August 8, 2023
Brittany Sherwood
Hello, American Rental Association (ARA) Region One members, and happy August! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Brittany Sherwood. I am the co-owner of Tents Unlimited in Torrington, Conn., and current president of the ARA of Connecticut where I’ve served as a board member since 2018.
Like many of you, my husband and I are small business owners who are navigating the rental industry and always attempting to gauge what the next best step should be for our company. Like most companies, our goal has been to grow our business at a sustainable pace while continuing to add new and exciting inventory for our customers’ events. Back in 2018, we were thrilled at the opportunity to purchase the building we had been operating out of since 2012, while taking on a tenant occupying a portion of our warehouse space. Each year since, we have seen continual growth and we quickly realized there was a need for a warehouse expansion. As of July 1, with their lease ending, we were able to take over our tenant’s space, adding an additional 4,000 sq. ft. of storage.
I am thrilled at what this expansion opportunity means for our company and can’t wait to share what new inventory we choose to add this coming February at The ARA Show™!
Speaking of the show, I’d like to encourage you all to attend if you aren’t already planning on it. Attending The ARA Show has been one of the best investments I’ve made in my own business. Not only do I have an opportunity to meet with vendors and see new equipment in person, but the networking and educational opportunities have given me new and unique perspectives I hadn’t previously considered, allowing both my husband and me to make informed decisions. The show will be hosted Feb. 17-21, 2024, in New Orleans. Show registration doesn’t open until October, but you can book your hotel now through onPeak, ARA’s official hotel partner. Click here to view all the available hotels and to book now.
I’d also like to remind members of an exciting event coming up on Sep. 13. The ARA Region One state chapter presidents have organized a multistate outing to watch the Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston. We are all looking forward to seeing our members who can attend!
In addition, ARA national is hosting this year’s Women in Rental conference (Oct. 23-24) and Young Professional Network (YPN) conference (Oct. 25-26) in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The Women in Rental conference is already sold out; a limited number of seats remain for the YPN conference, so if you’re interested in going, be sure register soon!
You can learn more about all these networking opportunities at the ARA Calendar of Events.
In closing, I’d like to acknowledge all of those from Region One who are serving on ARA boards and committees at the state or national level for their time and commitment to the industry. These are unpaid, volunteer positions, and each one of them has sacrificed time away from their business to ensure the growth of our industry. Thank you all!
Brittany Sherwood, ARA of Connecticut president
Tents Unlimited
Torrington, Conn.
860-496-8882
brittany@tents-unlimited.com
