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Warehouse Tour at Event Essentials: Episode 54
151 Plays2 months ago
We're on location in Madison, Wisconsin. Robert Copley was kind enough to give us a tour of Event Essentials. The business is celebrated 70 years of operation in 2024 and recently hosted an ARA of IL/ARA of WI event. We had a blast and you're definitely going to want to check it out on YouTube!
This episode is brought to you by Anchor Tents & Clear Spans. Visit www.anchorinc.com to learn more.
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
I'm a train of redder man.
Tour of Robert Coppoli's Facility in Madison
00:00:18
Speaker
All right, we're back again with another episode of Under the Vinyl. Today we're up in Madison, Wisconsin for a tour of Robert Coppoli's place. you Robert? I'm doing great. How are you guys doing? This place is unbelievable. So it's absolutely beautiful. So I think you guys are going to be totally stoked to see this place.
Showroom Features and Inventory
00:00:33
Speaker
So we'll start here in this lovely showroom. Sure. Tell us about a little bit about the showroom. Yeah, so our old facility that we came from was right around 32,000 square feet. And so one thing that we really want to focus on in this space is is we didn't have a true showroom. So in building this space, we actually call it the library. And um we've been able to showcase all of our chair options, all of our linen options, our flatware, glassware, dinnerware,
00:01:00
Speaker
And then um it's another great space that we can just swap out the furniture based on the seasons and um what the trends are and things of that nature. So it's it's been it's been great. And right now we actually have a client here. Yeah, we won't disrupt them, base but the soft-seeding furniture, do you guys do? I'm sure we'll see a lot more of it. Yeah. you a lot lot of soft-seeding? We do a lot soft-seeding. Okay. so Like we tell customers when they come into the space, everything that's in here is rentable.
00:01:25
Speaker
um So it's all in our inventory. We do rotate it quite a bit just because of the limitations of the space. But um yeah, so all the soft seating, all the end tables, um everything you see here is is all in our inventory.
Sales Area and Team Structure
00:01:39
Speaker
Perfect. All right, let's move on down here to the office space. We'll make our way out to the warehouse. Yeah, so this is just the front reception area. Just coming off of our 70 years of being in business.
00:01:50
Speaker
um So this space here is our sales area and we wanted this space to be an area that they can really focus on collaborating as a team.
00:02:04
Speaker
And so this, the right side is our account executives. So team members that have been with us, um you know, within the last three years or less, four years.
00:02:17
Speaker
And then on this half is This half is our senior account executives. um So the differentiator between the two is is you know, the the senior account executives are typically taking care of orders that are multi-day, multi-truck, multi-crew, larger scale. Repeat customers? a lot of repeat customers as well. um And um so they're out a bit more and maybe helping on site with the teams as well. More of like a project manager? a little bit of project management. Okay. yeahp With sales? Mm-hmm. How many yeah sales staff do you have?
00:02:53
Speaker
So we've got six on the sales team. Our receptionist this is the seventh. And then I'm kind of the support. The floater. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. um But we were very intentional about this space. We wanted it to be be a very homey. Sit to stand desks. yeah You know, you spend a lot of time here.
00:03:13
Speaker
um It's very modernized. Yeah. Very modernized. And what was the way of thinking about that? Well, I mean, you know, we wanted something that was going to last from a decor standpoint. And so we've been touring all the different buildings and and event rental companies around the nation. We've been so lucky to do that with our colleagues.
00:03:34
Speaker
um You know, this is a project that's taken us about six years to really put together. absolutely And so we've been very intentional about taking ideas and and stealing ideas from from our members. and um And so it's it's worked out really well. The plants the plants are all real, okay which is great. yep um And so it's it's been a lot of fun, and and the team members really like the space that they're in. Who's the master waterer?
00:03:58
Speaker
Corinne does a lot of it right now. um we're We're working on switching that up. We're working on switching that up. And then the exterior space is is the leadership team. Okay. um Again, we wanted to be present with them. And so we're, again, intentional about the design and the layout to have them, to have the leadership team available. and Also, feel like it's cool how you all designed it. So it's almost like you surround them. Yeah, so exactly. have We're the support system to them. Yes, that's great idea. Exactly.
00:04:24
Speaker
So...
Cafeteria and Meeting Spaces
00:04:28
Speaker
So this space that we're walking into now is is our cafeteria it looks like yeah a lot of people say the cafeteria or as we call it the break room this episode of under the vinyl is brought to you by anchor tents and clear spans a fifth generation family-owned company making tents and clear span structures right here in the usa anchor isn't just about selling the best products on the market they share decades of experience and stand beside you as you grow your business anchors craftsmanship and engineering give you a peace of mind and will allow you to use the equipment for years to come season after season
00:04:59
Speaker
For the next generation of rental owners and installers, Anchor aims to not just be your supplier, but a trusted partner helping guide you into the right products to grow your business. Call to be connected to your sales rep today. 1-800-544-4445 or visit their website at anchorinc.com.
00:05:15
Speaker
This is another space that we were very intentional in making sure that it was it was right. At our old facility, we had a table that sat eight and you know we had about 30 to 40 full-time employees that at that building as well. yeah And so we utilize this space for our all staff meetings. We can seat about 70 people in here now.
00:05:38
Speaker
They've got an outside area. So in the summer months, we've got some furniture they can hang out in. um So it's it's a lot of fun to see this space be kind of a beehive over lunch or or break and and people get together and be able to relax. And so, yeah.
00:05:53
Speaker
It's been a great space. Is this space pretty used at busy time? It is. It is, believe it or not. mean, we still have lot of people in the warehouse that are getting orders prepped and laundry and warewashing and things of that nature. So even in the busy months, it's still active for sure. Yeah. This is a beautiful space. So see all these pictures of construction. Yeah. You saw the building? Yes.
00:06:15
Speaker
How active were you guys in that process? start to finish. Um, we worked with the general contractor and, um a lot of the photos you actually see in here right now is there's a day, um, it was actually a cold, cold winter day. And we did some offsite training with all of our full-time staff and we surprised them by coming here mid construction and they got a full hard hat tour and, um, we wanted them to feel as much a part of the project as, as we were pretty involved day in and day out. And so, um,
00:06:47
Speaker
you know When we moved into this building, we it was ah you know April 28th, we closed the doors at our old building. And April 29th, we opened them here.
00:07:00
Speaker
And they didn't have to do a thing. They literally left that building. our old store and they walked in here and their desks were ready, their computers were ready.
00:07:10
Speaker
We wanted it to feel like they just, it you know, it was an easy transition. Yeah. Yeah. yeah So that's wonderful. Yeah. So was a lot of fun to to see the the surprise on their faces when they got to walk into the space. So absolutely. Was there help in the design from the team and kind of figuring out things or was that more of yeah just you in the upper? No, we we we talked to the team about We were very intentional and, you know, like I said, it was a six year project because we started this in 2019 and obviously we know what happened after that.
00:07:39
Speaker
But, um you know, we had we had team meetings and we we threw out ideas and we wanted them to throw ideas to us to make sure that we weren't missing something. Right. And so we, you know.
00:07:49
Speaker
We didn't get to where we are today without the team. Absolutely. And so we wanted to make sure that we could make them a part of it, as as much a part of the project as possible. And so um i think I think we did a pretty good job in making them feel feel included. They seem happy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
00:08:10
Speaker
We'll make our way out to the warehouse yeah in this spot.
00:08:14
Speaker
All right, walk us through this area. Sure. um So this is somewhere in the north end of the building. um Must hang tent tops here. Yep, we sure sure sure do. Tent washer, tent drying area. Okay. All of our event flooring. So we've got about 110,000 square feet of flooring. That's
Warehouse Design and Efficiency
00:08:34
Speaker
kind of nice right now. We've got two semi loads that are out.
00:08:37
Speaker
So it gives us a little bit more space for the event. um And we also have a floor washer, panel washer in the back. So um again, we were very intentional about designing this space. it's That's ground level entrance. So i was gonna ask so ween that credit we can back a full semi in here. okay um We can access it from both sides, loading and unloading.
00:08:59
Speaker
Um, and what's the biggest, great space what's the biggest tent you all do? We go up to 80 wide on a pole. Okay. Yep. Okay. Frame tents were up to a 50 wide. Okay. Um, so, and what product are you guys currently using?
00:09:11
Speaker
Um, majority of inventory is anchor. Okay. And then what about the flooring? Um, flooring is all signature Omni deck signature flooring. Okay. It's ah all drivable. Okay.
00:09:23
Speaker
That's the key right there is the all-dropable. ro yeah What do you got to guess? What is that? do think those are? Well, that's what I was going... little different. Let's see here. oh look like some some Oh, I know exactly what these are. These are the sheds that pop up for the winter market. Chalets. Yes. Yeah. yeah Okay.
00:09:41
Speaker
so Did you guys build these custom? No, we didn't. Did a lot of research on them. We'd had a couple clients... that had had asked us to build them. And ah found them online. And Corinne and I did did a little market research on them as well and presented them to the management team at a meeting. okay And they said, well, where are they from? We said, well, they're from Belgium.
00:10:06
Speaker
And so Kevin, my father-in-law, he says, well, I think we should go to Belgium and meet the manufacturer before we invest and buy them to see if they're reputable. So from that meeting to on a plane within seven days, Holy the cow. So ordering them within three weeks to a month after that. Now they've been a hit.
00:10:25
Speaker
Yeah, they've been great. I mean, we ordered a full container, i learned a lot about freight and shipping from Europe, which is a lot of fun. um So we own 16 of them. Okay.
00:10:36
Speaker
And they're the way you see them is how we transport them, which is what we wanted. We want some of those simple. Stack rack style, um can only deliver them on a semi. They're two meter by three meter.
00:10:47
Speaker
So we've kind of turned in- How long it set it up once you drop it in place? 12 minutes? I was going to say, it looks pretty straightforward just from here with the engine and everything. Yeah, and we did some modifications. We painted them white, and they've got some black trim. We added outlets on the exterior and interior, so you still have to power them from the exterior, but then you have two outlets on the inside. There's different signage options for them as well.
00:11:13
Speaker
um So they've been, they've been you know, as far as winter businesses, they've been pretty pretty successful. yeah And then we've actually used them quite a bit for corporate and weddings, you know, pop-up bar, you know, you want to serve a specific meal out of it.
00:11:30
Speaker
We did a wedding where they utilized it as like the check-in for Vervale. Yeah. You know, so yeah, they're they're a very unique item. they' They've asked us to be their U.S. distributor.
00:11:41
Speaker
Wow. I don't know. yeah There'll be 20 container loads here. Yeah, no, yeah no, no, no. We sell them around the country in no time. Yeah, right. Exactly. Exactly. So yeah, kind of a unique piece to the rental world. yeah Okay. So.
00:11:54
Speaker
All right, let's head upstairs and we can get bird's eye view of the... What do we got up here? So this is our mezzanine. Okay. Again, and the original design was growth for office space. Right.
00:12:07
Speaker
We, as a team, we said we're not going store anything up here. That's how it always goes. how it always goes. And as you'll quickly find out, it's full. Yep. Because you can never have too much warehouse space. Never.
00:12:22
Speaker
um Yeah, so it this is about 9,000 square foot mezzanine. um And so it's it's transformed several times in the last 19 months. Well, that's what was going to ask. So is this all of your linens or just overflow?
00:12:38
Speaker
This is overflow of our our linens. And when we head downstairs, you' get an idea of okay what the conveyor does versus what these are for. These are more of your specialty. specialty They don't move as much. Got it. So...
00:12:49
Speaker
so a lot of specialty i think there's about 16 000 up here make sure you take a look into that so then moving over to some catering equipment just catering equipment overflow yeah anything that we've just been we've had to move around in the warehouse that comes up to die yeah i know how that goes we have a warehouse i hope it's not done we have a warehouse for that if it's if it's dying it needs to go if it's not paying rent right
00:13:17
Speaker
Oh, wow. Yeah, quite the ah linen operation there.
00:13:23
Speaker
This would be a good spot for an office. Yeah, wouldn't it? Yeah. Okay, so whole i mean huge linen operation, as you can see. Yeah. So tell us a little bit about what you got going on here. Yeah, so you know linen has been an area of growth for us as well, and so...
00:13:40
Speaker
We weren't as efficient in our old building as we are now. yeah um This Chicago ironer is our original ironer we bought in 2001 when we moved into their old building. okay And so we kept that over here as a backup unit. They'll run it a couple times a year, especially in the peak season.
00:14:00
Speaker
We added the Lippo pass-through ironer. It's got an accumulator on it. It's got a folding option and and you know all the different bells and whistles you need.
00:14:12
Speaker
um Expanded the actual washers as well. And then the conveyor. So the conveyor is something that's kind of, um I would say, a little new to themen to the industry itself. ah um you know i've We've certainly seen operators that have something that's very similar.
00:14:34
Speaker
um But this one in particular is is fully automated. So it's got the auto bagger on it, which I know there are several operators that have that. But this one also will auto bag it.
00:14:46
Speaker
It'll auto tag it. And then depending on where the home of the linen is, if it's supposed to live on the conveyor, It'll find a slot for that particular linen.
00:14:59
Speaker
And once it's been designated to that slot, it just waits to be picked for an order. So what you'll notice is is that there's there's no rhyme or reason to the sorting.
00:15:10
Speaker
okay Color, size, doesn't matter. Fabric is random. It's all just random. And that's solely ah RFID based. we spend I mean, a lot of a lot of us spend a lot of time putting linens away and then you're going and picking them again. And so we're about, um you know, when we move into the space is all about efficiencies.
00:15:31
Speaker
And so we rolled the dice and and kind of went went and did all the RFIDs before we moved in. And then when the conveyor came over, you know the hope was is that this is going to help speed up the process for order setting. So nowadays, what happens is Erica and our party operations, she'll go and tell the computer, hey, i need these.
00:15:55
Speaker
five orders, then he finds it, hit enter, and she walks away. And the conveyor starts moving around. It's a damn AI linen machine on steroids. And then at the bottom there, you'll see it it delivers the linens and it it sorts them for you. um And so it's, you know, I think that in today's world,
00:16:18
Speaker
Labor is a huge topic. Absolutely. It doesn't look like it occupies that much space. It doesn't. oh So there's 8,000 linens on that conveyor. Okay, that's insane. So cubic volume, right? Yeah. thats So how do you... Was this something that you guys had in your prior building or was this something... No. that When you came here, you started to pick out new pieces of machinery and what was going revolutionize your space.
00:16:39
Speaker
Exactly. Exactly. So the ironer was the big one and then the conveyor. Okay. I mean, this is a full-fledged high-end laundromat. Yeah. yeah Yeah, I mean, the really high end. Yeah, it's exactly the metal per jetty is the manufacturer. yeah They do high. They do the laundromats here in Madison. OK, so our tech, when he comes to the local laundromats here, he just comes in and checks his services and services. So it works out really well. So now there's some kinks that work out and they're looking at maybe some different designs and and things of that nature, because I think there's some opportunity within our industry.
00:17:12
Speaker
um for the larger operators to to simplify things but so kind of the guinea pigs yeah because i don't know i don't i don't think i know anybody that has a machine like that in this industry as of right now not that's fully automated not that we're aware of um you you know there are certainly ones that the people have taken out of old bond rats and kind of retrofitted them to their building yeah um and so this one is it's certainly unique um Metal Progetti said it's the longest continuous conveyor they've ever built in North America.
00:17:42
Speaker
Really? Yeah. So. Well, we've got pop-up Belgium sheds. Chalets. Chalets. chalet chaets and we got a linen machine that nobody else has in the U.S. too. so That we're aware of. Yeah, that we're aware of.
00:17:57
Speaker
I'm sure we'll come with some more on this trip.
00:18:02
Speaker
How many people typically run in this area since you have it? It's so automated. There's still about a dozen between linen and wear wash. Okay. Okay. And what are most of those people doing then?
00:18:15
Speaker
I mean, it you know, in the getting stuff in washers and washes, you know, press out pressing. guy Yeah. I mean, we've kind of started to talk about, and we need to have a second shift in the peak season. Yep.
00:18:27
Speaker
um So every employee gets their locker. Every employee gets their own locker. Our full-time get two, and then our part-time get one. Okay.
00:18:38
Speaker
which has worked out really well. That's the employee entrance. So they come in drop their stuff, punch in and get ready for the day. Looks like a Planet Fitness locker room. it's I mean, it's clean and orderly and nice.
00:18:51
Speaker
All right. So this is our logistics department. Oh, wow. Okay. Again, we wanted to be very intentional about the space that we're providing our our employees and um spend a lot of time with us.
00:19:04
Speaker
Yeah. um So one area that we're looking at changing, you know, after watching Party Reflections and their tour is, um but and ah still, I think that we're still- to the TV monitors. Going to the TV monitors, hanging some 85s. Yep. um and And making this a bit more efficient, but- Peak season, he has two weeks right now because the slow season. Peak season, it's usually one week on two boards. Right.
00:19:30
Speaker
um So Grant does a great job and and making the having the crews prepped and and ready for each day. And they get their schedules, get their routes. You got space to fill out the paperwork. How many people work out of this office in here?
00:19:44
Speaker
So we just have, ah there's three of them back here. So Grant's office is, he's director of logistics. Tony's our warehouse supervisor. And then Erica's our party goods coordinator. so Got it. Okay. Yeah.
00:19:57
Speaker
This is a good little warm room here, especially if you can sit down and handle everything. Yeah, I mean, the sales team yeah well the sales team will come back and might have a meeting with some crew leads and talk about a job. and This is a great meeting space. Yeah, and then, again, we want to be we want to be able to carry out the legacy of the of the business and yeah that's what and you're where we came from. and yeah um You'll see on the far left.
00:20:22
Speaker
We were a United Rentals franchise, so it's different than the United today. Yeah. This is Rentals, A-L-L-S. Okay. And then... A-Z Rentals. A-Z Rentals, because at the time... So this United Rentals franchise is no longer, yeah but at the time, you could you could name your franchise whatever you wanted. So then it's back to the phone book.
00:20:44
Speaker
You know, you want to be the first in the phone book. That was, yeah. The company that originally worked for did the same thing. It was A's, A-A-Y-S. So it was the first one in the phone book. Exactly. So ah it showcases this not only the lineage of the delivery vehicles, but the lineage of the brand itself um to where we are today and how we started with a tool, general tool store to solely event. Well, I'm seeing so i'm seeing where you guys switch from a to Z, and it says a to Z presents Event Essentials. Yeah, so it was the mid-2000s. Is that kind of the introduction of it? It was, and the reason being is because...
00:21:25
Speaker
The brand A to Z had been a staple in Madison for such a long yeah time. And um it was one of those things that we didn't want people to lose sight of. The fact that we're still the same company. Correct. Yeah. But that we are ah our offerings were changing rapidly.
00:21:40
Speaker
or expanding and um so we kept that a to z for probably five to eight years and then eventually once we knew that that event essentials was was branded yeah and and established enough then but we dropped it completely okay and so when did you guys completely drop i think it was around 2010 okay yeah okay yeah and then we kind of went through some different iterations of just event essentials and again when we moved here and celebrated our 70th full brand change brand new warehouse brand new website to what the uh the new logo is today it's very modern i love the i love the look of that but i even love as as much as if you get these touches here on this like glass just and it back to brand i think it's so important is even the font selection correct down to our emails yep is the same font that's on the trucks And anything that we have throughout.
00:22:34
Speaker
Flows. Yeah. Yeah. So. Well done. Okay. Yeah.
00:22:40
Speaker
Oh, I like that, Robert.
00:22:43
Speaker
Oh, that's that's funny. So I think everyone has probably the same issue is where are the keys in the truck in the morning? And so i i I stole this idea from Dean Miller.
00:22:55
Speaker
Okay. We had our bag group meeting at his place and we were walking around and same thing. We're like, what is this? It was this is the best way to not lose your truck keys. Absolutely. Or get, you know, you sit down, you got a golf your pocket. It's little another story. You're going to Yeah, you're going to remember it. Yeah. Do the guys have their own trucks or do they kind rotate around? They just rotate around. Okay. Yeah.
00:23:21
Speaker
So we'll kind of walk down this way. um So when we, when we... We're preparing for the move. yep Our logistics team and operations team, they did a phenomenal job. like We gave them a cat of the warehouse.
00:23:39
Speaker
They drew out the layout. They put in racking and played around with it to figure out the best flows of of the space. And then they also built a five year plan. So they had ah a move in plan of racking and then they had a five year plan of racking.
00:23:54
Speaker
And within 18 months, we purchased the five year plan of racking. Wow. So we've they've been working very diligently in the last month, month and a half rearranging the warehouse. So this actually used to be all of our tent vinyl.
00:24:09
Speaker
Okay. um Close to the tent washer. So now that's solely stuff that needs to be repaired, cleaned. Okay. And we're changing the flow of how the operation of returns goes. So this is now all linen.
00:24:21
Speaker
Wear washing will come up through here. Or linen will come up through here. Wear washing will come up on the other side of the wall. And um this is our RFID reader or the chamber, as they say.
00:24:32
Speaker
So all orders get assigned. So linen order, they roll the bin in They assign it to the client or to the order itself. OK. And then when it gets returned, they can put it in there, counts it immediately.
00:24:47
Speaker
And so, again, back to that efficiency, like it would take us two weeks to get back to clients, counter just the linens. And by that time, they're not going to pay you or they don't want to pay you. Or they're long gone in here. You're never to get them back. yeah so um So that was a ah big push for us to get that done before the move. Yeah, absolutely. Crew flooring.
00:25:08
Speaker
We'll call it. Uh, we bought, knew you were going ask that. Hey, look, he's got an OG 10 Ox like I do. Oh, that's the original baby. Yeah. Yeah. got one of those. There's how little sell there's a couple of them back there.
00:25:21
Speaker
Love it. Um, I can't remember. That's horrible. I bought it too.
00:25:33
Speaker
How many docks we got here? So we've got 16 dock doors. So yeah our old building, we had five ah total. um Did not have dock levelers. We had dock plates. All truck heights were varying and different. And so,
00:25:46
Speaker
um So starting here, so we're actually on, we're in the inbound processing. So nine through 16, this is all inbound. Okay. One through eight is all outbound.
00:25:57
Speaker
So peak season, guys are just coming, they're unloading their trucks, moving the truck down, going to get their next order and go. Yeah. So it's already preloaded, ready to go? Pre-staged. Okay. At least. If we've got enough trucks, they'll preload, if they've got time, they'll they'll get preloaded. Okay. um But again, when you had...
00:26:14
Speaker
five dock doors and you're pushing stuff down aisles and having to move around it's just highly inefficient so what's your overall radius that you guys tend to cover you'd say the entire state for sure we've done stuff across state lines and we've done stuff out of state too it just depends on our clients and where they want us to go okay what's the fleet look like So we were on we lease all of our trucks.
00:26:40
Speaker
and We own our F-350, F-450s. We've got a handful of trailers to either tow the 10 oxes. um We've got one semi in the fleet.
00:26:52
Speaker
going butcher this. I think it's eight or nine box trucks. um And as of late, we've been converting everything from um just single you know regular cab to crew cabs. okay Majority of them crew cabs now. So...
00:27:07
Speaker
lee kcabs Least Least. Yep. Kyle, you hear that? Yeah. then Brian been having this fight for the past year. I've heard. I've heard.
00:27:21
Speaker
i'm in the random business. I know how it works. right, it looks like, however, when a truck breaks down, you do not have an issue. So it looks like we got some structure, some frame tent? No structure. So all of it is frame. frame um we we are We've got a 50 wide in the timber track. Okay.
00:27:41
Speaker
And then 40, 30, 20, 10, all Navi. Okay. A lot of high peak. What's your sailcloth? Sailcloth is all Aztec. Oh, Aztec. Aztec, yep.
00:27:54
Speaker
Uh, 32, 44, 59. Okay. Love
00:27:59
Speaker
that. Ah, so you have the standup forklifts. Yes, sir. How do they like them? They love them. Okay. We, uh, in, in the, the new racking that's been installed. Yeah.
00:28:13
Speaker
one One thing that we had to add to the purchase it was a double reach. And so in some of these aisles, you'll see a ah double too deep um from a space and efficiency standpoint. And so we had to invest in a double reach lift.
00:28:28
Speaker
Okay. Forklift. Makes sense.
00:28:34
Speaker
right, so over here it looks like we got a lot more soft seating. um And then plastic pallets, you guys went to, I see a lot of plastic pallets versus wood pallets. Yeah, plastic pallets, I mean, one, they're a lot cheaper. Okay.
00:28:47
Speaker
Two, you're not having to deal with the the splinters and in the wood and nails and things of that nature. Because we did recognize, like even in furniture, or some of the custom build pieces that they were getting more wear and tear on them throughout, moving them around and storing them. And so...
00:29:04
Speaker
And it was mostly to plastic after that. Are you making your farm tables? No, so we're not. Well, I should say, we purchased the boutique event rental company in 2021. And so they had hand-built some of these that you see here. And then the additional ones that we have, we've got six-foots and eight-foots. Those come came from manufacture. Okay.
00:29:25
Speaker
so Every time I turn around and look down the same aisle, I see something different. I was thinking the same thing. Just walking. Lots of tent tops here. oh ah You do your signage in most Spanish and English. That's pretty good. Yeah. I want make sure that the crew is able to distinguish all the different parts and pieces within the warehouse as well.
00:29:49
Speaker
Now your RFID for your linens, what about tent tops or vinyl on this side? We don't do vinyl yet. We've talked about switching to that and and having you know your RFID readers on the forklifts so that they make sure that they are picking the picking the right items. But now it's just making sure the tags are correct.
00:30:10
Speaker
But again, back to you know fulfillment and things of that nature, i mean they they are by bin location. And so it's it's still helped eliminate any yeah any issues in making sure the product's correct.
00:30:22
Speaker
Lots of stackable chairs. Yeah, this is where going see the wood pallets. And these wood pallets, they don't leave the warehouse either. So I mean, these are just to load. These are solely to load and store, built for the drive-in racking. They're custom built pallets based on the racking size and dimensions.
00:30:39
Speaker
Love that. And then you guys take all the pads off of all of your chairs. Do those get cleaned and treated in the linen department? Yeah, it depends on the on the cover itself. But we have, um you know, your Your crossbacks and your chivarries, those just have a, we do a Velcro pad. And then we do a slip cover over those. So those will go through laundry, wear washing, and then our King Louie's, those are all just spot spot checked and spot washed. Everything is in reusable plastic boxes as well. There's not much of the this throwaway around here. No, now we try, I mean, again, that's the whole point of rental.
00:31:17
Speaker
upon reuse yeah yes two is to reuse. And so we try to be as efficient as possible in that way as well. This is our most popular chair.
00:31:30
Speaker
Got about 8,000 of them, just shy of 8,000 of them. We do a lot of commencements.
00:31:36
Speaker
Perfect. Then we come back to the flatware, glassware, dinnerware area here. um lot of purple. lot of purple. the makes us stand out yeah they got to see who who's coming and when they're coming yeah love the purple colors and purple i think it originated from my father-in-law i think he just he always had a purple pin he liked the color and was something that he was that was easily noticeable and there's several other event companies out there that have that distinguished color to set them apart from the competition and and since the rebranding and um
00:32:16
Speaker
change in the last year and a half. I mean, we've been, we we still incorporate a little bit of purple because it can be a bit much, yeah but, um, you're backing off a little bit, backing off a little bit. And so it's, it's black, white, gray, and a little bit of purple next in between reverse osmosis. Yeah, so reverse osmosis just went ah went in about two, three weeks ago.
00:32:38
Speaker
And so it'll be really interesting to see what happens. We had major growth in this area. Great for the dishes and the glasses. Yeah, exactly. yeah I mean, you spend a lot of time polishing. And so our hope is that really makes us this area a bit more efficient, too. No more watermarks. That's right.
00:32:54
Speaker
Well, it looks like we're starting to get to the end here. Yeah. Where we funnel back in. Well, here one spot we check out is we do have... he's even got two custom He's even got Jason's name on the wall here. Jason, I don't know you, but that's pretty ah that's an honor there.
00:33:11
Speaker
Ah. And I like that it has a key card that nobody can get in and seal the tools. It's not to say if the garage door is open, they're still going to take whatever. but So we've sanding area back there. Yeah, he's got a lot tools. little bit everything. Wow.
00:33:27
Speaker
So we we try and do, you know, if we can't find it, we'll build it. um And so, you know, just about every single bar in our inventory is built in house.
00:33:38
Speaker
Some of the back backdrops, um shelving units, things of that nature. And then you obviously need a space to repair things. but Or one-offs. One-offs, exactly. Yeah, yeah. so It seems to be the way of the future in the in the rental industry. I mean, we were down in North Carolina. I mean, they had the they had the same thing, but they were welding as well. They had a welding area with the woodworking and everything else. And it's like, if you can find somebody for that, yeah it's amazing. Yeah.
00:34:07
Speaker
And some of that c stuff will outsource, like if it's welding or if it's a steel frame for a table, you know, we do outsource some matter of that or the powder coating. But we've got some really good connections in the area and or like a finished top. You know, you want quartz or on head surface. What I have noticed around here is everything is very clean.
00:34:24
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I know you guys knew you were having the show and everything, but even this room being, you know, should be, yeah. I mean, it's just beautiful how even the cabinets are. They keep the stuff in. He, he built those. I figured that.
00:34:39
Speaker
Yeah. um Yeah. That is amazing. I think that's it's ah it's a credit to the team. Our team is... Your brand. Yeah, well, they take pride and in where they work and they maintain the space. And, i mean, even in the linen area, I mean, you've got these big machines that...
00:34:56
Speaker
Yeah. You know, everything is just always, they just take care of it, you know? And I think that's, what's important about businesses. You take care of your employees and they'll take care of the business. Absolutely. So we're very intentional about that.
00:35:09
Speaker
Look how organized that is. That is incredible. Maybe don't open them. and Yeah. That doesn't always happen on this side of the business. Yeah.
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, as as we're heading back up front, I think um we'll go down the kind of the main hallway that leads to the front. But yep we also wanted to make sure that we're able to showcase our employees. yeah Even though it's internal, we wanted to make sure that they felt as though they're constantly a part of of the Event Essentials family.
00:35:44
Speaker
And so this is kind of like the pay homage to everyone that's here. And wow. um Again, another space that we wanted our employees take pride and and where they come to work and and be recognized for that. And we're There's no titles.
00:36:06
Speaker
and There's no names. It's random. And there's no departments. It doesn't matter. And is this your guy's mission statement here? No, that's just Kevin Hoffman. That's just him um talking about the building and and was part of his speech at the 70th celebration. And...
00:36:26
Speaker
and Again, well i always go back to we don't get to where we are today without the people. Without these people. Yeah. And so it's it's a cool, it's fun to walk down every single day.
00:36:39
Speaker
Well, it's just cool to see everybody intertwined yeah no matter their title or where they're at in the business. Exactly. I like the no title thing. It makes everybody feel like they're a one. And then and then there's you know our customers' reviews as well so they can see you know the impact that they have on our customers. Yeah, absolutely.
00:37:00
Speaker
That's great. And this is the main entrance
Employee Recognition and Networking
00:37:03
Speaker
for them every day. Yeah, main entrance. I mean, this is a lot of our core values and things like that are on this wall, too. I just realized that was back to the cafeteria.
00:37:11
Speaker
All right. This is the conference room. I mean, oh that's kind of cleaned up, but kind of a... They're getting ready for the event tomorrow, but another great space. Yeah. um It's even the wood on the ceiling. Yeah. Yeah. Mirrors everything. Yeah.
00:37:30
Speaker
Well, Robert, this place is absolutely amazing. and Thank you. And, you know, we appreciate you having us up here. And I know everybody will love to see this. And, um you know, you might have people reach out and ask some questions to you. Yeah. On how to do things or copy off you. More than happy. It's great to have people in in the industry like this that really care, that show others people and, you know, can people can bounce things off of their new buildings. Yeah. One last thing, what piece of advice would you give to somebody either building the new building or coming into this industry that would want to get to this point in their career? Yeah, it's good question.
00:38:02
Speaker
It's always going to be back to get involved. Yeah. Get to know your peers, network, go to ARA events. um Don't be afraid to to ask someone a question. Don't be afraid to ask for a visit. yeah I mean, that's what we did. I mean, we've toured rental stores all over the nation. Whenever theyre we were in town for the ARA show or if we were traveling personally, yeah we were very intentional about getting there and and not only wanting to see the building, but who they are as people. Yeah, absolutely. And and you never know you know you never know when you'll need something from somebody. What of connection you'll make. What kind of connection you're going make. And so it's just...
00:38:39
Speaker
Just do it. Just say yes. and That's what we've always been told. And so we've been very fortunate to to be a part of of the association and and get to network with people and meet people. And so that's it's now our job to make sure that we're offering the same that same sort of advice and and opportunity for for people to come here. Love that. it's Awesome. Yeah.
00:39:00
Speaker
Well, i guess that's it. and This has been another episode of Vinyl of the Vinyl, a rental management media podcast.