With graduations, open houses and weddings dominating the summer slate, tent rental companies in central Michigan are seeing a boom in business.
Companies such as Mid-Michigan Tent and Rental in Saginaw send out between 10 and 20 tents per week to people putting on outdoor events.
“We see our biggest amount of sales in the summer,” company owner Aaron Bickerstaff said. “June’s the busiest, graduation parties and outdoor weddings.”
Another company, Jamison’s Party Rentals in Midland, is similarly busy. Despite restrictions on indoor events being steadily lifted, many people are choosing to still hold events outside.
That’s where these tent rental companies come into play.
“This year, now that things are opening up, everyone is still leaning towards doing things outside,” owner Jamison Pnacek said. “And they are looking for a tent to have things outdoors. To have that fresh air, to not have to worry about social distancing as much as you would in, say, an indoor setting.”
With how busy these companies can get, it can be difficult to get the proper amount of equipment to customers. Pnacek said sometimes, due to large amounts of customers, his workers will transport a tent from one area to the next after a thorough cleaning in the span of a night.
“I know that there are times where we’ll have a tent, table and chairs and run it out on Friday, go take it down Saturday and set it back up Sunday again for a party,” Pnacek said. “And then, like wipe everything down of course.”
Double booking equipment is not something Pnacek’s company has done in the past. However, with increased demand, it’s been necessary.
“That’s not something my company personally does,” Pnacek said. “We want to ensure people aren’t rushed, as much as possible. But that is something we have been able to do this year just because there’s so much demand. You’ve gotta do something to help the people out.”