Michael’s Party Rentals Acquires Yankee Tents
LUDLOW — Michael’s Party Rentals of Ludlow announced the recent acquisition of Yankee Tents of Montague. This purchase adds inventory to the company’s already-diverse roster and helps grow its customer base to the north, along the 91 corridor into Southern Vermont.
Yankee Tents’ previous owner, Jane Arvidson, is retiring after 38 years and is excited that her previous customers “will have even more inventory to accommodate all their rental needs.”
Michael Linton was only 17 in 2000 when he and his 15-year old brother, Ryan, started a rental business with one small tent. Michael was planning to run the operation part-time while in college at STCC, figuring it was more fun than his previous part-time job as an assistant septic-tank pumper.
In 2003, Michael bought his brother’s half of the business, renamed it Michael’s Party Rentals, and expanded the inventory and equipment options. What started with one tent in a garage has grown to a 9,000-square-foot warehouse, which holds more than 100 tents, tables, chairs, a dance floor, staging, lighting, and an extensive array of rental equipment. The company currently employs just shy of two dozen individuals and records annual sales of just over $1 million. It is the only company in the Greater Springfield area with a certified event rental professional on staff.
Michael Linton said he enjoys the diversity of his job. “I’m always doing something different — putting up tents, sales calls, accounting, driving a truck, filling propane; I’ve even been seen with a plunger fixing a clog.”
For more information, visit www.michaelspartyrentals.com.
