Revenues continue to soar at marquee and gazebo business

Rotherham-based events structure supplier Gala Tent has reported monthly revenues of more than £1m for a second consecutive month, the first time it has achieved this in its 21 year history.

Five months ago, the company’s co-owners Jason Mace and Mark Thompson were working for zero wages to cover furloughed shortages in their distribution centre for the few orders that were coming through their sales channels.

At the time 70% of their staff were at home as part of the furlough scheme to protect employment, with the other 30% working from home.

Thompson said: “All of our usual markets had gone into total lockdown and we had a 60,000 sq ft warehouse packed out with stock for the summer season, so we had to look at where our products could help in the pandemic.”

After switching its marketing strategy in response to the rapidly changing social landscape, the firm began to recover.

Staff members were brought back from furlough much earlier than anticipated to keep up with demand.

Mace said: “The beauty of our products is their versatility. It’s a wedding marquee one year, but now it’s a way of pubs expanding their premises to ensure their own revenues don’t drop, or for schools to protect their children in the social distancing era, or for retailers to cover their queuing customers.

“Our telephone lines have never been busier. Our competitors are showing as out of stock for most of their own products, as there’s genuinely a nationwide shortage on marquees and gazebos.

“However, we’re still able to fulfil orders for many of our structures, with thousands of tents in stock, and new stock coming in on a weekly basis to fulfil back orders.”

Founded in 1999, Gala Tent has grown to sell over 15,000 tents and marquees each year, along with around 90,000 event accessories and furniture products in the UK.

The business is a preferred supplier for organisations including the military, the NHS, the police service and St John’s Ambulance.