. Cause you guys know when you're dealing with these large corporations, there can be two or three different buyers.
00:19:57
Speaker
So the opportunity to get in front of them, it has created a competitive advantage for us. yeah Right. That makes sense. And then from there, well, we'll get, we got one that's way out there and we'll get out there on that one. But um then you, you guys just recently acquired tri-state.
00:20:14
Speaker
Tri-state. Tri-state tents. Yeah. So same thing. Last October, and November, Roger was, was at our shop and he was needing to either get some parts or get something repaired and,
00:20:28
Speaker
You know, he grew like a rocket ship. You know, started he started his business during COVID. Like tail end of 19 going in. So, I mean, talk about a from nothing and survive to, you know really building something. And he just looked said, when are going to buy me out? Like I'm exhausted. And then we started talking and he's one of those guys he loves, loves this business.
00:20:49
Speaker
Yep. It's just a lot at at a certain place, you know, the, the debt you have to take on the hours versus the payoff, you know, and he's got a young family.
00:21:01
Speaker
it it was just a lot. So we started talking about it and and he really wanted to still be in the industry and still be involved, just not, not be the owner. So he sold us. That started May 1st of this year, but he stays on. The whole team stayed on. I mean, they've got a great crew. It's just going to be able to expand offerings where they were doing a lot of sporting events, tailgates, stuff like that. Now we're going to be able to take to them the clear tents, the sailcloth, the chivalries, the King Louie's, the dish, the linen, all those things up into a market that has much more potential, frankly, than you know what we have in Lexington.
Tent Types and Crew Preferences
00:21:37
Speaker
Right. And I've kind of did a little bit of background. just you know I've known him for years, not personally, but just when I was in Lexington and things like that. But you know just for everybody listening, he wasn't doing – it's not like he was just doing a couple backyard tents here and there. like he was doing some He was doing smaller tents, but on a large scale, right? Right. He was producing pretty, pretty well. It wasn't something like, Hey, we're just going buy this guy. That's a smaller guy. he was smaller, but he was, he was in some bigger stuff with some, the right people with some good, with smaller tents.
00:22:08
Speaker
Right. And it goes up to, I mean, it's 40 by 120, you know, yeah na and things like that. So, i mean, we're not doing, he's not doing 60 wides or any of that, but I mean, they're, they're running the mix ah of the Navi, Polk still pole tents, which Kyle, I'm with you all the way on the pole tents, man.
00:22:26
Speaker
Thank God someone agrees. One thing every day of my life, it would be go out and set up 40 wide pole tents. Hey, You and me at 225, Ian, we won't even break a sweat.
00:22:36
Speaker
No. might Might crack a 12-pack, but no sweat. The problem is problem nobody can—it's like a scientific operation to send in somebody out to set up a pole tent anymore, right? like You almost have to go out and put a square out all the pole tents before the guys go out and set them up because, let's be honest, they can't even tie a damn knot if they had to tie knot, right?
00:22:58
Speaker
I mean, how many guys do you all have on staff that can go out and freehand basically without squaring and without using a ratchet and throw up 40-wide pole team? Maybe two.
00:23:11
Speaker
I was going to say there's probably three or four. There's no not a lot of us left that that could go out there and just – You know, old school, but but do it. And it's tight and it looks good. I mean, I used to do, you know traveling 60 wides with me, another one of my buddies and an older guy that drove us around because I don't think either of us were old enough to drive and it was nothing but 60 by 90 pole tents that would go up. You would have three on a trailer. You'd set one, set one, set one, and then you'd pick up three on the way back.
00:23:38
Speaker
I mean, we had a we had a whacker, and that was it. you know na When I was at Bryant's at one point in time, ah we had a 60 wide. I think it was 60 by 120 twin pole up, and you know we were running. It was one of those summers running ragged, didn't have the people. I grabbed the 10-ox and went by myself, and I had that thing dropped and unlaced when the guys got there, and all they i had to was roll it up now. And that's not just to brag on myself, but it's, it's like now, if you told somebody to go do that, they would lose their fricking mind. So there ain't no way in hell you're asking a guy to go take down a a tent like that by yourself with a, with a tent ox. They would look at you like you had three heads.
00:24:18
Speaker
We were running low on crew last week, last Friday. And I took the one guy who's with us 30 years, me, him, a 225. We went and did three 40 by 60 pole tents. And looked at him and I was like, you know, you're the only one who would do this with me and not complain all day. He's like, oh, I know that's why you took me with you. It's a great day. Yeah, it's a simple day. We were laughing. We had a good time. we didn't really work that hard.
00:24:39
Speaker
I think, i know I mean, it's fun. When I was 18, I think I took my 14 year old brother and we went and tore down a 60 by 90 by ourselves. No, no machines, no nothing. It was just, yeah, it's what we did. And that's all we got back problems now, right?
00:24:54
Speaker
We're all hurting. We're all walking weird. We're all going the chiropractor. I mean, it's just one of those things. Um, earned well, so you've, you made quite the acquisitions and what have you learned through all of these acquisitions or what has it taught you?
Lessons from Acquisitions and Cultural Integration
00:25:07
Speaker
Cause I mean,
00:25:08
Speaker
we all talk about how crazy we are and how limited amount of time we have and, and the things that we're doing and, and how we're, our hair is constantly on fire and we're running around. But why is it that you wanted to step into this and buy these companies? I know one hand feeds another, but to me, you know, it sounds like more stress. I understand the, the long game, but like, what was your idea behind it? And then what have you learned through it all?
00:25:33
Speaker
yeah I don't know that there was ever as it started just a grand idea behind it. I mean, it's, yeah we needed to grow. We needed to grow to be able to maintain the staff that we needed to, to hit the goal.
00:25:46
Speaker
know, I've got, got aggressive goals for, for where I want the company to be at certain points in my life. And it wasn't going to happen just running a single operation in a fourth tier market.
00:25:57
Speaker
You know, we were going to need, to hire people. We were going to need to buy inventory, get into different products, you know, bigger space, things like that. And we needed to to make a change. And we did the first one and it was just kind of a dumb luck situation. And then we saw what it added and what we were able to do. And then I, you know, i was sitting at home and had 15 minutes to myself. So we thought we'd do it again.
00:26:20
Speaker
but and again, that's what happens. You get bored and that's, there you go. let's say It's a challenge too. I mean, it's, yeah, physically can't go out and and sling it like I used to every day. i would be dead. I'd be, I'm really good for one day, but the second day i you know, you got to hide a little bit because it hurts a little more than it used to.
00:26:41
Speaker
um But I have been doing this most of my life and I've learned a lot from getting to be around a lot of great people. You know, I'm lucky that Terry Bryant and People like that ah have taught me a lot. And there's been a lot of mentors in this industry. And in being able to take those processes that we've learned and implement those in different stores.
00:27:04
Speaker
And then also, you know, you see a store with a great culture or something that you love. Every time you go to a new operation, it's a clean slate. You can start over and inject that. And then as it's in different parts of the business, you watch it bleed back.
00:27:19
Speaker
and seep into all aspects of it. So it it's been good across the board for everything that we've done. That was kind of rolling into my next question too, is have they had to adopt the golf way or have you kind of, i mean, that's a lot of different personalities, right? You got all these different businesses, right? And then if you're keeping any kind of owners on as like either a consultant or they're running the business for you um or that side the business for you while you're, you know, you can't be everywhere at one time and they're all over the place.
00:27:48
Speaker
How have they adapted your systems or have you kind of found a way to merge all of them together in a way? And I know like the linen obviously a little bit different because it's not necessarily a party business, but at the same time, it rolls into party. And just how have you adapted that stuff?
00:28:04
Speaker
It's gone both ways, right? I mean, obviously, we have a ah mentality – When we go in, you know, my first thing when I went to Mr. Lennon is like, this is going to be a huge party rental business. We are going to have all this inventory, all this space. We're going to do this.
00:28:20
Speaker
And then as I got in there and I learned about the business and I learned about the client mix, I saw that. Yes, we can do some of that, but there's this whole other piece over here on, on the industrial side that we can learn about, grow And then it's come back and benefited Goff, right? And the same thing going up, you know, Tri-State was the first time that we were able to keep an owner on that wanted to run and do that. And yeah, I mean, there's certain things that we want to do up there and things that we're doing, but Roger started a company from scratch and it was successful and and had a strong bottom line.
00:28:58
Speaker
so I definitely want to listen to the things that he's done well and learn from that. So I learn something new every day. How do you think Roger likes the transition?
00:29:11
Speaker
Some days he likes him, some days he doesn't. You hear this from the olders who sell to private equity. It's fun for about three days, they say, and then it's when they get... well think yeah feel like it's going really well. you know He came in, we just did the the big track job, you know and he project managed that whole thing. And I can tell you,
00:29:34
Speaker
we wouldn't have got that done if it wasn't for him leading the charge there. And I'm not sure he would have gotten it done without us bringing in the team that we did and in the way that we all worked together on that first project. Like, I think everybody really quickly respected each other because it's like, okay, this guy knows what he's doing. This guy's got great relationships and, oh crap, like these guys really know how to sling some vinyl here. Like,
00:29:59
Speaker
the the marriage is going well. And as I go up and, and I've, the first one of the first things I did was go up and just get on a truck with his guys. Like, let's just get in. Let's go. he has one kid's first day that he'd ever been out there was with me and another kid. And we did, you know, three or four jobs. And, um,
00:30:16
Speaker
The team up there, it's it's good. So I think it's really positive. And, you know, they're they're nice tall guys so they can hang sidewalls, which we really appreciate because shoulders hurt.
00:30:28
Speaker
Hey, I do know one thing. You ain't lying about that track job because I did that track job before you did that track job. And I actually sub-rented all the frame tents from Chattanooga when I worked at Bryant's. And there was, I i believe – We were so burned out and wore out because we had so many other jobs and we took that that on as well. Because there was how many tents did do you have out there? Over 100 and something? 137. Yeah.
00:30:48
Speaker
hundred and thirty seven Yeah. So we did that same thing, maybe a little bit less. And it was, I remember calling you actually on like a Saturday or Sunday. And i was like, do you have any extra labor? Cause I am about to fall on the floor and die out here. And it it's tough. So for him to come in there and run that, that job and for you guys to merge like that, that's, that's definitely saying something about him as an owner as well. Right. And we felt great about the situation because You know how big that job is, you know, during the two-week span that that that happens from the start of the build to the breakdown.
00:31:23
Speaker
Yeah. That was only 25% of the revenue what we did. So we had a lot of other stuff going on at the same time. And the fact that it went so smoothly across there was just just a credit to – how awesome the team is that I have around me. Like I'm, I'm a very small part of it. I get to sit up and be the coach, but I mean, our install crews are phenomenal.
Hands-on Leadership and Work-Life Balance
00:31:44
Speaker
The leadership that we have, Kevin at golf and our sales team and Roger and Terrence at the linen store. I mean, just awesome people who make it happen every day.
00:31:54
Speaker
Well, and Ian is still one of those owners, and i I'm not trying to blow his head up here, but he's still one of those owners that does go out on a truck. i'll I've talked to him many mornings where he's like, yeah, been at it since 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., delivered linens to Louisville, or you know I had to drive down to Hazard and deliver something for the 10 or you know whatever that looks like. So you're still heavily involved in all of that stuff.
00:32:16
Speaker
Listen, if all I got to do was go out and and be on a truck, yeah I'm telling you, it's the greatest job in the world. Yeah. I'm envious of my guys who get to do that every day. You get to go out. and It's a hard job. thats We're not lying to anybody. But I mean, go going out to someone's backyard or a venue or just some of the cool places. I mean, they see the pictures that you're posting. And Kyle, mean, you all are seeing amazing places, but I don't care if it's someone's backyard.
00:32:43
Speaker
You get to jump in a big truck first off and you get to drive drive a big truck around. And then you get to play on equipment and then you get to take a pile of something and you get to build it. Right. And when you drive away and you look in the rearview mirror, like there's something there that you built. And that is what still gets me going.
00:33:03
Speaker
ye It's a feeling you can't describe. Like people who don't love it don't understand it. No, but also it'd be nice if it was back like when you were originally starting in a business where you could just go out on a truck, set up a tent, leave your shit there and go home. But now instead you're going out, setting up a tent. Hey, it's fun and games. And then you get home and you're like shit, I got to actually pertain to my email and everything else now.
00:33:29
Speaker
Yeah, there was no email. Exactly. I'll mail you the quote. which brings me to Which brings me to my next point. You know, you've got you got four kids, right? Where are you finding the work-life balance for all these acquisitions and things and in time for all this with the four kids? And how does that, how do you integrate your business with your family?
00:33:50
Speaker
we We make it work, you know, and family's a priority. So I can say that, ah you know, I have been coaching my son, my 13-year-old son, Miles, his baseball team for the last five years.
00:34:02
Speaker
um You know, Owen, my oldest, is is out there with me. You know, I go and we drive up there and i go in office, start working, and he's out in the warehouse cleaning chairs. Yeah. My daughters, my my wife and I both coach their basketball team.
00:34:16
Speaker
We date play soccer. We go to the games. I try my best to, to not miss anything and to be as actively involved as I can. And sometimes it's, you know, i'm I'm fortunate that I'm a morning person so I can get up and get started early and get ahead of the day before they get up and get going.
00:34:32
Speaker
And sometimes it's, once they go to bed, it's figuring it out at night. And I got an amazing wife that is, is in the business in every facet. She's been a truck driver. She's been a tent installer. She's run each one of the stores. Like she, she jumps in there and and gives me a lot of slack too. So the fact that I have four kids and they're all alive and my wife hasn't left me.
00:34:57
Speaker
think I'm winning. Hey, and she had a pretty one metric to use i like it she had a pretty damn good job before running, running a business too. And so for her to come over there and do what she did and, and, and, you know, be a main character over there for you is pretty damn awesome.
00:35:12
Speaker
Yeah. We're very lucky. All right.
Partnerships and Market Growth
00:35:15
Speaker
So you said baseball, you got into this weird partnership that came out of nowhere too with the Lexington legends, right? The baseball team. So tell us about that. Where the hell did that come from?
00:35:28
Speaker
bourbons and cigar. That's how it always starts. Yeah. Yeah. yeah Well, I mean, it and you remember when the legends were really first came to Lexington, they were rocking that, that ballpark, the amount of work that we did there. I mean, it it was a substantial account and i know Bryant's was doing a lot there. We were doing a lot of burdens. mean, there was just a lot of business there.
00:35:51
Speaker
So we've, we've always been interested in partnering and working with him and doing stuff. And, It right around Christmas time and my my we were over at my mom's house and my brother-in-law was there and was the back porch having a bourbon, smoking a cigar.
00:36:06
Speaker
And another mutual friend, his father was one of the original owners. And he's like, hey, they're trying to get the ownership group back together to to buy the team back and bring it back local and all this. And he's like, I don't think I want to do it. This isn't my market. And I was like, I want to do it.
00:36:21
Speaker
was like, I want to do I was like, get give me the guy's number. He didn't give it to me fast enough. So Alan Stein, who was the the original principal owner, I got his phone number. I said, hey, Mr. Stein, my name's Ian Goff.
00:36:33
Speaker
I know you don't know me, but I know you're buying the team back and I want in. Where do I send a check? That was pretty easy. So I sent him a check.
00:36:43
Speaker
Two weeks later, he called me back. He said, I check? Just got a notification in the mail. We lost your check. like, we better find it because I can't write another one.
00:36:53
Speaker
And so how is that? and professional How's that? Well, and and that has, I mean, that has another key aspect to the rest of it, right? The events and things. and And that makes sense, too. And what is that?
00:37:06
Speaker
How has that been? i mean, I've seen pictures all the time with your family out at the ballpark and things like that. It looks like it's just fun for the family as well. um You know, you're more involved with it. But how how much or do you have to be involved on that side of that?
00:37:20
Speaker
As far as in the baseball side, I'm involved zero. You know, we've got a great general manager, which, I mean, he he's become a really good friend, so we we text all the time. and You know, he'll ask me ideas about something, and I'll say, do this, or he yeah there's a lot of events that go on out there. So we've been able to partner on substantial amount of projects, which was one of the main reasons that I really wanted to be involved, because when you're one of the owners of the team, you're going to get all the rental work. So we're...
00:37:49
Speaker
we definitely helped recover those costs in doing that. um But no, I mean, it it our kids have been bat boys for the team. It's, it's a place where we can all go out and go as family. We're going tonight. We've got some other family coming into town. We're all going to go hang out. yeah um You know, people come into town or we have friends and say, Hey, you you want tickets to the game? The state baseball tournament was there last week. And people that I know whose families were in the tournament, they're like, can you help us out? I'm like, we eat.
00:38:18
Speaker
Yeah, make it happen and just come out and enjoy it. And it's it's a great networking tool. And it's a great way to, you know, show appreciation to customers and vendors that we work with.
00:38:29
Speaker
Yeah. I like that. It makes sense. That's a good point. it all makes sense. It all makes sense. All these acquisitions acquisitions make sense on why they roll together. I get it. But now with that said, ARA put out something, and Kyle and I talked about this on the prior podcast, of growing by 8% this year, right?
00:38:46
Speaker
In this market currently right now, what are you seeing with these trends, and do you feel like that 8% is achievable? And in acquiring all these businesses, you know does that feel like it's doable?
00:38:59
Speaker
I think it's different in different markets. So I can tell you in the Gulf and the central Kentucky, yes, that that or more. I mean, we're aggressively growing in that. And it's just, maybe it's opportunity, maybe it's market share.
00:39:14
Speaker
I don't, you know, put my thumb on it. But that that number is definitely. Now up in northern Kentucky, Cincinnati market, I feel like it's a little bit softer. And I don't know if that's,
00:39:26
Speaker
where there is larger corporations up there that, that that's being, they're being more cautious, they've been hit a little bit harder. So it's, it's a new market and we're really just trying to figure out and learn, but I think ah overall we'll, we'll do that or better.
00:39:40
Speaker
That's pretty good. then, yeah, we were going back and forth with that a lot. And I feel like it's market by market. I get that. And yeah um it just felt like an egregious number based on what everybody's seeing booking wise. I feel like a lot of people are talking to other people and it's like the fall is kind of, it's coming in, but it's trickling in and it's not like it used to be where everything was ahead. And so I think people can hit that number, but it's, it's not something that you can see a clear path to right now. All right.
00:40:10
Speaker
I'm ridiculous too. I mean, our, our standard growth goal in our sales meet is 10% stretches 15. And I mean, and I, and um we're pushing for that every month, you know, we're looking at it by the month, by the quarter, you know, half year in the whole year. So we make big stupid goals because if we come up short, it's still going to be a record year.
00:40:32
Speaker
Right. Yeah. nope You know, and we've got a great sales team that they like a challenge and, and they like that. When we grow, it adds new items, you know which help give them more things to sell.
00:40:46
Speaker
Yeah. So, Ian, as we wrap up here, what is some advice you could give to the younger generation, second generation, or just someone new to the industry?
Advice for Industry Newcomers
00:40:58
Speaker
Go work at Walmart.
00:41:01
Speaker
No, I mean, this is the... This was the greatest industry in the world. I mean, you get to be outside, you get to build stuff, you get to be with, with the guys and hang out. It's, it's,
00:41:16
Speaker
stay the course and be able to to see see it through because this industry is growing tremendously. i think the awareness that you guys raised by doing this, I think what you know the associations are doing, giving credibility, being able to do this the certified safe tinning, safe installer, I mean, getting some real credentials and the fact that you know Nate, we've we've had employees that have worked for each other's company, but if I called you and said, hey, look, I got a guy that's moving down to Chattanooga. you He's got a certification.
00:41:46
Speaker
Here's his hours. donedada You're going to want that guy. I mean, you're going to trust that when somebody calls and says that, you know, because... Sometimes some of the employees we get from each other, you're just taking somebody else's bad rabbits.
00:42:00
Speaker
And we've done that before, haven't we? Once twice. Once or twice. Yeah, and that just happened with me with, you know, Crotto. He sent me an employee, I think, a couple years ago. And he came worked for me up in Nashville and then vouched for the guy. And he was fantastic. And he just recently um had another kid. And they to move back closer to family and got custody of his other kid. And they moved He krato took him back. and And so it's things like that, you know, those relationships and in friendships that you can build to be able to trust somebody to say, hey, this guy's worth a damn.
00:42:29
Speaker
but But I think that's important, too, that that guy can move from Florida to Tennessee. And back and still be able to stay in the
Workforce Development and Conclusion
00:42:40
Speaker
industry. it's It's great that you and you and Jeff know each other. But if he carries that credential with him, an electrician can do it. A plumber can do it. You know, why can't a tent installer do it? Yeah.
00:42:52
Speaker
And that's it's going to bring that credibility for this younger generation. And that's what we'll say at Tri-State. They've got a younger crew and a lot of them guys that are graduating college.
00:43:02
Speaker
And that tool is just not there yet, but I can go to him say, listen, like you can make a real living here with a 401k, with health insurance, with when you have a family, if you decide you want to move, I mean, you're going to be able to transfer this within this industry. And I think that is going to help retention so much. You you know, we're lucky we're in the HGB visa program that we're keeping those guys in there and we've got a great core. But I know there's so many smaller companies that are just starting up that it's such a struggle to be able to keep those people throughout the wintertime. And the problem is it's never going to get easier.
00:43:42
Speaker
no No, it's not. And it's always going to be trying to find somebody different. And and I just hired two ah college graduates. And, you know, going through the process of teaching them is going to be tough just because, you know, what a couple will don't have maybe necessarily all the knowledge. But my thing is, like, you don't have to have the knowledge of the industry, right? You just have to have the willpower and the drive to want to do it. And so as long as you're showing them the pathway and we preach this, I can't even tell you how many times the pathway of what, how to be successful and showing them how you got here and showing them what that can look like that you can provide for your family within this, within this realm. If you want to, you just got to have the drive to do it. And yeah, now that you can have the credentials to do it as well, shout out August 18th, 19th, Nashville ctc
00:44:28
Speaker
We'll see you there. um But, you know, just going ahead and ah getting getting those next steps to to be the master tenor and and and giving that knowledge. It's just I think is going to be fantastic.
00:44:40
Speaker
i agree. Yeah. All right, Ian. Well, we appreciate you coming on today. um You know, we've been wanting to do this for a little while and we've talked about it. and And, you know, I felt no time better than now, especially with all these different acquisitions from not only yourself, but then other things going on in the industry. So this is great insight. Also, Nate, we're working our way through the flirty group.
00:45:00
Speaker
Yeah, we really are, actually. There's one flirty we will not have on. I'm sure he knows who he is, but. He might live in Florida. Yeah. Schmrenden, something like that. yeah Hallgren.
00:45:14
Speaker
So we'll just we'll keep that rolling. Strong group of guys. Really lucky to to be ah affiliated with those guys. I mean, just the the conversations that we have on a daily basis. i mean, you can't go on YouTube and and figure out how to navigate this business and to have hundreds of years of experience. Actually, i think you can now.
00:45:33
Speaker
I think there's someone out there who you can buy a course. I'm sure. Oh, Lord. Well, good luck to that. But yeah. Well, Ian, until next time, hopefully we'll see you Nashville in August and we'll have a beer together and and continue to tell stories. So ah have a good rest of the season. We'll catch up with you later.
00:45:52
Speaker
You guys as well. Appreciate it. Thanks, man. Thank you.