InTents June/July 2024 - 12

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Change of ownership
With business booming, Smith and
Pretsch decided that after spending
25 years growing the company,
the time was right to explore options.
" William and I never ran this like a
family business. We didn't play it safe.
Our approach was invest and grow, "
says Smith.
In December 2021, Mahaffey Fabric
Structures was acquired by Sunbelt
Rentals, an industrial equipment rental
company. Mahaffey Event & Tent Rentals,
the local Memphis party rental spinoff,
continues to be owned and operated
by Smith and Pretsch.
Smith stayed on board after the sale,
" We always wanted to have the biggest
structures in the country, and it's been a risk
that's paid off. " - George Smith
though his role has changed. He's less
involved in the day-to-day and more
of a resource for figuring out tricky
jobs-his favorite part of the business.
It's also a way for Smith to transfer decades
of knowledge to others. In addition,
he's working with Sunbelt to help
it identify tent rental companies to acquire,
work he enjoys. " It's fun to look
under the hood and see what makes
those companies tick, " he says.
Giving props
Smith credits people he's met in the industry
for a lot of his success. His contacts
became invaluable resources for best practices,
problem-solving and the occasional
save. One example was when the company
got to an out-of-town jobsite and needed
equipment that went missing in transit.
" I knew who the local guys were, and
everyone was always willing to help. " He
gave back too, informally and by serving
on the ATA Tent Rental Division (TRD)
board from 2001 to 2010, including a stint
as TRD chairman.
" This business has all the hardest things
to manage-time, weather, travel and people,
and I still can't think of a better industry
for variety, creativity and fun. No two
days are alike, " says Smith.
His advice to others is to be transparent
with customers and employees, practice what
you preach and avoid hidden agendas. And
empower team members to think on their
own, even if it leads to occasional mistakes.
" Your belief in people leads to growth. "
Laurie F. Junker is a freelance writer based
in Minneapolis, Minn.
MAHAFFEY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS
M
ahaffey Event & Tent Rentals recently celebrated over 100 successful years in business. Back in 1924,
brothers Owen, Gene, and Earl Mahaffey started out making canvas tarpaulins, awnings and cotton
pick sacks.
When a request came in 1929 to make a tent, they agreed, only to have their client fail to pick it up. It remained
unused until they received a call from the Tri-State Fair (now known as the Mid-South Fair). That call resulted in
their first tent rental and the next phase of the business was formed.
During World War II, tent rentals were forgotten as the Army contracted the job of making hospital ward tents
and ammunition bags to Mahaffey. They shipped a boxcar of tents each week and it remained the sole focus of the
company for the duration of the war.
In 1972, William F. Pretsch purchased the company from the Mahaffey family when the owner Eldred 'Red'
Mahaffey died in a private airplane accident. Pretsch immediately saw the benefits of the new clearspan structures
he had seen in Europe and was the first to introduce them to the American market in 1982. Today, the company
rents everything from pole tents to frame tents to clearspan structures as well as party accessories.
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InTents June/July 2024

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