As owners of ABC Special Event Rentals in Mukilteo, Phil Heidt and his wife, Alexia, provide all of the things you could imagine for equipping a successful gathering, graduation or business conference, including hundreds of items you never thought about needing.
They’re experts at working with food caterers, event planners and even family celebrations where family and friends provide the food.
Even the current recession isn’t slowing them down. They’re just refocusing their marketing campaign in different ways to stick to their annual goal of increasing their revenue by 15 to 20 percent over their previous year’s business. In recent years, they’ve never missed that goal.
“Last October, business began falling as the economy slumped. Then the heavy ice and snowfall canceled most of the holiday parties we normally count on,” he said. “Despite the cancellations, our revenues were up 18 percent in 2008 over the prior year.”
Heidt still has the same revenue goal for this year, counting on overcoming the economic challenges by finding new markets and maintaining his usual high level of customer service.
Events range from parties for Boeing, school districts and Washington State University’s graduation ceremony in Eastern Washington to the University of Washington’s annual barbecue for its 21,000 employees, an event that’s been canceled this year because of budget cuts.
ABC set up 5,000 events in 2008
Last year, the company worked on 5,000 events. So far this year, reservations are up 15 percent over early 2008, he said, the result of getting back to basics, focusing on new marketing approaches and keeping in touch with current clients to make sure they’ll continue to be with us.
Heidt is seeing new trends in local events.
“More people are hosting family events and receptions in homes instead of larger venues, a significant change since last year. They are taking more control over their events and being more cost conscious when it comes to event planning. They aren’t canceling events, just planning them differently,” he said.
Shifting his marketing efforts with businesses, schools and families has brought in enough extra business that he’s planning to hire 10 to 15 employees over the next few months, including warehouse and delivery workers. Presently, he has nearly 30 employees, including he and his wife, and a new inside sales person hired early this year.
Even the large expansion of his offices and warehouse last year is proving to be a benefit, not a liability, he said.
“We had 14,000 square feet here but soon ran out of space, so I rented 10,000 square feet more nearby, but then we had employees and equipment in two locations and we were still growing. So last year we added on 20,000 square feet for a total of 34,000, with everyone in one place,” he said. “We have nine loading docks for our trucks, including smaller ones for customers who pick up their own supplies.”
PUD energy saving efforts helped
“I was surprised by how much help I got from the Snohomish County PUD to improve our warehouse lighting and set up energy efficient power systems. They even helped to pay for the work,” he said.
Now, he also has an expanded showroom, with its own energy efficient lighting, that is drawing increasing numbers of visitors to see the variety of event items he provides.
Operating from Mukilteo keeps costs down, helping him to compete in his primary Seattle and Bellevue market. Heidt works hard to keep the firm’s name circulating. He keeps in touch with large non-profits that often have several hundred people for their annual auctions and then bids hard for their business.
No limit to event sizes
There’s no real limit to the size of events Heidt can handle, from residential backyards to sites needing his 120 by 240-foot clear-span tents with seating for 2,500 guests, temporary dance floors installed on lawns and hundreds of cloth- draped tables and matching chairs in 97 fabric colors and styles.
From flatware and dishes to color-coordinated linens, he provides everything needed for a successful event. His catalog includes commercial warming ovens on wheels, non-electric hot boxes for meals, sound systems and even Sno-Kone machines, cart-style popcorn poppers on wheels and inflatable funhouse castles.
“We’ve always focused on customer service and that’s even more important now,” he said.”One little thing is ice. We pull up with a truck full of 1,000 pounds of ice along with the food, tables and tents, just to have it ready. On a normal weekend we might have 50 different events. Now, we’re working even more with event planners and caterers. Our Web site and catalog have been great marketing tools.”
Heidt never dreamed of this career
His parents started the business in 1969 as ABC Rentals in Lynnwood, near Harris Ford, renting tractors, tools and Ryder and U-Haul trucks.
He worked there as a youth, went to Las Vegas for school, moved back to Snohomish County and worked as a bartender for Shotzes in Everett, never thinking about running the family business. In 1996, however, he took a second look and accepted his folk’s offer to buy the business. In 2003, he moved the enterprise north to Mukilteo, dropping tools and machinery rentals to specialize in supporting special events.
Heidt also stays active in the South Snohomish County, Mukilteo and Edmonds Chambers of Commerce, Downtown Seattle Association, American Rental Assn. and the International Festival &Events Associations.
For more information, visit www.abcrentals.com, call 425-493-6969 or visit the showroom at 4333 Harbour Pointe Blvd., Suite B, in Mukilteo.
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