2023 InTent’s Readers’ Choice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For over 100 years we have provided our customers with high quality event furniture that offers maximum profitability and return on investment. Trusted by the largest event rental companies in the world, our tables, chairs, dance floors and other rental products are unrivaled in terms of safety, reliability, and overall value.

We are proud to label many of our products with “Made in the U.S.A.” Most of the products that we sell are manufactured and shipped directly from our Pennsylvania factory where we take pride in the quality of our work. Over 40% of our factory employees are skilled craftsmen with 20+ years of experience.

Our range of products includes folding tables, folding chairs, portable dance floor, lecterns, transport carts and other portable furniture products. Our commercial-grade folding tables and folding chairs are designed for convenient portability as well as exceptional durability. This means easy moving, stacking, and storing of your folding tables and folding chairs. Most of the products we sell are produced and shipped directly from our Pennsylvania factory. Palmer Snyder strives to take very good care of our customers. Call us at 1.800.535.4519 or submit a quote today!

 

 

 

Groove Sidebar: MUST-ASK QUESTIONS

Posing the right questions to flooring/staging manufacturers can help ensure a better outcome for rental companies. For dance flooring, Kevin Lococo, rental market sales director for Palmer Snyder Furniture Co. (Mequon, Wis.) suggests asking about:

Groove: Finessing the fit

Flooring and/or staging have some attractive advantages, such as enabling tent and event companies to become a one-stop shop. These products can also bring in new customers and larger events, says Lococo. And they can offer an additional revenue stream, says Cerasi.

 

“In some cases, you’ll make more off the flooring and subflooring than you would on the tents themselves,” he says. “But you’ll need a knowledgeable sales staff to effectively sell these.”

 

There are other factors to weigh before determining whether these products will fit your business model. Some considerations include how labor might be impacted, installer training, if there’s sufficient storage/warehouse space, additional equipment requirements and local and state regulations.

 

“Most floors are heavy, so make sure you have the right dollies or hand truck,” says Puff. “With staging, there are certain building codes that must be adhered to, such as guardrails, steps and so on. Dance floors should always have trim to protect against tripping hazards.”

 

Staging in particular requires careful questioning of the potential customer, such as how many people will be on it and what they’ll be doing, says Agler, explaining that extra bracing or legs may be required depending on the weight load and activity. Height is another concern since guardrails or steps might prove necessary. Still, she adds, the opportunities that come with staging are worth exploring, since “every event will have a focal table or band that will need to be above the crowd to be seen.” For example, Bil-Jax stages, adjustable to any height, can serve as risers for a head table or band, a tiered choir riser, a speaker platform or even a wide buffet table.

 

Site visits are often necessary, something Lococo advises for large jobs in particular.

 

The space where your customer wants the flooring set up may require extra steps,” he explains. “Rental companies should be sure to understand how to set it up best and what costs may need to be rolled down to the customer. This will allow a safe setup while ensuring the company charges the appropriate rates.”

 

There are product options aplenty, which can prove confusing when it comes to determining what to purchase. A good way to start is by asking other rental companies what they’re using and what they do and don’t like about it, says Cerasi.

 

As for calculating how much to acquire, Cerasi advises looking at the number and type of installs customers are requesting, tent sizes rented, and how many are typically installed at a given point in time. This is especially relevant to decisions around subflooring. If most installs are indoors, there may be little need for subflooring. Conversely, more outdoor events could increase the need, although not every flooring product requires a subfloor, even when installed outdoors.

 

Lococo says the average-sized dance floor runs around 20 by 20 feet, ample enough to accommodate around 75 to 85 dancers at once, making this suitable for a wedding of 150 to 250 people.

 

“We’ve done dance floors as large as 50 by 80 feet but more popular sizes are 20 by 20 feet, 20 by 24 feet and 20 by 28 feet,” he says. “I would start with no less than 50 4-by-4-foot sections, two corner kits and 12 pieces of male and female trim. You can always buy more and/or subrent.”

 

Finally, consider your market space, says Lococo.

 

“Know that while the profits on these types of products are often large, it does require a higher initial cash investment from your company,” he says. “[But] if you offer tenting or do weddings of any kind, then offering dance floor and tent flooring is a must. Brides will always want to have a celebration area to dance.” 

Groove: Outdoor & Tent Flooring

 

Weddings began returning in 2021 and picked up steam as the year wore on. In 2022 they’re really making a comeback. It’s been a long two years both for the excited bridal couple their families and everyone associated with weddings, including the tent and event rental industry.

 

Tent companies report solid bookings all summer of 2022 with he delayed COVD-era nuptials combined with the annual summer push. There is big demand coming from tent rental companies for the preferred outdoor weddings and all of these tents need dance floor.

 

Tented outdoor weddings allow people to exercise control over all the details, creating an event more closely matching their vision, she says. Additionally, the COVID restrictions on indoor gatherings still in place in many areas make inside events less appealing. These factors have merged to escalate not only the demand for tents, but with it the need for flooring.

 

The Groove® Semi-Permanent Outdoor Flooring from Palmer Snyder allows crews to cover an entire tent with hardwood flooring. Because it is semi-permanent, it can remain in place for months. Shown here is the flooring in the American Barnwood option, a popular choice for weddings. Photo courtesy of Palmer Snyder Furniture Co.

 

Also pushing weddings outdoors is that the more traditional indoor spaces are booked solid, thanks to the COVID-related pent-up rush, says Kevin Lococo, rental market sales director for Palmer Snyder Furniture Co. Headquartered in Mequon, Wis., the company manufactures and distributes dance floors, tables, chairs and other items for tent and event rental companies.

 

“Weddings drive the demand [for flooring] always. Right now, customers are looking for new and different locations due to restrictions, so demand is higher than ever. Brides want beauty and elegance—often wood/barn-style colors with a warm feel,” says Lococo, adding that the company’s barnboard-style patterns are its most popular flooring products.

 

But flooring and staging are also becoming must-haves for indoor events. Ken Puff, president of Party Line Rentals, a party rental store in Elmsford, N.Y. (“We’re one-stop for most customers”), says nearly every social event includes a dance floor, with some also incorporating staging.

 

“Bandstands or stages are a staple when there’s a band, although some DJs are now requesting a stage,” Puff says. “Most people just want a dance floor and can be steered into what you have available, while others have a theme or plan in mind, such as an all-white or a black-and-white checkered floor.

 

“Our Groove® flooring is getting quite popular, not only as a dance floor but as a tent floor,” he continues, mentioning he added the dark barnwood color in 2021. “What’s nice about this type of flooring is that not only can you make it a dance area, but the whole tent can become a dance floor.”

 

Puff also carries the SICO® Starlight II outdoor dance floor in various colors including cherry rose (its “workhorse” dance floor), white and black. For staging he primarily uses the Bil-Jax Multi-Stage, describing the potential configurations as “endless.”

 

Bil-Jax offers three flooring and staging options for the tent and event industry: the ST8100, a steel staging system (the aforementioned Multi-Stage) with 4-by-4-foot gray-painted plywood decks; the AS2100, an aluminum staging system with 4-by-4-foot or 4-by-8-foot HDPE decks, snap-in legs and guardrails; and the TF2100, an engineered tent flooring system. Designed to integrate with clearspans, it is able to accommodate challenging terrains at any elevation.

 

Flooring products from Palmer Snyder include the EventXpress™ Seamless Portable Dance Floor and the Groove Semi-Permanent Outdoor Flooring. The EventXpress Seamless comes in 3-by-3-foot, 3-by-4-foot or 4-by-4-foot sections, in 11 different colors, with camlock connections and can be installed outdoors (there is also the EventXpress Acrylic Portable Dance Floor for inside use only). The Groove is available in 4-by-8-foot and 4-by-4-foot sheets. It can cover an entire tent floor and remain in place for extended time periods.

 

Something many smaller rental shops aren’t aware of is the need for subflooring, says Cerasi, and Puff carries plastic and plywood subflooring. Although unnecessary when the floor is laid down on concrete or asphalt, if the tent flooring is elevated, or if the facility has a solid floor, it can be a good idea if the floor is going down on top of grass or gravel (especially under a dance floor to keep it stable) and to help prevent water intrusion onto the floor from rain. Any type of subflooring can be installed under any kind of finished floor.

 

Although plywood has a long history in the industry, plastic subflooring offers several advantages over wood, says Cerasi. Because it’s lighter, it’s less costly to transport (his product is 2¾ inches thick, 4 by 4 feet and weighs about 50 pounds). It also doesn’t require inside storage as does wood. Depending on how the subflooring connects, it’s faster and easier to install than wood and lasts substantially longer, he says, although it’s a comparatively more costly initial investment.

 

“Plastic subflooring will run from $6 to $12 per square foot; it varies by the manufacturer,” Cerasi says. “But on average, ROI can be achieved in about 10 months, depending on the part of the country.”

 

Groove Semi-Permanent Outdoor Flooring can provide walkways and paths over less-than smooth terrain, creating an attractive entrance to this wedding event while sparing guests and their wedding finery from dirt. The Groove panels are designed for strength and speedy install, requiring minimal labor. Photo courtesy of Palmer Snyder Furniture Co.

InTents Reader’s Choice

VOTED #1 BEST RENTAL FURNITURE!

Palmer Snyder received first place in the category Best Rental Furniture in the 2022 Reader’s Choice Poll by InTents Magazine! We are honored to be selected #1 by the readers and proud to have served the Event Rental Industry for over 100 years and counting with our MADE IN THE USA Event Furniture!

 

 

 

OneTreePlanted Partnership

 

Climate change is a hot topic. Many experts agree that reforesting our planet is critical if we are to reverse biodiversity loss and head off the worst of climate change. Trees provide habitat to animals, store water, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis; they are thus a strong best ally to fight climate change. Forests also provide jobs to approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide. Because Palmer Snyder uses plywood in our legacy products we feel it is imperative that we take concrete steps to “give back”.

 

OUR PROGRAM
We are partnering with a premier reforestation program with OneTreePlanted. Under this initiative, beginning in May 2022, we will donate a portion of our profits each quarter to their vigorous One-for-One program. For every dollar donated OneTreePlanted plants one tree.

 

OneTreePlanted has planted more than 40MM trees since 2014. Our participation in the program will be to repopulate forests in the Americas, where a super majority of the trees sourced for our products are from. We will plant these trees in areas where we source raw materials such as palm, soya, paper, coffee, or coconut, and where precious forested ecosystems such as forests, mangroves – hotspots for biodiversity – have been depleted. As the forests are restored, we will also ai to protect and restore other valuable ecosystems such as wetlands, peatlands and grasslands.

 

OFFSETTING APPROACH
Reforestation programs are divided into two broad categories: ‘offsetting’ and ‘insetting’ programs. In the case of carbon offsetting programs, the planting of trees occurs in a location different from where the company’s greenhouse gas emissions originate. This is to do with the Palmer Snyder program plan. All trees will be planted under the supervision of the World Resources Institute, a leading environmental organization in the field of sustainable agriculture.

 

WE ALL WIN
When forests thrive everyone stands to benefit; farmers and their communities, species who need and use the forest for their habitat, loggers and arborists who are employed and all of us via a stronger ecosystem.

COVID-19 Message

The dramatic spread of COVID-19 has disrupted lives, livelihoods, communities and businesses worldwide. PS Furniture is closely monitoring COVID-19 and is consulting with a range of expert advisors, the CDC website and other sources to deliver on our top priority which remains the safety of our employees, their families and our communities.

 

We are pleased to announce that PS Furniture was granted a waiver from the state government of Pennsylvania and deemed an “essential” operation. Our primary production and order processing facility in Pennsylvania (Conneautville) is reopened and in full production while implementing specifically directed social distancing and other safety precautions.

 

PS Furniture has products available to meet the needs for the crisis, including those for mobile medical units.  We can help furnish your space, office or medical area with our comprehensive product offering and our quick ship capabilities. We are creating new applications from existing products that provide appropriate spacing yet encourage safe, meaningful collaboration.

 

We continue to be very attentive to any orders awaiting shipment and we will communicate our shipping expectations now and in the immediate future.

 

As the world faces this global health crisis, it is clear that no one company, no one country can go it alone. We look forward to a time when we are back together and until then, we wish you good health.

 

Roger Clark

PS Furniture, Inc.

President

Weddings!!

As the snow begins to melt and the sun starts to peek out from behind the clouds, we can’t help but feel a little excitement. Decades of living in the upper midwest has conditioned us against late-winter optimism, but sometimes there’s just nothing you can do. 

 

At Palmer Snyder, spring is an especially bright time of year. To us, the end of winter hails the launch of wedding season. We’ve been fortunate enough to work among wedding industry professionals for decades, the excitement one feels playing a part in these magical events never seems to fade.

 

In the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing our social media posts on the celebration of this special time of year. Comment or share a favorite wedding memory, design, or trend of your own. We’d love to hear from you and look forward to celebrating the magic of wedding season in the weeks to come.

 

 

 

 

ARA New Products Day 2

We hope everyone had a great first day at this year’s ARA Show. We know we did! Is everyone ready to do it all again today? Good! Let’s start out by introducing a few new Palmer Snyder products, the same as yesterday. As always you can find us at Booth 2620. Hope to see you soon!

 

 

Event WALS™

Our new Event WALS™ product expansion includes a number of new applications and features. The new Event WALS™ are intended as a more formal solution for controlling and defining any space. Whether for a photoshoot, a company-branded mural wall, or even a more permanent fixture to hide bathrooms or storage, Event WALS™ are quick to set up and easy to move. This new WALS™ line comes in a variety of textures and aesthetics, be sure to stop by Palmer Snyder at Booth 2620 to see for yourself!

 

 

 

Rustic Portable Bar

Palmer Snyder’s new Rustic Portable Bar is the perfect fixture for any party or outdoor event. This highly mobile service solution features our new Knotty Pine Finish; a truly rustic appearance that fits perfectly at any outdoor event. Pair the new Rustic Portable Bar with our Groove™ Tent Flooring for a floor-to-ceiling look that says you know how to throw a party. We’ll have a Rustic Portable Bar set up for your benefit at Booth 2620. Come by, say hi, and check out our new product offerings. We look forward to seeing you all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ARA Show

Good morning! We hope everyone is as thrilled as we are to kick off the ARA Show today. Be sure to stop by Booth 2620 at the OCC to see some of Palmer Snyder’s best-known furniture solutions. That being said, we have a little surprise in store for you today. We are pleased to announce two new Palmer Snyder products. Read about it here and see them in person at booth 2620.

 

 

Groove® Tent Flooring

We are excited to announce that Palmer Snyder is the official and exclusive stocking distributor for Groove® Tent Flooring. Groove® Tent Flooring is the perfect piece for any indoor/outdoor event. We offer Groove® Tent Flooring in two wood grain options: Early American Barnboard and Gray Barnboard. Whether you are looking for a rustic or a chic aesthetic Palmer Snyder’s new Groove® Tent Flooring is perfect for your next event. The custom composite wood flooring provides for a solid surface that can withstand even the worst wear-and-tear. Our patented 2-step installation process saves valuable time and labor through simple ease-of-use. For more details, stop by booth 2620 at the ARA Show to see this brand new product in action!

 

Stainless Steel Table Topper™

Good morning! We hope everyone is as thrilled as we are to kick off the ARA Show today. Be sure to stop by Booth 2620 at the OCC to see some of Palmer Snyder’s best-known furniture solutions. That being said, we have a little surprise in store for you today. We are pleased to announce two new Palmer Snyder products. Read about it here and see them in person at booth 2620.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orlando 2020

This week we want to change things up a bit. In anticipation of warmer weather ahead, we’re taking a trip down south. February is a great time to get away and if you’re thinking of taking a trip soon (for no particular reason), we have a special treat for you. Presenting: Palmer Snyder’s Top Orlando Activities, 2020 edition. Even if you’re not going to Orlando we want you to be prepared. Let’s take a look at some of the best activities in Orlando for February 2020.

 

Coconut’s Poolside Bar & Grill

After a long day of networking, sometimes you need to cool off. Swing by Coconut’s Poolside Bar & Grill to do just that this coming week! Conveniently located adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center, Coconut’s is perfect for all you would-be tourists and need-to-be Rental Show attendees.

 

SeaWorld® Orlando

Who doesn’t love SeaWorld? PETA aside, we can’t think of a better way to enjoy a delightful trip to Orlando this trade show season. Did we say trade show? Share some laughs with a seal and watch whales soar! From booth 2620 go up the escalator and make a right.

 

Chocolate Kingdom

Sometimes there’s nothing better than chocolate. Don’t forget to treat yourself this February 10-12, right before Valentine’s Day. You can get to Chocolate Kingdom and back to the OCC before anyone notices. We can keep a secret.

 

 

All jokes aside, we truly look forward to seeing all those that can make it to the ARA Show, February 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. We have some exciting new products we can’t wait to share them. Come by Booth 2620. More to come. See you there!

Linenless Tables – Environmentally Friendly Part 2

Green Packaging Trial – Part 2

Palmer Snyder is exploring new ways of packaging their products for shipment in the interest of keeping the environmental impact of product purchases to a minimum. Recently the company shipped a full truckload using foam block packaging. The foam block packaging did a superb job protecting over 400 tables on a cross country trip. They arrived damage- free. Let’s investigate the decision around foam packaging and why we think it is a good environmental choice vs. traditional shipping methods.

For many years, the furniture industry has shipped table products using corrugated cartons placed on reusable wood pallets, with one or at most two tables per disposable carton.

Palmer Snyder is now testing a new lower waste table packaging method which replaces individual table boxing with a cardboard perimeter and 4 reusable foam blocks in between each table. With these changes we have achieved little over 80% reduction in waste. Where we used to package Revolution® tables 13’ high, each boxed, we now only have half a box on the bottom, half on top, and “half a box” encasing each outer half of the pallet. We have reduced our waste from formerly shipping 13 boxes and now shipping two.

The foam blocks are 100% reusable and Palmer Snyder pays and arranges the freight to return these to our factory. By eliminating individual table cartons, the amount of packaging waste per table is reduced by approximately 80% and labor required to unpack tables – and discard waste – while unloading is drastically reduced.

This change is good for our customer, good for Palmer Snyder and good for our environment.

Linenless Tables – Environmentally Friendly Part 1

Linen-Less Tables and Profit Trending Higher – Part 1

The Linen-less aesthetic is an ever-increasing popular trend in the table world. What are Linen-less tables? Easy, they are tables that do not have to have linens (or be covered) to create a certain fresh and contemporary look. The tables are generally laminate, but can be plywood, and have a more upscale edge.

Linen-less tables are sought by hotels, event facilities and rental companies to deliver a more modern look. They are extremely popular for corporate events and for rentals to the college and hospitality markets. Linen-less tables combine in wedding and other banquet events with Rustic for a new, modern look. For stand-up affairs, clubs and conventions combine linen-covered plywood pedestal tables, with a variety of laminate pedestal tables. The different tops and configurations work well for indoor and outdoor functions. The linen-less look for banquet presentations is great – as long as the tables stay in top condition. It’s important that the tables hold up well, since there’s no linen hiding their battered edges. The Linen-less movement dovetails with the move to corporate environmentalism allowing companies to cut down on linen, labor and cleaning expenses. Multi-function tables to save time and money by eliminating the need for linens. Newer, hipper premium laminates create an upscale look that help inform the change.

Recently in the Hospitality market, the Bridgewater Marriott leaned into environmentalism by purchasing $150,000 in new linen-less banquet tables. A top wedding venue, the Bridgewater Marriott provides linens upon request for weddings and other elegant social affairs, but many meeting and convention clients request the linen-less tables because they are more environmentally friendly. As a result, the hotel predicts a significant savings in laundry costs, but more importantly, an environmental savings of thousands of gallons of water.

And that, as they say, is a very good thing.

Linenless Tables – Green Packaging Trial

PS Furniture is exploring new ways of packaging their products for shipment in the interest of keeping the environmental impact of product purchases to a minimum. Recently the company shipped a full truckload using foam block packaging. The foam block packaging did a superb job protecting over 400 tables on a cross country trip. They arrived damage- free. Let’s investigate the decision around foam packaging and why we think it is a good environmental choice vs. traditional shipping methods. 

For many years, the furniture industry has shipped table products using corrugated cartons placed on reusable wood pallets, with one or at most two tables per disposable carton.  

PS Furniture is now testing a new lower waste table packaging method which replaces individual table boxing with a cardboard perimeter and 4 reusable foam blocks in between each table. With these changes we have achieved little over 80% reduction in waste. Where we used to package Revolution®tables 13’ high, each boxed, we now only have half a box on the bottom, half on top, and “half a box” encasing each outer half of the pallet. We have reduced our waste from formerly shipping 13 boxes and now shipping two. 

The foam blocks are 100% reusable and PS Furniture pays and arranges the freight to return these to our factory.  By eliminating individual table cartons, the amount of packaging waste per table is reduced by approximately 80% and labor required to unpack tables – and discard waste – while unloading is drastically reduced.

 

This change is good for our customer, good for PS Furniture and good for our environment.