This guy covers all bases in functions
A DOZEN years of continued reinvestment in inventory has been a key to The Marquee Guy’s evolution from a parttime business into a growing Geelong-based operation with multiple revenue streams, including sales, hire and event safety management.
With a background in carnival logistics and transport management, Ashley Cole started his hire company as a hobby business with two marquees in 2005.
“I would buy two marquees and pay them off and buy two more,” Mr Cole said.
“We have built a business now where we have gone from two little marquees to about 70 marquees of all different sizes.”
Every year he heads overseas with the intention of bringing back the latest trends.
“The latest craze is the rustic look, that’s why we brought in the big peg and pole marquee,” he said.
He said the 14x25m Tidewater Tent, which can seat about 200 people, was bought from Los Angeles last Christmas for $40,000 and he also has a 14x18m option.
About 60 per cent of the hire business is in festival and events and The Marquee Guy is a regular at A Day on the Green, Pako Festa and the Lara Food and Wine Festival.
But the business has evolved into more than marquee hire, building a network of suppliers and entertainment industry contacts to be a “one stop shop” for events.
Mr Cole said The Marquee Guy also did event safety consulting.
“We are the registered safety officers for events including the Geelong Show, the Geelong Cup and the Geelong Revival,” he said.
The marquee season was from August to late May but he was starting to see increased demand in the winter months and the sales division now brought in about a third of his business.
“It’s great to have lots of little things instead of putting all your eggs into the one basket,” Mr Cole said.
He said he further minimised risk by owning all the assets in the business, which in recent years had operated out of a North Geelong warehouse.
“You can’t have equipment on lease or expose yourself to debt because anything could happen at any time,” he said.
Mr Cole said the future was to keep the business at a reasonable and comfortable level, continuing to work in with other local hire companies.
“I can’t do everything, and I don’t want to do everything,” he said.
“The beauty of working in with others is that you share knowledge and you share experience.”