Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 18

[ PERSPECTIVE ]
Cut from the same cloth
A third generation now manages Charnecke Tents.
T
Jenny Cole
CO-OWNER AND
VICE PRESIDENT
Charnecke Tents
Rosholt, Wis.
charnecketents.com
ATA member since 2005
Most valued ATA benefit
We enjoy ATA's events. They
are educational, and it's so
fun to meet people at the ATA
[Tent Expo] trade show and
grow our network. As you
visit, you find out how you
can help each other. We don't
do clearspan structures, for
example, but we know where
to send customers who need
them. Other ATA members
send business our way too.
Written by
Darcy Maulsby
Photography by
Phil Koehler Photography
Photos on cover and page 19.
Brad Abrams, Envious Media
Photos on pages 3 and 21.
hink of the last big outdoor event you attended. There's a good chance
it included a tent, whether you were at a community festival, a business
gathering or a wedding reception.
For decades, customers across the country have relied on Rosholt, Wis.-based
Charnecke Tents for high-quality tents of all sizes. " We have customers who
come back to us year after year, " says Jenny Cole, co-owner and vice president of
Charnecke Tents Inc., which manufactures, sells and rents tents.
Cole and her brother, Ken Jr., are part of the third generation to manage this
family-owned and operated business, which celebrates 95 years in 2024. It all
started in 1929, when there was a big party in Wisconsin. Ed Charnecke, Cole's
grandfather, led the revelry as a pair of newlyweds celebrated with family and
friends. Ever resourceful, he saw a business opportunity.
" Grandpa Eddie purchased a large canvas tent that customers could rent for
their events, plus he provided the entertainment, since he played the concertina
in a local polka band, The Rhythm Kings, " Cole says.
This entrepreneur even supplied his customers with his own home-brewed
moonshine. " Yes, Grandpa Eddie was a bootlegger, " Cole says. " He was such a
character, and he was a one-stop shop for parties. "
Charnecke Tents quickly gained a loyal following, as Grandpa Eddie found
a way to make a living by renting tents and having fun. Fast-forward to the late
1970s, when Cole's father, Ken, joined the company. Ken shared many of his
father's positive traits, along with a broader vision for the future of Charnecke
Tents. " Dad decided to make his own tents and learned how to sew, " Cole says.
When Cole was growing up, Charnecke Tents was strictly a tent-rental business.
In high school, she helped set up tents for customers who were hosting church
festivals, picnics and other events around Wisconsin. While Cole didn't mind
the work, she didn't plan to go into the family business full time.
" I went to college for interior design and worked in sales before I decided to
rejoin the family business 20 years ago, " says Cole, who co-owns Charnecke Tents
with brother Ken Jr. and her husband, Jay Cole. " Dad retired in 2018, and we're
proud to continue the tradition of inventiveness and hard work instilled by
generations of our family before us. "
Growing in new directions
As the business evolved, Charnecke Tents continued to rent tents and began selling
them. As the company has grown and expanded into new areas, communication
has been key to making these transitions successful. " We run this business as a
partnership, and we each have our own strengths and focus on different areas of
the business, " Cole says.
18 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / October 2024
http://www.charnecketents.com

Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024

Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - Cover1
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - Cover2
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 1
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 2
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 3
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 4
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 5
Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 6
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Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - 20
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Specialty Fabrics Review October 2024 - Cover3
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