InTents June/July 2024 - 10

events | profile
To build contacts and generate leads,
Mahaffey bet on paid internet searches.
When someone typed in " tent for
construction site " or similar, the Mahaffey
website would pop up near the top. It
turned out to be a sound strategy and
how the company got most of its early
industrial prospects.
That first aviation contract led to a
second from the same company, this
time to provide a tent for the private
aircraft of an African dignitary. Smith
says the experience expanded his
thinking. " The possibilities of what can
be accomplished quickly with these
aluminum box beams are almost endless. "
together, " he says. At the time, Mahaffey
had 35 employees and a solid business
renting to fairs, festivals and special events.
Smith and William made bold moves
to grow the business, taking out a loan to
purchase a larger clearspan tent in 1999, a
calculated risk that enabled them to cover
larger areas more efficiently. Now one
large tent could do what had required two.
It was a solid business with solid growth.
Until it wasn't.
9/11 turning point
" We lost half our business overnight, " says
Smith, referring to the 9/11 attacks in
2001 and the subsequent economic contraction,
especially in travel and entertainment.
That's when Smith and Pretsch realized
Mahaffey needed to diversify. Their
approach was two-pronged. One was to
expand subcontracting/rentals to other
rental companies who didn't want to keep
large tents or clearspans in inventory.
" That started right around 9/11, " says
Smith. " Lots of tent companies were gunshy
about making investments. "
Mahaffey's other strategy was expanding
into industrial markets. The
company had some experience in the
area and knew the value of long-term
rentals to smooth out the ebbs and flows
of the entertainment and events market.
10 intents june-july 2024
Keep investing
Following their belief that bigger is
better, Mahaffey continued to invest in
tents, purchasing several giant clearspan
tents, 210 feet (64 m), in 2005 to
secure an aviation contract. " Everyone
wants bigger and taller. Decorators
love it, and it works for big industrial
projects too, " says Smith. " We always
wanted to have the biggest structures
in the country, and it's been a risk
that's paid off. "
That same year, following Hurricane
Katrina, Mahaffey expanded its disaster
relief work, renting tents to power
companies and to cleanup, catering and
aid organizations. Its growing inventory
allowed Mahaffey to respond rapidly to
need, making it a logical extension of
the business.
Another important catalyst for growth
was Pretsch's work developing military
contacts, eventually leading to a significant
contract in Fort Polk, La., in 2010.
The five-year deal provided critical cash
flow for the company that made it easier
for Smith and Pretsch to purchase Mahaffey
from Bill Sr. It also opened other
opportunities within the military sector.
Then came 2020.
" Once we realized the world wouldn't
end, COVID was the best thing that ever
happened to the tent industry, " says
Smith, echoing a sentiment many would
agree with. It was a different kind of
disaster, and Mahaffey, like many in the
industry, expanded further into longterm
temporary structures for health care
(including 2,000 tents for a temporary
hospital) and more.
InTents June/July 2024

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